Dear Reader,

Today, I continue to publish excerpts from

A FAIRY'S DIARY

The morning sun barely touches the horizon when my second shift begins—the great alchemy of the dawn. The kitchen is my laboratory, and today’s most complex spell involves the school lunchboxes. The little ones think I am simply cooking, but every ingredient requires a specific incantation. I chop carrots into perfect stars to infuse them with courage, and I shape small, golden cutlets—a secret recipe of grounding earth magic—to give them the strength they need to face the playground dragons. The true test of a fairy’s skill is ensuring the apple slices do not turn brown; a drop of lemon juice and a whispered charm of preservation does the trick.

When my youngest stumbles into the kitchen, his hair pointing in every direction like a tiny, sleepy hedgehog, he brings a cloud of morning grumpiness with him. This calls for the immediate deployment of the "Sweet Awakening" potion. I pour warm milk, stir in a dollop of honey, and tap the mug three times with my spoon. As he takes the first sip, the storm clouds behind his eyes dissolve into clear blue skies.

Buttoning coats, tying shoelaces, and locating the perpetually missing left mitten requires a bit of minor divination. “Where did I leave my dinosaur?” my eldest wails. I close my eyes, tap into the motherly crystal ball in my mind, and reach exactly behind the sofa cushion. Voilà. As they finally step out the door, backpacks heavy with books and my hidden enchantments, I blow a protective kiss toward their retreating backs. The golden dust of my love settles over their shoulders, an invisible shield that will keep them safe until they return to my sanctuary.

To be continued next week …

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