Rudolf reclined in his chair with a smoky puff accompanied by a sigh. He was holed up in his study, taking phone wires all day. The Dowsers perfected a Fallite bomb, and many demanded to test it. Tired and frustrated, he put One, Ten, and Forty-five in charge. A scientist, a strategist, and a doctor should fare nicely.

He took off his reading glasses and rubbed his forehead with his fingers. Ringing returned after only minutes of silence, and instinctively, Rudolf snatched the Dowser phone and put it up to his ear. But there was nothing. It wasn’t his phone nor his actual study phone for his day job. The jingling sang from the kitchen. Relieved, he swiftly stored his binders and Dowser phone back into the hidden hole in the wall and aimed to answer it. But before touching his doorknob, the ringing ceased.

“Maddy must have gotten it,” he convinced himself. He slurped some long-cold coffee and refrained from spewing brown liquid.

A wonderful voice came from behind the door after some murmurs and shuffling. “Honey, may I come in?”

“Yes, dear; Certainly.”

Madeline’s thin figure entered the room. “I have Vora on the wire. Apparently, she’s marrying some blonde bloke.”

"How wonderful. Good for her," Rudolf replied unattentively. He rubbed his rapidly graying blonde beard and thought, Suppose I can do some real work for once. He examined some reports, primarily sensed being watched, and peered back at Madeline, who propped herself in the doorway and smirked.

“Rudie. Didn’t you hear me?”

Rudolf stammered bewilderment. “Yes, yes, you said—Vora’s getting married! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Madeline shifted out of the way so Rudolf could pass through and take the idling candlestick phone in the kitchen. Last time he appeared that giddy was their own wedding.

***

“Vora’s gettin’ married? ‘Bout time,” Hilde replied to her mother over the wire. “Bell yeah, we’re coming.”

Hilde’s husband was bouncing around their two-year-old baby girl, who, in a few years, could be the spitting image of Darcie based on her gray hair and reddish eyes.

“Yeah, Darcie’s missing out. Well, she’s probably seen a million wedding's up there. Yeah, mom. Sure. Bye.”

***

Tricia burst into the back room of the plucky flower shop and slapped a note against Bernard’s unguarded chest. The note discussed the wedding, which was pointless because Tricia said it aloud.

“Vora is getting married!” she squealed, making Bernard nearly drop his large clay pot. “Her and that blonde boy are tying the knot next month. Aren’t you exc-“

“I’m not going,” Bernard said bluntly, walking past to bring his current back pain to the entrance.

***

“I refuse to let you keep pretending she doesn't exist," a very sour-looking Klev stated.

After finishing many wedding invitation wires, the two were in their cozy kitchen in the afternoon. Vora sat at the kitchen table, feeding regret with her fiancé’s words. He stood over her, his arms crossed, emitting a commanding energy. Rare for Klev.

“I understand the break you two took, it was a rough time, but I’m not letting years of friendship die.” Klev grabbed the table’s dirty plates.

“I would be calling Darcie today if not for her,” Vora rebutted. “I could have saved her.”

“You would be dead if not for Maive! Even if you had your magic, you’d be fighting god himself.”

“You don’t know that. I was strong….”

“You would have stopped Darcie or Maive if timelines were switched around. Even if they hated you for it.”

Vora nodded, eyes full of understanding and lips curled with regret.

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t be there, but I would have stopped you too, without hesitation. Would you despise me too?”

“I don’t know!” Vora buried her face in her arms on the table. “She could let go so easily.”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“You know it wasn’t easy. Maive is stronger than the both of us. As stubborn as you are, there are events even you can’t control. Maive accepted that with the relieving thought that her girlfriend was going to heaven.” Klev ceased drying a bowl and stood beside his fiancé.

Vora peeked up at the blonde man. “I’m awful. I screwed up. I don’t know what to do.”

“Wire her.”

“Then what? Tell me what to say. I don’t want to lose her forever.”

“No. You have to do this on your own.” He peered at the phone, kissed Vora on the forehead, and stated. “The Vora I’m marrying has unstoppable charm and charisma. I’ll finish these later. I’m going for a shower.”

He left for the master bathroom, and Vora approached the phone with a beating drum pounding her ribcage.

***

Maive coughed herself awake that evening. Her illness fluctuated over the years, but recently, her health improved significantly.

The quiet may have helped since all the Chimes were off the estate via orders of a Bearer in need in the west.

She had more time for her younger brother, Sebastian, who had turned six recently. He was pale and blue-haired like his sister but had a thicker frame already.

Maive left her room and found him playing with a toy sword in the hallway. He smirked and scrambled to her on sight.

“Your braid has gotten really long.” Sebastian snatched her ponytail. “It’s touching your rear like a rope. I want one.”

“You fancy a ponytail? Wonderful idea. Once it’s long enough, Albeit will braid it for you.”

Sebastian frowned and shook his hair wildly. “No. You do it. Once you’re better, you do it. You can go outside again too, and we’ll see the biiiig mountain. Like in the book.”

“Indeed so,” Maive grinned and crouched. “I’ll be so strong, I’ll climb the mountain myself.”

“Certainly!”

Albeit came from around the corner and beckoned Maive. She signaled her brother to stay. “What are you doing out of bed?” he whispered.

“I fancied a run,” the ho-hum Maive joked, worrying Albeit further. “I am fine. I feel great comparatively. Now, what do you need to tell me? Seemed urgent.”

“Ms. Snihde is on the wire and wishes to speak with you.”

“Vora…”

“What should I tell her?”

“Nothing. I will speak with her. Transfer her to my bedroom’s phone.”

“Yes,” Albeit beamed. “Absolutely. Yes.”

Maive returned to her room, sat on her bed, snatched the ringing phone, and placed her lips on the phone’s receiver. “This is Maive Orna.”

“This is Vora. I know it's been a while…. We didn’t leave under the best of circumstances, but I-agh.”

The scrambling and fumbling of the receiver could be heard on Maive’s end, along with quiet, uncertain mumbling.

“I’m sorry,” the two said simultaneously. Then the women asked, "What are you sorry for?"

Vora went first. “I understand you were trying to save my life on that day. And you did. And I cursed you out for it, not recognizing you were in agony.”

Maive shook her head pointlessly. “Vora, I never cared how negatively you felt. I wished I was as brave as you. I could have done something; anything. But I stood aside because of Darcie’s wishes and because of the Burning Bell. I have questioned my faith every day since then. I still saw you as my friend. I love you like a sister.”

“I-I love you too. Darcie would have beat the snot out of me for how stupid I was. She would be right.”

“Indeed, she would. My butt would be sore, as well,” Maive giggled.

They both laughed like they were teens again and reminisced over Darcie Jane Krow for nearly an hour. The best of her. The worst of her. Her energy they couldn’t follow. The strength they couldn’t equal.

“How is your health?” Vora asked after a short silence.

"You will be happy to know that my illness has been defeated,” Maive said triumphantly. “The doctors found a tumor on my kidney that was easy to miss. After all these years, ‘twas a pea-sized tumor.”

“Oh. That’s great, then. I have wonderful news myself. It’s the reason I called you. Klev and I are swapping rings. He proposed while we were in a fancy restaurant." What she said was technically accurate.

“That’s splendid. Congratulations! Not surprised, honestly. I foresaw you two in a chapel one day.”

“Yes. It’ll happen next month. And I ask you to be my maid of honor.” After silence, Vora added, “I won’t have anyone else.”

Maive turned to her window, looking at a dimming world she hadn’t touched in a year. With a frown, she responded in a chipper, professional voice. “I would love to come, but I don’t have the time. I am deeply sorry. I can’t apologize enough. I have chosen to acquire my parents' business rather than continue with the silly mechanic thing. I have been trying my hardest in school to learn all I know. I am on holiday right now visiting my younger sibling."

“I understand. I wish you would be here with me. The spot will remain open if you happen to get a break. I wouldn't have anyone else for maid of honor," she repeated. "It's either you or no one. Maive?”

“Yes?” Maive had tears streaming down her pale cheeks. She masked her sounds of sorrow. "Yes? What is your statement?" she asked, keeping a solid poise.

“Do you still have the box?”

Maive pictured the object in the dark underside of her bed near her toes. “Absolutely.”

Vora smiled. “Naturally. Keep in touch, okay?”

Maive momentarily listened to the droning dial tone before attaching the coil-wired receiver to the candlestick phone.

***

Contradictory to the young, violet-haired woman’s reputation, she despised makeup and lipstick. It only hindered her face, not enhanced. As the bride stamped and poofed her face with cosmetics, Vora grew frumpy, and her nostrils burned.

“Nervous at all?” a woman working Vora’s hair asked.

“Not particularly,” Vora responded honestly. “I’ve been dreaming of this since I was a child. A normal marriage with no pain, or butterflies, or whatnot."

“I-I see. Yes," the woman agreed, befuddled.

“Klev’s the opposite of me. I worry he won’t handle the crowd.” Vora slid a red cylinder against her lips, leaving a trail of crimson. Afterward, she smacked her lips.

“You got that right. You should see Klev,” came a man’s voice from the door. It was Luis, Klev’s best friend. And now, best man. He wore a nice, dark suit and leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, trying to act calm and cool. “He’s edging on puking.”

“Man never changes," Vora grinned and giggled. “Shouldn’t you be helping him rather than spying on me? I feel this is blasphemous in some way.”

“I’m the best man, so I think it doesn’t matter according to the Burning Bell handbook. Speaking of which, the maid of honor isn’t here yet. When will she show?”

“She won't be," Vora replied with certainty, sighing and leaning back. “We made up, which has taken a weight off my heart. I offered her a rightful place with me, but she lied to get out of it. I don’t know why she truly won’t come, but it must be for a grand reason. At least she's healthier. That's what she claimed, at least."

“Mmm. Shame. Maybe she’ll burst in at the last moment. Like in the MPs,” Luis said hopefully with a finger gun.

“Luis, go help my future husband, please.” As he left, she added, “And don’t tell him about the dress.”