12
Tennyson
After leaving the museum, with several bags of pirate swag, courtesy of Blake Chambers, they’d grabbed lunch and headed back to the beach house.
The kids spent the day on the beach, splashing in the surf and building a sand castle.
No further mention of the Whydah, Sam Bellamy, or gold coins was made and Everly, thankfully, didn’t have another vision.
Over dinner, at a beautiful restaurant overlooking Wellfleet Harbor, everyone decided they’d go to Provincetown the next day.
The plan was to park near Commercial Street and spend the day checking out the souvenir stores, art galleries and candy shops.
Ronan wanted to try every flavor of fudge imaginable, whereas Ten wanted cinnamon salt water taffy.
Ten had fallen in love with the sweet treat the previous summer at Old Orchard Beach in Maine.
“Okay, here we are, everyone,” Fitz said, as he parked the van. “Everyone stay put while we get the double stroller for Lizzie and Ezra.
“Me walk, Dada!” Ezra said.
“Me walk, too!” Lizzie echoed.
“We’ll bring it along for when you get tired,” Fitz said, sounding as if he were the one who was already tired.
“Me no tired.” Ezra proclaimed.
“Good, so you can push me around then?” Ronan grinned at his son.
Fitz and Ronan hopped out of the van and went to the cargo area. “Any word from Blake Chambers?” Fitz asked.
“Nothing, so far. Everly seems convinced that he’ll come to the beach tonight, but you know me, nothing’s ever carved in stone.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Fitz grinned. “All old cops have that mantra.”
“Who are you calling old?” Ronan scoffed.
“You old, Dada!” Ezra giggled.
“Thanks, kid.” Ronan rolled his eyes and pulled open the van’s side door. “All ashore.”
When everyone was out of the van, they turned left onto Commercial Street and found themselves in the middle of a street fair. Rainbow colored booths were set up as far as the eye could see. “This is really cool.” Ten was thrilled they’d chosen this day to come.
“I hope they have unicorns!” Aurora said, jumping up and down, trying to see better.
“There’s got to be a unicorn in the crowd somewhere,” Ronan said.
“Would you mind pointing him out to me when you find him?” a young man wearing cutoff jean shorts and a studded dog collar asked.
“I love your collar!” Everly gushed. “Did you get it here?”
The man shot Ronan a questioning look, when he nodded, the man turned back to Everly. “I sure did, sugar. Right down the street at the booth called Hell Bent for Leather.”
“Thanks, Dove!”
The man looked shocked that Everly knew his name.
“You should go to Club Europa tonight and sit in the front row for Anita Banger’s show. Wear the collar and your leather harness thingy. Trust me, you’ll find your unicorn!”
“Thanks. I’ll do just that!” With a wave, Dove melted into the crowd.
“Anita Banger?” Ronan asked.
“Yeah, she’s Ivana Dick’s sister.” Jude waggled his eyebrows, as Ronan burst out laughing.
“Unicorns!” Aurora squealed, running across the street. Thankfully, traffic had been closed off, making Commercial Street a pedestrian way.
“Come on, Daddy. You promised.” Everly took Ronan’s hand and dragged him to the booth selling handmade unicorns knitted in every color of the rainbow.
“I know there’s been a lot of attention on Everly over her vision of the shipwreck, but how are you doing?” Cope asked.
“I’m okay. I’ve never seen people die in a vision before. It was gut-wrenching. I could feel their fear as if it were my own.” Ten sighed. “What bothered me more than anything else is that Everly has visions like this all the time. More detailed and complete than mine have ever been.”
“Everly seems to be handling it like a champ.”
“That’s what worries me. Shouldn’t she be more upset? Crying or maybe even hysterical. I sure as hell wouldn’t have been able to handle what she sees when I was her age.”
“The reason she’s handling what she saw so well is because of you and Ronan. You’ve always encouraged her to let her gift grow. You’ve never been ashamed of what she can do or asked her to hide herself, either directly or indirectly.”
Ten thought about Cope’s words. Kaye and David hadn’t been particularly supportive as he was growing up.
As much as Ten hated playing football, David made him tough it out.
Same went for Kaye and subjecting Tennyson to a church that was anti-LGBTQIA+.
“You’re right,” Ten agreed. “The way we’ve treated Everly’s gift is probably invaluable. ”
“Exactly,” Cope agreed. “You’ve also given her the time and space she’s needed to discuss things with you and Ronan. She knows she can always come to you guys. I never had that with my parents. I’ve tried to model my behavior with Lizzie after you. You’re a great girl dad, Ten.”
Ten felt like he was going to burst into tears in the middle of the street. “Thank you. That means so much.”
“Dad! Look!” Everly called. She was holding six new unicorns in a range of sizes and colors.
Ten noticed Fitz was carrying the same amount for Aurora. “This is what we need the stroller for.”
“Unicorn transportation?” Cope snickered.
“That and whatever else Ronan buys her today. I hope he sets aside gas money for the trip home. I’m not in the mood to walk back to Salem.”
Ten browsed the unicorn booth and was impressed with the craftsmanship. He found one dressed like a carnival psychic with a head scarf, holding a crystal ball. He bought it for his desk at work.
“Daddy! Look!” Everly called from the next booth down.
From what Ten could see it looked like a face painting booth. The closer he got, he realized it was so much more. Drag queens worked the booth, applying their signature makeup.
“I want to get my eyes done!” Everly said, tugging on Ten’s hand.
“You know what? Me too!” Ten had been in love with drag queen style for years. He and Ronan set the DVR for RuPaul’s Drag Race and watched it after the kids went to bed. It was their guilty pleasure, but now, Ten had a feeling Everly was going to fall in love with queens too.
“Who’s next?” A queen, dressed in a slinky aqua dress and matching makeup, with blonde hair stacked to the gods, asked.
“We are!” Ten raised his hand, fluttering his hand.
“Come on in and have a seat. What are your names?”
“I’m Tennyson and this is my daughter, Everly.” Ten settled himself into the makeshift make up chair, while a queen dressed in bright pink sequins wrapped a cape around him.
“Aren’t you the most beautiful girl in the world!” Everly’s queen said.
“Thanks, Anita Banger!”
The queen looked taken aback. “How do you know my name, sugarplum? Not a lot of people outside of Provincetown know who I am.”
Everly tapped the side of her head. “You have your superpowers and I have mine.”
Anita looked as if she were going to burst into tears. “What kind of look can I do for you today?”
“I want my eyes to look like yours, only purple instead of aqua.” Everly looked Anita up and down. “Those shoes are killer, girl!”
“You think so?” Anita kicked up a six inch heel studded with rhinestones. She grabbed a makeup palate. “Close your eyes for me, sugar.”
Everly did as Anita asked. “When did you know you were a queen?”
“Probably when I was about your age. My mama, god rest her soul, sang in a swanky jazz club in New Orleans. She wore dresses that sparkled from here to the heavens. One night, when she was at the club, I went into her closet and tried on one of her dresses and too-big heels. Mama walked in when I was preening in the mirror. Her eyes went so wide, I thought they were going to fall out of her head. She said, “Marc Anthony, what in hell do you think you’re doing, matching that dress with those shoes?” Anita laughed at the memory.
“Mama was the one who taught me how to style my wigs and do my make up. She threw the first dollar tip onto the stage at the club. She was my biggest fan.”
“Mama June still is, Anita! She’s standing behind you now, telling you not to use so much of the dark purple eyeshadow. That child is gonna look like she lost a fist fight to an alley cat.”
Anita laughed. “That sounds like Mama, alright. When did you know you could talk to spirits?”
“When I was really little.”
“Excuse me? You are really little!” Anita booped Everly’s nose.
Everly giggled. “I’ve been able to do it as long as I can remember. My Dad can too. He uses his gift to help solve crimes.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” Anita shook her head. “I mean that shirt with those sandals. Oh, honey, no. Just no. Someone needs to call the fashion police who can prosecute your Dad for crimes against fashion.”
“Did someone need the police?” Ronan asked, from behind Anita, who turned around to look at him.
“Please tell me you brought your handcuffs, officer. I’ve been a bad, bad girl.” Anita winked at him.
Ronan snorted.
“Hi, Daddy! What do you think of my make up?” Everly batted her eyes.
“You look absolutely stunning.” Ronan shook his head as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.
“He’s your other Daddy?” Anita asked.
“Yup. He’s a cold case detective. Isn’t he a dish?” Everly giggled.
“A dish?” Ronan asked.
“That’s my Mama talking through you again, huh? She loved men in uniform, but not as much as she loved them out of uniform.” Anita grabbed a hand mirror. “Okay, Everly, are you ready to see yourself as a drag queen?”
“Yup!” Everly rubbed her hands together.
Anita turned the mirror. Everly gasped. “Ohh! Emm! Geee! I’m gorgeous and I love the little diamonds!” She turned her head from side to side.
Ten’s eyes had been shut while the queen with the workstation next to Anita’s did his makeup.
He couldn’t believe the change in his daughter, not just the purple makeup and sparkling gems, but in her attitude toward herself.
“Wow, honey! I almost don’t recognize you. You’re stunning. Absolutely stunning.”
“Daddy, what do you think?”
Ronan sniffled. “I think you’re growing up too fast. That’s what I think. Seeing you made up like this is like looking into the future. One minute you’re my little girl and the next you’re turning heads and dating the drummer in some rock band.”
Everly laughed. “I’m not gonna date a drummer, Daddy.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” Ronan set a hand over his heart in obvious relief.
“I’m gonna date the lead singer.”
“Of course you are, sugar!” Anita stood back admiring her work. “How about we take some pictures?”
Ronan pulled out his phone and started snapping pics of Ten and Everly with Anita.
“No, stud.” Anita waved a finger toward Ronan. “I meant pictures with you and me!”
Ronan handed his camera to Ten and moved to stand beside Anita, who bent over and gave him a smacking kiss on the cheek, leaving a perfect, deep red lip print. “I’ll never wash my face again!” He pulled out his wallet and handed several bills to Anita.
“Thank you for turning me into a queen,” Everly said with a big smile.
“Oh, honey, you were a queen long before today. Don’t you ever forget that.”
“Mama June has never been more proud of you,” Everly said, softly. “She says you need to stop grieving and start living again.”
Anita set a hand against her heart. “That sounds like something Mama would say.”
“Thank you for everything!” Everly hopped off her chair and into Ten’s arms. “I’ve never seen you look so beautiful, Dad.”
“You think aqua is my color?” Ten batted his eyelashes.
“Definitely! We need to get you a sparkly scarf.” She grabbed Ten’s hand and pulled him toward another booth selling all sorts of accessories in all the glittering colors of the rainbow.
Ten let Everly pull him along down the street. After everything that happened two nights ago with seeing the wreck of the Whydah and watching the sailors drown, Ten thought it would take him and Everly weeks to recover from the trauma.
Turned out, all they needed were a couple of fairy god queens, a bit of sparkle and some eye shadow.