When it was time, I released the magic and let it flow out from me into the world.

A hush fell over the garden, and I opened my eyes.

The illusion of countless stars hovered all around us, infusing the garden with unearthly light.

“It’s wonderful,” Izzy said, eyes glittering. “Well done, Brynn.”

“A magnificent tribute,” Gideon added.

“I wish I had been able to do it sooner.” The words came out in a rush, surprising me. I hadn’t meant to say them, but I didn’t regret them either. I could tell my family was about to object, so I added, “That way I could have been sure Adam’s spirit would have seen it. Even if I couldn’t have seen him.”

Just then the stars began to spin, slowly at first, but quickly gaining speed.

“What’s happening?” Izzy asked. “Are you doing that, darling?”

I frowned in confusion. “No, I am not doing anything.”

We watched as the stars spun faster and faster until the most miraculous thing happened. One after another, each star sparked, then exploded into new life. Suddenly we were surrounded by gleaming, butterflies, dragonflies, and moths. There were others too, but I didn’t know their names. In fact, there was only one person, I knew, who would have been able to name them all.

“I have never seen anything like this,” Nora said, marveling at the sight of the tiny creatures swirling around us, leaving trails of golden dust in their wake.

Gideon laughed. “I’ve never even heard of anything like this.”

I held out my hand and a tiny firefly landed on my finger.

Adam.

The spectacular show only lasted a moment or two longer before the cloud of winged creatures swirled upward to the sky. The firefly hovered low until it was the last one in sight and then it swirled away too.

I stared into the night sky as my family’s arms encircled me.

It was hard to say how long we stayed that way, looking at the stars.

And it would be even harder to speculate how long we would have stayed that way if a bush hadn’t rustled behind us.

“What was that?” I whispered to my family still huddled around me.

The four of us turned together to see an extremely wide-eyed Mr. Henderson peering through the hedge, his face in between the rods of the iron fence.

Oh dear.

I pulled myself free from my aunts and uncle and took a step toward him with my hands up in the air. “Mr. Henderson, we can explain everything.”

“I don’t want your explanations. I know what I saw,” he said, quickly straightening his glasses on his nose. “I’d heard rumors, but I never believed—”

“Please, don’t be afraid.” I took another step toward him. “I know you must have a million questions.”

“No. No, I don’t.” He held up a finger to hold me back. “There’s just one thing I want to know. And I want the truth.”

The four of us waited in silence.