A Birth day

"Nah," Ginger said, "just looking." She listened to Ruby saying Jessie had always put his foot in his mouth as a boy. "He puts his foot in his mouth about that again, and I'm liable to put my foot up his..."

"Hey, now," Anise laughed, trying to make light of it just a little. "Let's get a dress that Mom would like."

"You remember what she said, right?"

"Yeah. If one of the pack werewolves ever got her and she left before her time, we were not to wear black to her funeral. She used to say if we didn't wear a bright color, she was going to come back and haunt us."

"If it brought her back one more time, I'd wear black for the rest of my life," Ginger said. "So, Ruby, a bright color would be totally disrespectful, wouldn't it? It doesn't feel right, but she hated black. We were gonna wear black, but if we're gonna shop, we need to be sure of what we're really looking for."

"Maybe we get one of each," Anise shrugged.

"And just how many dresses do you think we need?" Ginger frowned. "They'll never fit in our...Oh, never mind."

"We don't have to do that anymore," Anise reminded her. "We're done living out of backpacks."

"Yeah, I know. It's just habit. I just have to keep reminding myself," Ginger said. "So, Ruby, bright colors or black or one of each?"

"I still have to remind myself when I shop that I don't have to shove anything in a backpack anymore," Ginger said. "Life is just so much better now than it was. Mom was so happy for us. She wrote all the time, and she used to tell us how happy she was that we had normal lives. She was hoping to come see us and take us to London to a concert with a real orchestra."

"Our mom was a professional piano player before she met Dad. She had a job working in a muggle symphony. She loved music, all sorts of music," Anise said. "It had to have been so hard for her to give all that up to go live in a tent. She used to tell us all the time that she didn't regret it because without it, she wouldn't have had us, but I always thought some part of her missed the piano."

"He rather overdid it just a little," Marcus told Jack. "And he's not getting his pain potion like he should be. He's trying to go without it, and it's just too bloody hard for him yet. I think he's really glad for all the help, but he still has a need to try to make all the bases are covered. He's having some muscle spasms in his shoulder. I think he's going to need something to stop it for him, but I'm no healer. All I know is that I was a lot like him about not taking pain potions, and when I had an injury that was somewhat similar to his years ago, the healer that tended it for me told me that it's a spot where an injury there is particularly painful and needs extra pain control for quite a long time while it mends. So far the magic wrap is working just fine. When I could get him to take his pain potion and I activated the magic wrap, he dozed right off. Oh, say, did Robert pass on the news to you about the pack?"

Simone brought over a basket of fresh vegetables and sorted through Angus's and Ruby's refrigerator for more, Then she started to clean and chop them, putting them in a huge bowl.

"What are you making?" Marcus was curious.

"Homemade beef vegetable soup, some hot shredded ham and cheese sandwiches with a mustard dressing, and I have some extra large apple dumplings with French vanilla ice cream for dessert," she told them.

"I think you're right. I think she wanted us to know what it was like to have what she considered a good life. She used to try to tell us she had experienced all sorts of things so she had no regrets in choosing the life she did, but she said she wanted us to be able to be free to make some of our own choices too," Ginger said. "I don't think either of us had really wanted to play piano, but maybe some day we'll get to go to that concert to hear what we've been missing. Actually, Robert and I talked about concerts once, and he said if I ever wanted to go, I should definitely talk to Michael. Not sure why he suggested Michael, but he was sure about it."

"Maybe he plays or something," Anise shrugged. "I do like your idea, Ruby, that those who have moved on are always still with us. It's a good thought. Hey, look." She pointed to a shop window a couple doors down, and then she went down to look in the window. They had some lovely midi length floral dresses. "Those are actually pretty. And look at that one. That would look great on you, Ruby."

"Oh, yeah," Ginger agreed. "I like the green one."

"You do look good in green," Anise said.

"I bet its expensive, but I'd still like to try it on, just for fun."

"You should,' Anise said.

"Only if you try on that white one."

"I like that one a lot," Anise said. "You should try one too, Ruby."

They waited for Ruby to try hers on, and when she came out, they smiled.

"Wow. That looks sharp," Anise said. "It doesn't reveal as much as you think, and I think the slender cut of it, with the fitted bodice, really accentuates your figure. I like it a lot. With a pair of some sort of heels? It would be perfect.

"I agree," Ginger said, "but the most important thing is that you feel good in it. If you like it, then you should definitely get it, even if you end up wearing some thing different to the funeral. Maybe you could get Angus to take you out once in awhile. That dress should do it, I think, unless he's completely blind."

"Go try the green dress," Anise told Ginger. "Wouldn't it be something if we all three found our dresses in the same store?"

"Who knows? Maybe we will," Ginger said, taking the green dress to try it on. She came out a few minutes later, disappointed. It was too big. The clerk got her the smallest size they had, and it was still too big.

"Don't worry," Anise said. "Remember, Marcus can adjust it properly for you. I think the color and the print is splendid on you. If you really like it, then you should get it and see what Marcus can do with it."

"But what if he can't?" Ginger asked.

"But what if he can and it ends up looking fabulous," Anise countered.

"I really like the flats," Ginger said. "They're perfect. Anise, go try the dress. You said you would."

Anise tried the dress. She loved the fabric. Once she had the dress on, she wasn't so sure about the puffy sleeves, but she did like the rest of it.

"Come on, then," Ginger called. "Let's see."

"I'm not sure," Anise sighed. She came out.

"Oh, Nissy! It's you!" Ginger said. "It's really you. "It's lovely."

"But the sleeves..."

"They look great. Mom would have it for you in a moment, and maybe a pair of kitten heels and some peach colored jewelry."

"I don't know. Ruby? Is it too frou frou for someone like me? Tell the truth," Anise said. "I'm not a frilly person..."

"A pair of puff sleeves does not make you too frilly, not once in awhile," Ginger told her.