Page 45 of Maggie

“Welcome!” Aubrey opened the front door to her home for Maggie and Wylder. They stepped inside.

“Thank you,” Maggie said.

“Hey, Aubs. Glad to see you made it home okay.”

“That paparazzi last night was insane. I can’t even imagine dealing with that all the time.”

“I know, right? Maggie said it’s not unusual in Lovely Oblivion’s world, though,” Wylder replied.

Wylder led Maggie down the hallway to the dining room and set a tray of deviled eggs on the table.

A chorus of hellos went up from the family scattered through the dining room, kitchen, and living room, including Wylder’s parents, his aunts and uncles, and several of his cousins. Even Uncle Burt was there.

“You weren’t kidding when you said your family is close. There are a lot of people here,” Maggie whispered to him.

“Yeah, this is the normal Sunday crowd. You’re the new addition. Oh, wait.”

Wylder yelled so they all would hear. “If you haven’t met, this is my girlfriend Maggie! Be nice to her!”

“Hi Maggie!” went around the room.

“You’re in. No one should kick you out now,” Wylder told her.

Maggie laughed. “I didn’t realize that was a possibility.”

He winked at her and gave her a quick kiss.

Aubrey walked into the dining room right then carrying plates and teased, “Hey now, none of that in my dining room.”

Wylder grinned. “Sorry, Aubs. Not sorry.”

Aubrey chuckled and began putting plates at each setting. “I’m glad to see you happy. I haven’t seen this side of you in a long time. It’s nice.”

“Aww, really?”

“Yes, really.” Aubrey nodded toward the hallway. “Your niece cleaned her room so Maggie can see your artwork. Go show her.”

Wylder held his hand out to Maggie and she took it. He led her down the hallway and up the stairs. They stopped at the first door at the top of the stairs, which was decorated with “Stay out” and “danger” signs.

Wylder knocked on the door. “Kelsey, you in there?”

“Yeah, come in,” Kelsey yelled.

Wylder opened the door and gestured for Maggie to go first.

“Oh wow,” Maggie breathed as she walked in and looked around.

The room was a complete immersion in Wonderland. The bed was set against a solid blue wall, but each of the other walls had a different mural. The room also held a desk, a dresser, and a closet. Kelsey sat on the bed, using a tablet.

One wall was painted with wildflowers and text that read “Do you suppose she’s a wildflower?”

Another wall had a road intersection with multiple roads and a sign that had arrows pointing in different directions which read “This Way,” “That Way,” “Tea Party,” “Wrong Way,” “Somewhere,” and “Over There.” An excerpt which read the following was painted above the road:

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.”

“I don’t much care where–”

---