Page 26 of Maggie

Maggie: Damn, I guess my assassination attempt has to wait

Wylder: Unfortunately. Also, choose your poison carefully. I may or may not have taken small doses of certain substances over the years to build up tolerances. I’m not telling you which ones

Maggie: Thanks for the tip. I’ll be sure to use a big dose of whichever poison I choose

Wylder chuckled. He loved Maggie’s sense of humor.

He flipped his phone face down into his lap beside the flowers and focused on the stage as the curtain reopened. The set appeared to be the inside of a house and contained a table with three different-sized chairs. Three bowls of something, which Wylder assumed was porridge, sat on the table. Three different-sized beds stood toward the back of the set.

Kelsey and her classmates acted out the story of Goldilocks, with each of the triplicate items being too big or too hot, too small or too cold, or perfectly right. For a fourth grade production, the Wylder was impressed. Kelsey really nailed her part.

The audience applauded as the final curtain closed. Wylder whistled and cheered Kelsey’s name.

The principal returned to the stage. “That was our fourth grade class production of ‘Goldilocks’. Hopefully you enjoyed it as much as I did. Our students did a fantastic job.” She led the audience in another round of applause. “Thank you for coming out tonight. We appreciate all the support from our students’ families. There are refreshments in the lobby for your enjoyment.”

After another round of applause, the audience stood and filed from their seats. Instead of heading toward the lobby with most of the other families, Wylder’s family headed backstage.

They found Kelsey standing in the hallway behind the stage with some friends.

“Kelsey, baby, you were wonderful!” Aubrey squealed with excitement and wrapped her daughter in a hug.

“Mom!” Kelsey squealed and blushed with embarrassment. She glanced at her friends with a mortified expression on her face.

Aubrey stepped back and wiped happy-tears from her eyes. Wylder moved forward. “You were a star. Before I know it, I’ll see your name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and will be telling people stories about how ‘I knew you back when.’” Wylder grinned. “Fantastic job.”

Tears welled in Kelsey’s eyes and she shot forward to wrap Wylder in a hug. “Thank you. I couldn’t have done this without your help.”

He hugged her in return. “Anytime. Hit me up when you’re ready to rehearse your first professional audition. We’ll nail it.” He leaned back and held the bouquet out to her. “These are for you.”

Kelsey took them. “Really? For me?”

“Really. You stole the show.”

“Thank you.” Kelsey brought the flowers to her nose. She beamed. “These are great. Thanks, Uncle Wylder.”

He smiled at his niece. “Sure thing.” Wylder glanced at his family. “I’ll leave you guys to it. I’m heading out. I’ll see you all at dinner on Sunday.”

“Don’t forget, your cousin Frieda’s wedding is tomorrow,” his mom reminded him. “We’ll see you there first.”

Wylder groaned. He’d received an invitation but he threw it away and intentionally forgot about the wedding. Frieda was a snob. At three years older than Wylder, she’d always bullied him. She looked down on him and treated him as though he were dirt beneath her shoes. She’d put him through hell as a kid. When they were teens, she told him she never expected to see him with anyone worthwhile — she was right because he planned to be a perpetual bachelor, but that was beside the point. Though she could no longer physically punish him, she still made him nervous. He wanted nothing to do with Frieda. When Frieda stopped attending Sunday dinners years ago, Wylder couldn’t have been happier. He hadn’t seen her for a few years, and he didn’t regret it for a moment.

“I’m not going,” he said.

“You have to go,” his mom insisted. “Your uncle will be devastated if you don’t show up for your own cousin’s wedding.”

Frieda’s mom and dad divorced years before and no one had heard from her mom in ages. She was supposedly living the high-life abroad in a vineyard with a new family,

“No, he won’t. I don’t like her. Everyone knows this. Including her dad.”

“It doesn’t matter. She’s family. I expect you to be there.”

Wylder shook his head. “I wish her the best and hope her new husband whisks her away to their own private island so I never have to see her again. But I don’t need to be at the wedding. I’ll send a card.”

His mom jammed her finger into his chest. “You’re making an appearance. At least stay for the ceremony then you can leave. Wear a tux.”

“But, mom...” Suddenly, a crazy thought struck Wylder. “Can I bring a date?”

She rolled her eyes. “Do not bring Zeke into this.”

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