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‘And for me, it was a lot more like remembering than finding out from nothing,’ Mia mused. ‘I mean, I definitely believed in fairies and pixies when I was a child, and I grew up knowing Hudsbury is weird and special, so maybe it was less of a shock for me. Once I got over the talking pumpkins, anyway.’

‘I’m not sure anyone ever really gets used to them.’ Aiden laughed.

You should talk about it, you know. Lunar landed between them and rubbed her beak on the edge of the table.

‘Talk about what?’ Mia smiled brightly – too brightly – after Aiden had translated for her.

You are not fooling anyone. Mia didn’t need Aiden’s translation for Mist’s comment. The cat’s look was more than enough to get the message across. Before meeting Mist, she hadn’t realised cats could make you feel like a total idiot with a single look.

‘It’s not that we’re avoiding talking about it.’ Mia sighed. ‘Not exactly.’

Uh-huh.

‘We’re not,’ Aiden protested. ‘But we might not be proactively talking about it either.’

‘True.’ Mia traced the pattern of the shop counter with one finger. ‘But I guess we probably should.’

‘Yeah.’ Aiden nodded. ‘So, we, umm… don’t have a venue.’

‘Nope. Or catering.’

‘Right. And there was a problem with your dress.’

‘Yep. And no officiant.’ Mia offered her fingers to Lunar, and the magpie hopped over and bowed her head.

‘Which means we have no date. And the invites we did send out are all wrong.’

‘Yes, they are.’

‘And…’

‘And?’ Mia looked up at her fiancée.

‘I heard back from the jewellery store. The couriers are “struggling to locate the parcel”, which obviously means…’

‘We have no rings.’ Statement, not question.

‘No. Well, not yet. The parcel was insured, so we will get our money back, and they can remake the rings for us.’

‘But, at this moment in time, like with everything else… there’s a problem.’ Mia sighed morosely. ‘And that’s without the biggest problems of all.’

‘The fact that Mum’s mobility has dropped off, and our friends are heartbroken?’

‘Yeah.’ Mia nodded sadly. ‘Too many of the people we love are in pain right now, and we don’t have everything that we want to have to get married.’ She took a deep breath, not wanting to say the next words, but feeling them bubbling in her throat anyway.

‘You don’t want to marry me any more,’ Aiden replied, his tone more teasing than anything else.

‘I do.’ Mia stroked his face. ‘Of course I do. I love you.’

‘I know that.’ He kissed her. ‘But I also know that you’re not going to be wanting a big celebration while your friends are hurting. Unless I’m hugely mistaken?’

‘You’re not.’ She rested her forehead against his. ‘Are you upset with me?’

‘I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to being a bit disappointed. But upset with you? Never. And it does seem like Hudsbury might be giving us a hint or two that our plans weren’t right.’

‘You think the magic doesn’t want us to get married?’ Mia was suddenly terrified. She’d seen how powerful it could be; if it was against them, then they had no chance.

You are being silly. Aiden translated quickly for the cat that butted against Mia. You two are fated. The only thing that will ever part you is your personal choice.