Chapter Seven

I finished the plate of eggs with four pieces of buttered toast. Magnus had six pieces, finishing the loaf of bread he pulled out from earlier. It was wrapped in plastic that stretched over the whole thing and held close with a small solid colored piece of hard plastic that hooked on it after twirling the said stretched plastic at the top to keep air out. Maguns took the time to explain this over our brunch. I was also able to ask some other questions that I had.

"So, what's a changeling?" It sounded strange, but apparently it was important to Magnus. He did just cook a whole box of eggs to find out if I was one.

Magnus's face became sour at this question, "Changelings are disgusting fairies that steal people and things. I have my reasons to believe that they are why my family fell apart."

"What did they do?" I felt like I had to do something about this, about his feelings and his family. I knew it was a tall demand of myself but I wanted to help, somehow.

"I know they stole some of our family heirlooms and," Magnus pulled away for a second, as if he had to stop himself from breaking down in front of me, "And my mother. I know it sounds strange but I know my mom. Whatever was around for the majority of our lives was not her."

"What makes you think that?"

"One moment she would be the loving mother we all knew then the next, she was cold, never responding to anyone and anything, rude sometimes by saying we could try better, why did we always seem so annoying at times and other things like that. When we thought that's how she was going to be for who knows how long, she would become loving again and suggest vacations and hanging out again. This went on for so long that when my brothers were old enough, they left. My father divorced my mother and left too. I was old enough to make my descion and stay here so I did. I want to find my mom, I know that she is out there, Constance, I just know she is. I know that she isn't whoever comes by the house from time to time claiming to be her." Magnus's face was riddled with sadness and regret, his eyes pointed to the ground as he told me this.

I felt sad for him and made my mind up at that moment that I would help Magnus find his mom. I glanced out the window, the sun was setting so there was no chance of going home or to start looking for Magnus's mom. I changed the subject to distcract Magnus from his sorrow, even if it was temporary.

"So, how old are you, Magnus?" I held my fork and fiddled around with it as I asked this. I avoided his eyes, I felt my blush return and my heart prayed that he was my age.

"I'm eighteen, my birthday was in January. What about yourself, Constance?" I felt that Maguns picked up on my crush for a half second from him shooting the most sweetest smile I had ever seen in my life. His teeth were straight besides a bottom tooth on the right side, it appeared to stick out a little than the rest of them. It resembled the sharp teeth of an animal that they use to tear flesh off. Although it wore a similarity to a canine's flesh ripping maw, the appearance of the tooth in Magnus's mouth gave him a boost in image that I didn't expect.

Not trying to seem like I was staring at his lips and where he was wearing his smile, I responded, "Today I turned eighteen, at least I think today is my birthday."

Magnus was caught off guard, "What do you mean you think?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "The commune has a birthday celebration for the kids turning certain ages. From five to ten, we get two birthdays then from ten to fifteen is the same case, from fifteen to eighteen is one birthday. That celebration happens on today, that's how you were able to find me. We were taking the birthday hike in the woods and I had to go back for something but then I slipped and got hurt and," I met Magnus's gaze and couldn't help but place my hand on his as I spoke, "That's when you came along."

Magnus rubbed the top part of my hand with his thumb in a soothing manner, not pulling his hand away. I could feel my stomach flip in itself and my heart challenge that of a running horse. His hands were way bigger than mine and held mine neatly in his. The skin on his hands were rough like the men in my commune. I could tell that Magnus was for sure a working man from that alone.

I stumbled on my words, feeling more warm in my face and increasingly growing conscious of us holding hands. "I, uh-what do you do for work?" I smiled nervously, be polite, Constance.

Magnus now wore a grin and pulled my hand closer, kissing the top of it. I immediately drew my hand away, my face was hot to the touch and I felt my soul float away for a half second. At the same time, I wanted more and I didn't like that.

He laughed at this, he knew about my crush for sure.

"I work as a photographer, currently I'm trying to get some good shots of the forest we met in."

"Photographer?"

"Constance, how deprived are you guys? You didn't know what a chicken egg was or toast or photographs?" I shook my head at each thing he listed as he said them, only proving his point he was making.

Maguns sighed and left his seat and the room through a doorway then came back shortly with a book that was thick and was held by three rings when opened. You could see them in the inside as it sat there. There were many pages in the metal rings and the top was a white cover that only said two words in black writing, "Family Photos".

It made a small thud as it hit the table, Magnus brought over a chair to my side of the table and drug the book over to where it sat in front of us.

"My family and I took pictures of everything," Magnus began as he opened the thick bound book. "From fishing trips to amusement parks," The pictures were of a younger Magnus with a man and two other boys, they held fish on tall sticks and were proud of what they caught. The other was of the same boys including Magnus standing at a colorful archway that lead to gigantic machines that curved and reached the skies along with Lord knows what. "We loved taking pictures so we could sit around the table and talk about the trip as we would bicker over which ones went where in the book. My brothers and I looked forward to the trips of course but I think this was always my favorite part personally." Magnus flipped past a few more photographs of him and his older brothers enjoying the sights of nature and daily life.

"My mother encouraged the photographer deep down in me and got me a Polaroid camera for my birthday one year. It was a baby blue color and took small pictures but it was the best thing she ever got me." He chuckled to himself as he pointed out a smaller framed picture that was blurry and clearly taken by a child. You could barely make out that it was a clear sky and Magnus's brothers posing for the camera.

"Overtime, me and my brothers got older and got jobs and lives like you do. I bought myself a more high tech camera but kept my first one safe in my stuff." Pictures of Magnus and his family going to stops and places that looked interesting started to become scarce as we flipped through the book. On one page, it didn't have a single family photo, only pictures of trees that had millions of pink flowers and old statues but crystal clear.

"Soon, my oldest brother came back home for a little, graduating college and needing to find a place. This helped our family with the trips and being able to see each other for a second." After two more pages of landscape pictures and of artistic values, more family photos showed up again. Pictures of the family in matching sweaters and enjoying a sandy beach side with an ocean view. But just as fast as they showed up, the family pictures stopped once again. After it was an individual picture of each family member. First was Magnus and his two brothers then their father then their mother. I felt like I saw that woman before. Looking and squinting at the photo, I realized why she did look familiar. I saw that face for as long as I could remember, it was Aunt Brianna.