“Have a good time,” Belén said as we walked to the door. I turned and looked her in the eye.
“Thank you, Belén. We will.” There was no snark, no sarcasm. I meant it, and so did she. With Seamus lightly guiding me to the door, the tiny flutters that felt like hope and maybe happiness beat a cadence in my belly. Just as we were leaving, I caught a glimpse of Blanche, peeking around the doorway to the basement. She gifted me a knowing smile, and I gave her a tiny wave back.
As the door firmly shut behind us, Seamus threaded his fingers through mine, and we walked hand in hand to his car. He led me to the passenger’s side and opened the door for me, like a perfect gentleman. I stopped myself from glancing back toward the house to see if my dad or Belén were peeking out from behind the curtains. I kind of hoped they were, though. They would see that Seamus was most definitely a good decision on my part. Fully parent-approved. He closed my door lightly once I was inside the car and came around to the driver’s side.
“So where are you taking me?” I asked. I was dying to know what he had planned, but I was even more excited just to spend time with him. In person.
Seamus started the engine and backed us out of the driveway, just as cautiously as Tilly might. Another point in the parent-approval column. “Well, as it happens, the revival theater downtown is showing Carrie. It was kind of like the night planned itself when I saw that.”
My eyes widened, and a smile broke out on my face. “That’s almost spooky.” For the millionth time this summer, I couldn’t help wondering if Blanche wove some kind of magic spell over me to make this happen.
“Spooky, but awesome,” Seamus said, grinning, as we left my neighborhood and started our drive into the city. “But before that, we’re going to the greatest burger place known to man, if you’re up for it.” My stomach rumbled in agreement, and he laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes. And do you want to know the best part?” His voice was gleeful, like he couldn’t wait to share a secret with me.
“Yes, please tell me the best part.” I couldn’t keep the smile on my face from stretching to my ears.
“Three words. Toasted. Marshmallow. Milkshakes.”
“Sold. Drive faster.”
When Seamus stopped at the last red light before the onramp to the highway that would take us to what was sounding like the most perfectly planned date in human history, his hand snaked around my waist and pulled me to him. He looked into my eyes with the same degree of longing that had captured my attention while he played. The flutters increased and, even while seated, my knees went weak. In one fluid motion, Seamus’ lips found mine, lush and sweet, and I kissed him back, intoxicated. Even all my imaginings weren’t as good as the real thing. When he pulled away, he kissed my forehead and exhaled.
“I needed a hello kiss.”
I giggled into the crook of his neck. “Does that mean no good night kiss?”
“Of course not. If you play your cards right, you might get a middle-of-the-date-just-because kiss too.”
“I hope so. I’ll do my best.”
“Of course you will. How could you not?” He winked, and the light turned green, sending us on our way once more.
When he parked the car in front of the restaurant, I grabbed his hand before he could get out.
“Hold on a sec, I almost forgot something.” I reached into my purse, my fingers grazing the silver keychain, back in its rightful place, and pulled out the envelope I’d shoved in there that morning. Seamus looked at me, puzzled, but opened it and pulled out the card I’d painstakingly written that morning.
Dear Seamus,
I realized I never thanked you for my song. So thank you. For that, and for everything.
Cheers to us.
Yours,
Tate
“My stepmother is a stickler about manners,” I told him.
Seamus smiled and blushed. “You’re welcome.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss into my cheek. “Ready to go?”
I smiled and winked back. “I’ve always been ready.”
“I believe that.” He chuckled and hopped out.
Waiting for him to come around to my side, I sat still in the car for a moment, just letting the moment soak in. Everything I had been afraid of back in June was gone. My fears had been replaced with truths—about my family, my friends, myself—better than I could have hoped for. I felt as light as a feather.
My door opened, bringing me out of my head.
“Are you still with me, Tate?” Seamus asked, amused.
I blinked at him, disbelieving that he was standing over me, waiting just for me, the object of so many of my daydreams turned reality. He was the exclamation point at the end of a particularly long and frustrating, yet ultimately satisfying, chapter in the book of my life.
“Yeah. I’m good. Really good. Today kind of feels like the answer to a wish I made at the beginning of the summer.”
“And did it come true?” The corners of his mouth tipped up in a slow smile.
Nothing this summer had gone the way I imagined. But maybe it was supposed to be that way so I could turn the page and move onto a new, fresh chapter in my story.
I smiled back. “Yes. It came true.”
Q&A with Author Christina June
1. What made you decide to write a Cinderella retelling?
I actually have a good story for this. I work in a school, and the Monday morning after the homecoming dance, I was walking into my building and spied an abandoned girls’ dress shoe—a sparkly, strappy sandal—laying on the side of the road. It felt like a sign that I needed to write a Cinderella story. But I knew I wanted my heroine to question the rules she was given and push back against them. Et voilà, Tatum was born.
2. If you were a fairy tale character, who would you want to be?
I have a young daughter, so most of my fairy tales come via Disney these days. Though I’d like a little more of Mulan’s bravery and Tiana’s drive and innovation, most days I’m an Anna—she’s awkward, but she’s got a great sense of humor—and I’m okay with that.
3. What elements of the Cinderella were the most fun to work into the story?
The glass slipper/keychain took a little while to figure out, but once I did, I fell in love with it. A lot of the smaller elements that got layered in during revisions were really fun too. For example, Tilly makes a reference to cutting off part of her foot. That makes me laugh every time I read it.
4. Which character is the most like their Cinderella counterpart?
Probably Blanche, our fairy godmother. Anyone who likes the Golden Girls and romance novels, is virtually psychic, and wins at bunco on the first shot has to be magical, right?