He’d walked out of the Never-Ending Office with Molly too many times to count but this time is different. This time Molly expects him to fly with her.
He freezes on the top step, long enough for Molly to look back.
Hearing a rustle of wings and feeling a caress of warm air swirl round him, he crosses his arms in defiance.
“What’s the matter?” asks Molly.
“I…” starts Al.
“Alexander?”
Molly had only used his full name once before, the sound shocked him into mumbling a reply.
“I can’t fly.”
“What? How? How did I not know that?” says Molly dropping to the steps. “But everyone can fly.”
“I try but I never quite get the hang of it,” says Al, itching his nose.
“You just have to glow,” says Molly with all the confidence of someone who can do something. “Glow as bright as you can, and your wings will grow.”
“But that’s not who I am.”
“You’re Luminous. Be bright. Be light.”
To please Molly, Al tenses and strains, contorting his face into odd expressions but the more he tries the heavier and duller he feels. Giving up he slumps to the ground.
“Look, its easy,” says Molly and in a blink, without any apparent effort, Molly’s wings spread light and bright from her back.
“I can’t do what you want. I can’t glow like you!”
“But this is how everyone dances!” says Molly, her tone sharp with frustration.
“I’m not trying to dance, Molly,” says Al.
Realising what she’d said, Molly hears Lucie’s words in her own voice. Turning back to Al, Molly sits down next to him.
“Sorry, Al,” she says, softly.
“It’s okay Molly. Not your fault I’m imperfect.”
“You’re perfectly you,” says Molly, “Just because you don’t do something the way everyone else does, does not make you wrong or bad. We just have to find the best way to make you glow. So, what makes you glow?”
Looking away, Al shrugs. No way was he going to admit that the time of day he glowed brightest was when he saw her.
“Okay, how about we just start walking and have a think about it.”
“No, you should go on with out me. I’m not going to be of any help.”
“Come on, silly,” says Molly, and grabbing his hand pulls Al off the step. As soon as her fingers lace round his Al feels a sliver of warmth shoot up his arm and grow hotter and brighter. Gripping her hand, he lets her pull him up. Too soon she lets go but the spark has already ignited the fire in his centre. Adding fuel to the furnace, Al can’t believe that anyone is willing to walk with him, when they could fly, especially Molly. The light at his centre brightens and turning to Molly he smiles and when she smiles back he feels an explosion at his back. Twisting round, he hits Molly in the face with his light, white, bright wings.