On the morning of Glinda’s engagement ball, Saguaro woke up with a sense of alertness. For the first time in over a week, her eyes did not feel heavy, and her body no longer ached. Instead, she felt more normal than she had in a long time.

She glanced at the bed opposite her, where Glinda was still sleeping. Unlike Saguaro, Glinda did not appear to have slept well. She was still tossing and turning and murmuring to herself. Since Glinda had asked Saguaro to make sure she woke up early, Saguaro climbed out of bed and tiptoed towards her.

“Glinda?” Glinda ignored her name and rolled over on her stomach. Saguaro tried again and began to nudge her. When Glinda still did not respond, she raised her voice. “GLINDA!”

This time, Glinda snuggled deeper into her blankets. “I don’t have an early class today, Elphie.”

“No, but you do have to pick up your mother.”

At this, Glinda’s eyes popped open, and she sat up in bed. “Crowsie! I’m so sorry. I had no idea what I was saying. I didn’t mean to mistake you for your mother.”

“It’s all right,” said Saguaro. “I’m sure you were just dreaming about Shiz. Did you have a good night?”

“Well, it wasn’t my best, but it could have been worse. How did you sleep, dear? You were a bit restless last night.”

“Actually, I feel fine. I think our talk really helped.”

“Really?”

“Really.” She gestured to her pillow, underneath which lay the green bottle. “That and the bottle. Sleeping with it was surprisingly comforting. Maybe Mom was on to something, after all.”

Glinda chuckled, then walked over to her closet.

“I’ll leave some bread out for toast. We’re going to take my mother out for breakfast after we pick her up from the train station, so I’m afraid you’ll have to eat alone. If you get bored, I’m sure Gabryel won’t mind if you help yourself to his books. With the size of his collection, there should be something that interests you.”

“Thank you.”

Glinda selected a shimmery yellow frock before turning back to Saguaro. “Crowsie, I am so sorry that we can’t include you today. My mother doesn’t adapt well to change, and I don’t want to upset her before my ball. I promise we’ll tell her about you tomorrow.”

“It’s fine,” said Saguaro. “I could use some time alone. Besides, I’ll see you this afternoon, won’t I?”

“Absolutely. I even have a surprise to share with you. Now, why don’t you sleep for a few more hours? I know you slept well, but it would be nice to take care of those shadows under your eyes.”

By the time Saguaro woke up a few hours later, the palace was empty. She stretched and took a few moments before rolling out of bed.

Something was different today. She could feel it. It had been exactly a week since she’d met Glinda and learned the truth about her mother, and eighteen days since she’d run away. Not only did she feel more alert, but her senses were tingling. She had the distinct feeling that something important was about to happen.

Something besides Glinda’s ball, anyway.

When the others returned home, it was an hour past noon. Saguaro was lying in Glinda’s spare bed, reading one of Gabryel’s books. A voice Saguaro did not recognize, but assumed was Gadonna’s, was ranting about something, and Glinda and Psudina were attempting to reassure her. Finally, the voices faded when Psudina offered to take her sister outside to walk in the gardens.

A few minutes later, Glinda appeared in the doorway. To Saguaro’s puzzlement, she was holding the purple dress they had bought at Lanetta’s, along with a pair of silver heels from another shopping trip. Perplexing Saguaro further, Glinda turned around and nodded at someone behind the door.

“Surprise!” said Glinda, once the Animal in question had appeared.

Saguaro tried to hide her astonishment.

“I thought it would be nice for you to meet one of your mother’s Monkeys, so I sent invitations,” Glinda said, as Saguaro found herself staring at the winged Monkey she had met outside Camp Gabryel. “None of the ones who work at the Munchkinland A.R.C. could come, and neither could Chistery or Knikko, but luckily, Caper was free!”

“It’s a pleasure to officially meet you, Miss Saguaro,” said Caper, bowing his head. “I recognized your parents in you when I first saw you, and I’m glad my suspicions were correct.”

“Oh, pish-posh!” said Glinda. “You, at least, had the advantage of knowing that her parents were alive. Crowsie, would you believe that Caper’s known all this time and never said anything?”

“You know I couldn’t, Miss Glinda,” said Caper. “They made me promise not to say anything.”

“Be that as it may, don’t you think that kind of information would have been important to share with your employer?”

“What are you talking about?” said Saguaro.

After shooting Caper a look, Glinda turned back to Saguaro. “It appears that your parents weren’t as secretive as we’d been led to believe. When he accepted my invitation, Caper admitted that he’d known they were alive from the very beginning. Apparently, he’s the one who suggested Cascadia.”

“I found a letter your father had written about their plans to escape,” Caper told Saguaro. “They never confided in me directly.”

“Oh,” said Saguaro. She’d always assumed her mother had been the one who found out about Cascadia, but apparently that was not the case. “Have you been corresponding with them this whole time?”

“Not at all,” said Caper. “For safety purposes, we agreed to abstain from further contact after I told them about Cascadia. I didn’t know they had a child, though I certainly considered the possibility.”

Saguaro bit her lip. For a fleeting moment, she had dared to hope that her existence had not been a secret, after all.

Shaking this thought aside, she glanced at Glinda, who was still holding the dress and shoes. “Why did you bring those here?”

Glinda had been staring into the distance during Saguaro’s exchange with Caper, but at these words, she seemed to brighten. “How would you like to be a guest at tonight’s ball, after all?”

“What do you mean?” asked Saguaro. “I thought you said that it would be an inconvenience to make everyone wear green glasses during the ball.”

“Yes, and I maintain my opinion. We wouldn’t want the glasses to clash with people’s outfits, after all! But no, I was thinking of another option entirely. What if you could attend the ball without people associating you with your mother?”

Saguaro stared at her. After handing the dress and shoes to Caper, Glinda sat next to Saguaro on the bed.

“Crowsie, one of the things that’s been hardest for me about this experience is watching you step into your mother’s shadow. You’ve handled it beautifully, of course, but you shouldn’t have to hide because of your green skin. Your mother sacrificed a lot, but that doesn’t mean that you should be equally limited. It’s clear to those who know Elphie and Fiyero that you’re their daughter, of course, but if we come up with a plausible explanation for your skin color, no one else will ever suspect. We could even do a variation of the truth; perhaps we could tell people that you’re a budding sorceress who accidentally turned yourself green. I was thinking that I could do an announcement about it and present you at the ball tonight. We can still tell my mother the details tomorrow, and though I haven’t asked Wroc yet, I know he won’t mind. Caper can be your escort.”

Glinda was beaming. In an act of affection, she reached over and squeezed Saguaro’s hands tightly. “What do you say, Saguaro?” she asked. “Shall we present you as yourself, once and for all?”

Saguaro felt her throat constricting. More than anything, she wanted to agree. She wanted nothing more than to embark on life as her own person, free of the constraints of her parents’ pasts. Still, one important fact remained, and she knew she could not say yes.

“Oh, Glinda, I’d love that, and I really appreciate your offer. But I can’t.” She swallowed hard. “Did Sarima or Psudina ever tell you about Ozma’s Brigade?”

Glinda dropped her hand, looking affronted. “Ozma’s Brigade? What in Oz’s name do the men who tried to kidnap Nor have to do with this?”

Caper was now watching Saguaro. “The prophecy wasn’t referring to Princess Nor, was it? I always had my suspicions about Nor’s paternity, but I never felt comfortable enough with Queen Sarima and Master Avaric to ask them,” he said.

Saguaro nodded.

“I’m afraid I’m dreadfully confusified,” said Glinda, frowning. “The prophecy claimed that a princess would reinstate the Ozma Regime after my term. While I don’t believe the prophecy is true, surely Nor’s the only one to whom it can pertain.”

“That’s just it,” said Saguaro. “I don’t know how comfortable Avaric or Sarima would be with me telling you this, but Nor isn’t a blood princess at all. She might have been raised as one, but the most important part about the prophecy is that it describes a girl whose father descends from royalty. I’ve been trying to ignore the possibility since Psudina told me about my father, but I don’t think I can any more.”

Though she felt guilty about betraying her aunt’s confidence, Saguaro explained to Glinda what she had learned during her voyage to Camp Gabryel. Glinda sat quietly, absorbing every word.

“So Ozma’s Brigade got it wrong,” she said slowly. “It had nothing to do with Nor. If all this is to believed, then the prophecy could only pertain to…”

“Me.”

Glinda stared at her, as if seeing her clearly for the first time. It was evident that she had not spent much time considering the significance of Saguaro’s paternity. For her own part, Saguaro had been so preoccupied with the identity of her mother that she hadn’t thought much about it, either. In a strange way, after her history as the outcast of Cascadia, it was almost easier to grasp that she was the daughter of the Wicked Witch of the West than a descendant of royalty.

“I still refuse to believe this prophecy business,” said Glinda, finding her voice. “It’s true that people have claimed that the Time Dragon has made accurate predictions in the past, but in my opinion, that’s mere propaganda started by followers of Tiktokism and the Pleasure Faith.” She was referring to the beliefs to which supporters of the Clock of the Time Dragon subscribed.

Caper, who had been following the conversation, shook his head. “In the end, it doesn’t matter if it’s true. What matters is that enough people think it is.”

“He’s right,” said Saguaro. “You should have seen these men, Glinda. They believed every word they were saying.”

“But…” Glinda was clearly trying to clutch at straws. “It’s not as though they’ll associate you with your father, Saguaro. And I doubt any of them will be at the ball.”

“Miss Saguaro performed a spell on them to save Nor, Miss Glinda,” Caper said, “and, as you well know, Ms. Elphaba’s relationship with Master Fiyero was never a secret. It won’t be hard to guess.”

Glinda took a few moments to consider this. She startled Saguaro when she reached over and engulfed her in a massive hug.

“I just wanted to do something nice for you, Crowsie! I don’t understand why all of this has to be so complicated.”

Glinda pulled back, her eyes awash with tears. On the bed beside her was the dress Caper had laid down, which now looked lost and forgotten.

“It’s all right, Glinda,” said Saguaro. “It’s not your fault. You’ve done as much as you can.”

“It hasn’t been enough.”

Glancing at the dress again, Saguaro recalled how much Glinda had enjoyed their shopping outings. Even when Glinda seemed the most distracted, clothing and makeup always cheered her up.

She was struck by an idea. “You know, Glinda, just because I can’t go to the ball doesn’t mean I can’t dress for the occasion. Tonight’s as good a time as any to wear my dress.”

Glinda frowned. “But nobody’s going to see you tonight, Crowsie. Wouldn’t you rather wait for another occasion?”

“Didn’t you tell me that part of the reason you enjoy putting so much time into your appearance is because you like the process?”

Glinda paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

“Oh, Crowsie! You are too funny. As it happens, I have a few hours before my makeup and hair artists are to arrive. It’s a ridiculous idea, but why not?”

She stood up and walked over to her vanity, where she began rummaging through her cosmetics.

“You know I’m only doing this to cheer you up, don’t you?” said Saguaro. “I’m still not sure how I feel about fancy clothes and makeup.”

Glinda exchanged a look with Caper, who was smiling at them.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. But even if you’re only being charitable, I’ll accept it. It’s too good an opportunity to pass up.”

****

Glinda was uncharacteristically quiet as she applied Saguaro’s makeup. Though she made a few comments about wishing she had a blush that would compliment Saguaro’s skin tone, she was otherwise silent. Saguaro wondered if her plan to cheer Glinda up had been unsuccessful.

After Glinda finished her makeup and Saguaro changed into her dress, Glinda brought her over to a full-length mirror. Though Saguaro had previously been impressed by how well the dress flattered her body, this time, she was taken by how well the makeup complimented her face. It brought out her features, and though it made her appear older, Glinda had taken great care to keep it natural and appropriate. Saguaro felt as though she was being given a glimpse into the pretty girl she could be.

Glinda was watching her closely. “I remember the first time I gave your mother a makeover. When I showed her a mirror so she could see what she looked like, she was so surprised she ran out of the room. I didn’t understand her reaction at the time, but now I think it was the first time she realized how beautiful she is.”

“I still don’t understand why she’s so insecure about her appearance,” Saguaro said, turning back to Glinda. “She might not be pretty in the same way as you, but she’s beautiful in other ways. I know you and Dad helped her a lot, but I wish she were more confident.”

Glinda smiled sadly. “So do I.”

Saguaro found herself overwhelmed with gratitude for everything Glinda had done for her. For her entire life, Saguaro had longed to meet someone else who understood her mother, and in Glinda, she had found the best person she could ask for. Not only had Glinda loved Elphaba, but she had also opened her heart to Saguaro. She’d been there for Saguaro in a way no one else ever had.

Unsure of how to relate the extent of her gratitude, Saguaro took a step forward and hugged Glinda tightly. Glinda kissed her on the forehead and embraced her back. Though no words had been spoken, Saguaro could tell that Glinda understood what she was communicating.

****

Several hours later, Saguaro lay on her bed, paging through the Grimmerie. After making Saguaro promise not to attempt any of the spells herself, Glinda had lent it to Saguaro so that she could entertain herself during the ball. As the orchestra and laughter hummed from the ballroom above her, she took in the strange symbols of the spells.

Caper sat in a chair across from her. Though he had been invited to the ball, he instead had decided to keep her company. Despite this, the two had barely spoken. Caper was engrossed in a book of his own, and he seemed much more reserved now that the two were alone.

Upon reaching the middle of the spell book, Saguaro came across a page with a handwritten note. She immediately recognized her mother’s even script. It appeared to be a spell that was written as a transliteration, and in larger letters, the title read, “To Find Nessarose’s Slippers.”

“Why would my mom want my aunt’s shoes?” said Saguaro aloud.

“Hmm?” said Caper, looking up.

She showed him the page, and he chuckled. “Oh, that. Well, after your aunt died, Glinda gave the shoes to little Dorothy Gale because of their powers, and your mother became obsessed with retrieving them. She felt she deserved them because they belonged to her sister. It was her way of dealing with grief, I suppose. She must have written this spell so that she could track them back to Dorothy.”

“Did she ever get them?”

“No. Dorothy ended up using them in order to return to Kansas. As far as I know, they’re still with Dorothy somewhere.”

Saguaro felt strange as she reread the spell. Just as when she’d first woken up, her senses had begun prickling.

“You know, I feel like I know you quite well even though this is only our second meeting,” said Caper, shutting his book. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Really?”

“As a matter of fact, I have. You’re independent, you’re spirited, and you’re fiercely determined. Not just anyone could have gotten as far in their search as you did.”

“It’s a good thing you didn’t talk to my mother, then,” said Saguaro, half-joking. “I’m sure she wouldn’t have been as complimentary as you.”

Caper frowned. “What do you think she would have said?”

“That I’m too impulsive and that I’m too inexperienced to have been out on my own. She probably thinks I ran away just to make a point.”

“Even if that has crossed your mother’s mind, I doubt that’s the only thing she thinks about you,” said Caper. “I’m sure she’s very proud of you.”

Saguaro shrugged. “I’m sure she was much prouder of me before I turned myself green and ran away.”

Caper did not have a chance to respond to this comment because at that moment, Gabryel ran into the room. His normally wavy hair was sleeked back for the ball, and his dinner jacket made him appear even more precocious than usual. A surge of guilt shot through her. Though Glinda had reassured her, Saguaro still felt self-conscious about the amount of time she’d been spending with Glinda.

Gabryel, however, did not appear to hold it against her, because he turned to her at once. His eyes were shining, and when he spoke, he was out-of-breath. “You’ll never guess who’s here!” he said. “I was watching the dancing when I started to get a strange feeling, so I peeked through the curtains to look out the window and-and-”

“And what?” said Saguaro.

“Look and see!” said Gabryel, grinning now. He motioned towards the window. “Look and see!”

Saguaro’s ears were beginning to ring. Ignoring the sensation, she walked over to the window and looked outside.

Standing in the garden was a dark-haired figure, holding a worn broomstick and dressed in a ruffled gown. She kept looking around the garden, as if unsettled about something. Despite the uncharacteristic clothing, Saguaro did not have to look twice to identify her.

No.

No.

No.

Goose flesh formed on her arms, and the ringing in her ears magnified.

No!

“I can’t wait until Mom sees her!” Gabryel said, standing beside her. “She’s going to be so happy! I don’t understand the dress, though. Does she usually wear things like that, Saguaro? Saguaro!”

Saguaro stepped back, feeling unsteady. “Why is she here?” she said through gritted teeth. “Why in the name of Oz is my mother here?”

“Saguaro, calm down,” said Gabryel, taken aback. “I’m sure she was worried about you!”

“She’s not supposed to be here! All of Oz thinks she’s dead, and she risked her life to come here! And even if none of that were true, and she hadn’t put her life in danger…well, she still shouldn’t be here!”

Her last statement came out as a shriek. Gabryel stared at her.

She’d felt anxious many times during her journey. Anxiety led to panic attacks, which led to losing control of her powers. None of those experiences, however, had prepared her for this. She would happily spend hours shut in the Time Dragon tunnel in exchange for never coming face-to-face with her mother again.

Her mother, who’d never wanted her in the first place.

She didn’t realize that she was swaying until she felt Caper steadying her.

“Miss Saguaro, Master Gabryel is right,” Caper said, looking up at her. “Your mother is only looking out for you. You might be safe now, but your mother didn’t know that until recently. Besides, I’m sure your mother isn’t planning to bring you home immediately. She’ll want to catch up with Glinda and straighten things out with you. You just need to give her a chance.”

Though his words were sincere, Caper seemed too calm for someone who had not seen Elphaba for sixteen years. He had hardly flinched at Saguaro’s reaction and had not even looked out the window for affirmation.

It hit Saguaro at once. “You knew she was coming, didn’t you? That’s why you were the only Monkey who could come tonight. She made you promise to keep me here.”

Caper’s gaze cast downwards. “Our paths crossed at Camp Gabryel. When I received the invitation from Miss Glinda, your mother asked me to accept it. She’s very worried about you. She just wants to make it right with you.”

“Well, did she tell you what she did?” Saguaro said, her voice rising. Upstairs, the orchestra was playing a soft ballad, so she lowered her voice when she spoke again. “Did she tell you that she’s the one who drove me away?”

“Not exactly. Still, I know how sorry she is. I’m sure if you give her the chance to explain, everything will make sense.”

“I don’t need her to explain,” Saguaro said. “I know what I saw. What I need is to get away.”

Gabryel, who’d been staring out the window, turned back to them. “Elphaba can’t move. She’s completely frozen. I think you did something with your powers, Saguaro, because I don’t know what else could have happened.”

“I’m sure she’ll be all right,” said Caper. “These effects are only temporary. When Miss Saguaro calms down, Ms. Elphaba will return to normal.”

She was not going to calm down. She’d never felt less calm in her life.

Back in Cascadia, whenever Saguaro was upset, she went out running. Though her anger never completely disappeared, something about the drumming of her heart and the pumping of her legs always calmed her. Now, Saguaro was overcome with the urge to run once more.

“Saguaro, you need to calm down,” Gabryel said. “I know you didn’t do it on purpose, but I’m really worried about your mother. She’s like a statue.”

She looked out the window. Sure enough, her mother stood frozen, her broom pointed in the air. Though Saguaro’s first reaction was concern for her mother, she pushed this away.

None of them understood. She did not want to hurt her mother again, but she had no choice. There were some truths she was still not ready to face. Besides, she had been hurt first.

She felt the wickedness of the words as she said them. “I don’t care. At least this will give me enough time to get away.”

Gabryel’s mouth fell open. “Wait. Where are you going?”

She picked up the Grimmerie and turned to the page with her mother’s handwritten spell.

“I’m off to find Dorothy’s shoes.”

« Chapter Twenty-Nine 

Saguaro had grown up familiar with the name “Nessarose.” Although her mother had not talked about her often, Nessarose was nonetheless the only family member about whom she’d been told anything. Once, she had asked her mother if she still missed her. Elphaba had smiled sadly and murmured, “All the time.”

She’d imagined her aunt as the perfect younger sister, who was shy and sweet and always wore pink dresses with matching ribbons in her hair. Saguaro had once read a book about a family with three sisters, in which the youngest sister, who was by far the kindest, had also died young. She’d decided that Nessarose had been exactly like the sister in this book. Maybe she’d even had the same lovely singing voice. 

Saguaro had always known that her parents’ secrets were complicated. When it came to her aunt, however, Saguaro had not anticipated the complexity of her relationship with her mother. She’d naively assumed that her mother did not talk about Auntie Nessa because she missed her.

Psudina had tried to fill her in on the Nessarose-Boq portion of the story, though there were some considerable gaps since she hadn’t been there at the time. Still, Saguaro mulled over what she did know.

Her mother had finally visited her sister. While there, her mother had enchanted Nessarose’s shoes, which enabled Nessa to walk on her own for the first time in her life. Nessarose had been exhilarated and hoped that her newfound mobility would help Boq see her as a viable romantic partner. Boq, however, told Nessa that now that she could walk on her own and no longer needed him, he was going to finally make his feelings known to Glinda.

Of course, Nessarose had become enraged. Nessarose had attempted to enchant Boq, so that he would fall in love with her instead of Glinda. She pronounced the spell incorrectly, and Boq’s heart began to shrink. Boq blacked out and when he awoke, he discovered that he had been turned to tin. Nessarose then blamed this on her sister.

Saguaro could fill in the blanks a little. She was sure that at first, Nessarose had still been angry at her mother, but she agreed with Psudina that her mother would have only missed her father’s funeral if she had not known about it. She was also certain that her mother had turned Boq tin in an attempt to save his life. Psudina suspected this too, although Boq had initially believed that Elphaba’s reasons were malicious.

Saguaro knew that none of this really changed anything. Her mother missed her sister, even though Nessarose had been demanding and immature at times. Still, Saguaro was unable to stop herself from asking her next question.

Nessarose was far from perfect, and yet, her mother had loved and cared for her. So why had she been so averse to the idea of a child of her own? 

Without Boq, Glinda felt an overwhelming void. The entire next day, Glinda kept glancing at the door to her office, half-expecting Boq to come in and tell her that he had been joking. He never appeared.

At dinner, Gabryel, who had been told that Boq was taking an impromptu vacation, sighed. “I miss Boq,” he said. “He would have loved to have seen my new pen.”

To commemorate Grygoro McGregor’s letter (and to apologize for being so out-of-touch during Gabryel’s life at St. Ozma’s), Glinda had given Gabryel a special fountain pen. She’d planned to give it to him for his next birthday, but she had decided that this occasion was more fitting.

Psudina smiled sadly. Though Glinda had been more explicit with her than she had been with Gabryel, Glinda had not told Psudina the real reason Boq had left. Still, she could tell that her aunt understood more than she was letting on.

Saguaro said nothing. Boq had not talked to her once since she’d arrived, and Glinda could tell that Saguaro was wary of Boq because of his past as a witch hunter. Glinda could not blame her.

“You can show it to Boq as soon as he gets back,” said Glinda. She saw that this would also have the advantage of delaying her inevitable conversation with Boq.

She turned to Saguaro, who was attempting to make her mashed potatoes into a volcano. While Saguaro was clearly too old to be playing with her food, she had begun to do so when the subject turned to Boq. Glinda felt as though she was being given a rare glimpse into Saguaro’s life as a little girl. She had a feeling that Elphaba and Fiyero had chastised young Saguaro for countless mashed potato volcanoes.

“Crowsie, I was thinking that the two of us could do something special tonight. Since my engagement ball is tomorrow and I’ll be very busy, I’m afraid that I won’t have much time to spend with you. My mother’s train is arriving early tomorrow morning, and as we’re going to wait until after the ball to tell her about you, it will also be more difficult to see you during the day.” They had decided that it would be best to wait until the chaos of the ball subsided before springing Saguaro on Gadonna.

“That sounds like fun,” said Saguaro. “Do you have any ideas about what we can do?”

Glinda smiled. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

An hour later, Saguaro and Glinda lay on Glinda’s bed, eating the fairy-cakes they’d bought at the bakery near Lanetta’s shop. Both were clad in their nightgowns, and an extra bed was made up for that night’s sleepover.

“This is almost worth not fitting into my dress tomorrow,” Glinda said, taking a final bite of her vanilla fairy-cake with pink frosting. “As it is, I’ll have to squeeze.”

Saguaro licked some icing off her fingers. “You’ll be fine. Just have a smaller breakfast or something.”

Glinda shook her head. She doubted that Saguaro, who was as bony as her mother, had ever had to worry about gaining too much weight.

As she watched Saguaro polish off a second fairy-cake (double chocolate adorned with green swirls), she considered the reason she had asked Saguaro to sleep over. Elphaba and she had had some of their most intimate conversations at night, and she hoped that this setting would help Saguaro finally open up to her.

Glinda tried to help Saguaro along by mentioning Elphaba. While brushing Saguaro’s hair, she asked Saguaro if Elphaba had also brushed her hair when she was younger. Though Saguaro affirmed this, she quickly changed the subject and asked Glinda about her curlers. When Glinda tried to return to the subject by mentioning how Elphaba had sometimes brushed Nessarose’s hair, Saguaro started talking about how tangled her own hair got during humid weather.

At that moment, Glinda realized that she would need to be more direct in her approach.

She waited until she had finished Saguaro’s hair before starting.

She stretched out on her bed and forced a sigh. “I’m so stressified about the ball tomorrow. I can’t believe it’s almost here.”

Saguaro looked uncomfortable. “Are you sure you’re okay with me sleeping over?”

Glinda suppressed a smile. Saguaro was reacting exactly the way she’d hoped.

“Of course I am, Crowsie! I wouldn’t have asked you here if I weren’t. No, in fact you’re already making things better. You’re the perfect distraction.”

“Then are you sure there isn’t anything I can do?”

Glinda pretended to think it over. “Well, now that you mention it, there is one thing. I’ve told you so many stories about your mother, but you’ve barely told me anything about her. Would you mind sharing an Elphie story from your childhood? I would so love to hear one.”

She was surprised when she saw Saguaro’s expression. Saguaro was sitting erect and narrowing her eyes at her. Though she had expected this reaction, she was surprised that Saguaro had caught on so soon.

“What is it, Crowsie?” Glinda said, playing innocent. “Did I do something wrong?”

“You know exactly what you did, Glinda,” Saguaro said quietly.

Glinda was tempted to protest, but she was distracted by how much Saguaro sounded like her mother. Elphaba’s voice became softer when she was serious, too.

“All right, you caught me. But Saguaro, you have to look at this from my perspective. You mentioned that your mother didn’t want you, but you clam up whenever I ask about her. I’m very worried about you. I’m only trying to help.”

Saguaro crossed her arms. “Didn’t it occur to you that there’s a reason I haven’t told you?”

“I’m sure there is. But Saguaro, the longer you hold it inside, the more you’re going to tear yourself up.” She thought of what Boq had said about not letting Saguaro’s secret become her own. “Think about your parents. Don’t you think they would have been happier if they’d been honest with you about their lives in Oz?”

As soon as Glinda looked at Saguaro, she wished she could snatch back her words. Saguaro looked even angrier than before, but that was not what concerned her. There was underlying pain in Saguaro’s expression, as well.

When Saguaro spoke, her voice was trembling. “My secret is nothing like theirs, and I’m nothing like them! I would never lie to my daughter for her entire life. I wouldn’t spend sixteen years pretending to be someone I wasn’t. I wouldn’t just-” She broke off and looked away, as though her statement was too painful to finish.

“You wouldn’t just what?” said Glinda gently.

Saguaro looked down at her hands. When she spoke, her voice was so soft that Glinda had to strain to hear her.

“I would never just give up.”

****

As she held the sobbing Saguaro, Glinda remembered a time when Elphaba had comforted her. It had been shortly before their trip to see the Wizard, and Madame Morrible had made a disparaging comment about Galinda’s powers during a sorcery seminar. While Morrible had criticized Galinda several times before, something about that time hit her hard. Galinda burst into tears as soon as Madame Morrible was out of sight.

Despite her reputation as Morrible’s favorite, Elphie had been quick to comfort her. “Don’t listen to her, Galinda,” she had told her. “Madame Morrible may be a very talented sorceress, but she shouldn’t underestimate you. I know how much you want this. Someday, you’ll show her…”

All these years later, Glinda could still feel the warmth of her best friend’s embrace.

“You have no idea what my household was like for the last year,” Saguaro said, a tear running down her cheek. “I had to get away! Mom and Dad were always fighting, and they never spent any time together. When Psudina told me how they fell in love, it hurt to listen. They loved each other so much then, and now they can barely look at each other.”

Elphaba’s voice shouted in Glinda’s head. “I know it may be difficult for that blissful, blonde brain of yours to comprehend that someone like him could actually choose someone like me! But it’s happened. It’s real. And you can wave that ridiculous wand all you want, but you can’t change it! He doesn’t belong to you. He never loved you. He loves me!”

“The worst part is that I know it’s my fault.” Saguaro wiped away a tear. “Most of their fights have been over whether or not to tell me about their pasts. It’s no wonder my mother was unsure about having a child. I’ve ruined everything.” Her voice trembled. “If they hadn’t had me, then maybe they wouldn’t be so unhappy.”

This final statement brought Glinda back from her memories. “Saguaro, no-” she said, but Saguaro did not appear to hear her. She collapsed into a fresh fit of sobs, and Glinda hugged her closer.

She had noticed many similarities between Elphaba and Saguaro since Saguaro’s arrival. They were both stubborn, opinionated, introverted, and had the same determination to make sense of the world around them. Their life experiences were also similar. Each had been scorned because of the way they looked, but had maintained a sense of optimism. Still, Glinda had never been as shaken by their similarities. This had been Elphaba’s biggest secret, for Oz’s sake! How could she have let her daughter feel the same way?

Ignoring Saguaro’s confusion, Glinda stood up and walked over to her closet. She reached behind her hats until she found what she was looking for.

Saguaro blinked when Glinda returned with the green elixir bottle. The cork was missing, but it had otherwise aged well. It was just as vivid a green as it had been the first time Glinda had seen it, so many years ago.

“This was your mother’s,” Glinda said, settling into the seat next to Saguaro. “It had belonged to her mother, your grandmother, and it was the only item your mother had of hers. Elphie used to sleep with it under her pillow.”

Saguaro hesitated before touching the bottle. When she finally placed her fingers on the rim, her touch was gentle. Glinda was reminded of how tenderly Elphaba had handled the bottle.

For the first time, Glinda was grateful that the Wizard had not taken the bottle with him. For a while, she had found it too painful to look at, but she now understood why fate had entrusted her with it. The bottle did not belong to the Wizard, Glinda, or even Elphaba anymore, but to someone else entirely.

After touching the bottle, Saguaro seemed to shudder. “I’ll be right back,” she said and rushed out of the room. She came back holding something in her hand.

“I found this under my pillow when I was staying at Camp Gabryel.” Saguaro opened her hand to reveal a cork with bright green lettering. “I didn’t know it at the time, but I was staying in the room my mom used to sleep in.” She motioned towards the bottle. “It belonged to this, didn’t it?”

Glinda could not speak. In thin cursive writing, the cork read, Green Miracle Elixir.

Saguaro accepted her silence as affirmation. She took the bottle from Glinda and placed the cork in it. It fit perfectly.

“I can’t believe you found that,” Glinda said, finally finding her voice. “When I found the bottle without a cork, I assumed that it had been lost for good.”

Saguaro shrugged. “I’m just glad I took it with me. I was confused about why the Witch of the West slept with a cork under her pillow, but after I found out about my mother, I guess I forgot. I can’t believe she used to sleep with a bottle.”

“I was surprised myself. I first noticed before your mother and I became friends, and I had no idea why she slept with it. But when I finally asked her and she admitted that it belonged to her mother, I got more of an answer than I was expecting. Do you know what she said?”

Saguaro shook her head.

“She told me that when her mother was carrying your auntie Nessa, her father made her chew milk flowers so that the new baby wouldn’t come out green. But that made Nessa come too soon, and her legs were tangled. And as you know, your grandmother never woke up. Elphaba confided that she felt responsible for both her sister’s disability and her mother’s death.”

“But that’s ridiculous,” Saguaro said, frowning. “Psudina told me about my grandfather Frex, and he doesn’t sound like a very nice person. It was the milk flowers’ fault, not my mom’s. He shouldn’t have blamed my mother for something that wasn’t her fault.”

“I know that, and I’m sure Frex did too, deep down. But do you know what?”

“What?”

“Your mother shouldn’t have blamed herself for her mother’s death, and you shouldn’t blame yourself for the way your parents are fighting, either. It’s their problem, not yours. They love you, Saguaro. And despite what’s going on right now, I know they don’t blame it on you. You’re the most important thing in their lives.”

“You don’t know that,” Saguaro whispered. “I mean, you didn’t even know that I existed until a week ago. And before that, you didn’t know my parents were still alive. Besides, I told you how my mom never wanted me.”

“True. But I do know that if your parents had never fought and you had never run away, I might never have had the opportunity to know you. I might not be able to peek into your parents’ minds, but I can tell you this. I love you, Saguaro. I’m so glad I found you in my closet. I may have been a little surprised at the time-”

“A little?” Saguaro interrupted.

Glinda chuckled. “Perhaps more than a little. It isn’t every day that one finds their supposedly dead best friend’s daughter in their closet, after all! But as I was saying, I’ve grown to love you and not just because of whom your parents are. When you’re in pain, I hurt, too. At the very least, please try to forgive yourself for my sake.”

Saguaro did not respond, so Glinda decided to give her another push. “Don’t you have any good memories of your parents from your childhood? Perhaps sharing one will help.”

Saguaro fiddled with the cork on the bottle. “Well, there was this one time when Dad and I were swimming in the Nonestic Ocean. I wanted to go to the sandbar, where the water is shallower, but on the way there, I got scared, since you have to get through deeper water to get there. So Dad put me on his shoulders. He promised me that he wouldn’t let go of me and said that we could go back to shore if I wanted to. But I told him I was okay, and we got to the sandbar, and when we were there, Dad hugged me and told me he was proud of me. He said that most people would have gone back and that real courage is facing one’s fears. I think of that whenever I feel the most afraid.”

Glinda smiled. Psudina had told her about Saguaro’s reaction when she learned the truth about the Fyre stories, and she was glad to see Saguaro softening towards her father.

“What about you and your mother?” she asked. “Don’t you have any good memories of her?”

Saguaro was quiet for a long time. She clenched the bottle tighter.

“Sometimes, she used to sing me lullabies before I went to sleep,” she said finally. She hugged the bottle to her chest. “And whenever I had a hard day at school, like when my classmates teased me, she’d surprise me by bringing me hot cocoa in bed.”

Glinda let out a breath she had not realized she’d been holding. She could not express how grateful she was to hear this.

“Well, I can’t help with the lullaby, but I think I have some hot cocoa. Would you like me to bring you some?”

“Really?”

“Of course.” She patted Saguaro’s shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”

As she prepared Saguaro’s drink, Glinda reflected on Saguaro’s explanation about her mother not wanting her. Glinda would give anything to be in Elphaba’s position. Being a mother was difficult, but Elphaba had Fiyero. Why didn’t she realize how lucky she was?

On her way back to the bedroom, she was startled to hear singing. She peeked into the room to find Saguaro cradling the green bottle and crooning a lullaby. She closed her eyes. The song was from a mother to her child, talking about the wonderful future the child would have someday. She promised adventures and trips to far away places, where her child would be accepted and her ideals would be appreciated. Though Saguaro’s voice was not extraordinary-it was soft and breathy, and she was clearly not confident with her singing-Glinda had never heard such a beautiful song. Strangely, this made Glinda feel even sadder.

Glinda waited until Saguaro was finished before entering the room. “That was lovely, Crowsie.” She handed Saguaro the cup of hot cocoa and a spoon. “Is that one of the songs your mother sang to you?”

Saguaro took the spoon and began stirring her cocoa. “It was my favorite. I used to pretend that the place she was talking about was Oz.”

Both were quiet for a few moments. Glinda found herself wondering what kind of place Elphaba had imagined while she sang. Elphaba, better than anyone, understood that utopias don’t exist. She knew firsthand about the imperfections of Oz, and even though she had been accepted in Cascadia, the Cascadians had refused to accept her daughter. Had Saguaro and Elphaba ever talked about the far off lands mentioned in the song? Or had this been yet another unspoken conversation between them?

“Glinda?”

“Yes, Crowsie?” said Glinda, startled back into reality.

“I was just thinking about something.” Saguaro gave her cocoa another stir. “I really like spending time with you, but are you sure Gabryel’s okay with this? You haven’t spent much time with him lately.”

Glinda covered up her surprise at this abrupt change of topic. “Oh, don’t worry about Gabryel. He’s fine. He’s very easy going.”

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want him to feel left out. I’m sure you missed him a lot when he was away at boarding school.”

“Don’t worry, Crowsie. Gabry knows how much I love him. And I’ve very much enjoyed the time we’ve spent together.” She felt self-conscious about her next words, but forced them out. “As a matter of fact, I can’t tell you how close I feel to you. I’ve always wanted a daughter, you know; I have since the time I was very young. And if I did have a daughter, I think I’d want her to be exactly like you.”

She expected Saguaro to appreciate the depth of the compliment she was giving her, but instead, Saguaro laughed. “I doubt your daughter would be anything like me. The two of us are nothing alike.” She brought the mug to her lips and took her first sip. “Mm, this is really good. Thank you.”

“You know, Crowsie, I meant that as a compliment,” said Glinda, trying to shake off her disappointment at Saguaro’s nonchalant reaction. “I’ve always been so much better with girls.”

******

At around two in the morning, Glinda was awoken by Saguaro’s voice. “Mom,” she kept whispering. “Mom.”

Glinda sat up. But when she glanced over at her, she discovered that Saguaro was still sleeping.

Saguaro murmured again and turned over so that she was lying on her stomach. She reached under her pillow and grabbed something. When Glinda looked closer, she realized that Saguaro was holding the green bottle. The bottle must have given Saguaro the comfort she was looking for, because she fell silent.

Glinda stood up and walked to Saguaro’s bed. “Goodnight, Crowsie,” she said, leaning down to kiss Saguaro on her head. Saguaro responded by tightening her grip on the bottle. She kissed Saguaro again and returned to her own bed.

It wasn’t until she felt a tear rolling down her cheek that Glinda realized she was crying.

« Chapter Twenty-Eight  Chapter Thirty »

From that point on, Psudina explained what had happened with Saguaro’s aunt, Nessarose.

Frex died about a year after her mother became the Witch of the West. As a result, Nessarose became governess of Munchkinland. Unfortunately, Nessarose put her personal needs above everyone else’s and was not a good or benevolent governess. She began to rescind Munchkin rights and even passed a law that prohibited Munchkins from leaving Munchkinland. Saguaro could not believe that her mother’s frail younger sister had been responsible for so much turmoil.

“I paid Nessarose a visit to express my condolences shortly after her father died,” Psudina told Saguaro. “Nessa had never been a very happy girl, but she seemed uncharacteristically angry that day. When we were alone, she expressed how vexed she was at Elphaba for not saying goodbye to Frex. I suggested that Elphaba probably did not know about Frex’s death, as it seemed out-of-character for her to not acknowledge it. Nessa, however, ignored me. She complained of feeling abandoned ever since Elphaba was proclaimed the Wicked Witch. Elphaba had not visited her, and she couldn’t understand why Elphaba had never used her powers to help her.

“During that visit, I met Boq. I remembered Elphaba mentioning Nessarose’s boyfriend, and I could tell that Nessarose still had feelings for him. When I got a moment alone with him, Boq explained that although he and Nessa were not together anymore, he had accepted Nessarose’s offer to become her servant as it paid well, and he needed to pay back loans from school. When Nessarose began passing her laws against Munchkins, he found himself trapped. When he learned that I was Glinda’s aunt, his eyes grew very wide. I could tell from his expression how infatuated he was with her. It was clear that although your aunt still loved Boq, he had no real feelings for her.

“When I had another moment with Nessa, I tried to broach the issue of the Munchkins’ suffering, and she became very angry. She was upset that I had been talking with Boq and told me how much her father had disapproved of me. She hadn’t believed him until then, but she now understood that I was just as immoral as he had always claimed. With those words, she threw me out of the house. That was the last time I ever saw Nessarose.”

“At least you tried to talk some sense into her,” Saguaro said softly.

Psudina’s smile did not quite reach her eyes. “I suppose, but I try never to confuse effort with results.”

4 Years A.D.

When Glinda and Elphaba were roommates, Glinda, then Galinda, never understood how Elphaba could push aside her emotions in order to get schoolwork done. Even after she received her invitation to see the Wizard, she managed to complete her essay for the next day’s class.

When Galinda heard of her friend’s plans to finish the essay, she was aghast. “Elphie, you just received an invitation to see the Wizard! I’m sure your professor will understand if your essay is late just this once. We should go out to celebrate!”

Elphaba shot her a look. “Just because the Wizard wants to see me doesn’t mean that I’m free of obligations. This essay happens to be fifteen percent of my grade. I’m not sacrificing that, no matter how excited I am.”

Glinda is not like Elphaba in this regard. Whenever she is distracted by something, she has trouble focusing on the work at hand. Now, as Glinda attempts a letter to the new Munchkin governor, she finds herself envious of Elphie. Elphaba would not let a breakup distract her from her work.

Blinking away another tear, Glinda wonders if she will ever stop feeling inferior to her late best friend.

Someone knocks at her office door. “Come in!” Glinda says, and to her astonishment, Boq enters. He holds a bouquet of winter jasmines in his silvery hands.

For a few moments, neither says anything. Glinda can feel herself growing more tense, and even Boq looks stiffer than usual.

Not quite looking at her, he says, “Excuse me for interrupting, Miss Glinda, but Master Meinhart wanted me to tell you that he’s going home for the day.”

“Thank you, Sir Boq,” Glinda says, using the proper title for addressing a guard. She glances at the flowers. Boq follows her gaze, and she has a feeling that if he weren’t tin he’d be blushing.

“Oh, those,” says Boq. “Well, I know that I’m the last person you’d want to bring you flowers, but I noticed that you looked sad when you came home today, and I was concerned. I’m not expecting this to change anything. I know you hate me.”

“I don’t hate you,” says Glinda quietly, before she has a chance to analyze what she is saying.

Boq blinks. “What?”

Glinda feels herself beginning to flush. She checks to make sure the door is closed before continuing. “I just meant that while I don’t approve of what you did, you have kept my secret for the last four years. You could have told all of Oz that I was her best friend and was lying this whole time, but you didn’t. I may never forgive you for your role in her death, but I do appreciate you keeping my secret.”

Boq grasps the bouquet more tightly. “I would never tell anyone. I know that you might not understand this from my actions, but I wouldn’t have hurt Elphaba if I’d known. I knew Elphaba a little in school, but not that well. Nessarose was so embarrassed about her that she went out of her way not to talk about her. When Nessarose started abusing her powers, I just assumed that Elphaba had the same fixation with power as she did. I never guessed that she was actually trying to save my life.”

“You know that I can’t be certain about that part, don’t you?” Glinda asks. “I’m positive that Elphie would have never hurt you intentionally, but I don’t really know what happened.”

“I know. But I did watch Nessarose cast the initial spell…the one that made my heart shrink.” He toys with the heart pendant the Wizard had given him. “I don’t remember what happened after I blacked out, but I think Elphaba meant to save me by turning me tin. I’ve been going through different scenarios in my mind for the last four years, and that’s the only one that makes sense.”

Glinda raises her eyebrows, surprised at what she is hearing. “You’re saying that you believe me about Elphaba?”

“Miss Glinda, I believed you when you first told me,” Boq says. “I never would have risked the safety of Oz if I had any doubt that you were telling the truth-even if you didthreaten to put me in prison if I dared to say anything. Besides, you’re forgetting that I’m one of the few Ozians who knows that the Wizard was a fraud. After you slipped and told me, everything began to add up.”

Glinda flinches as she recalls the day in question. Boq arrived to speak with her about the Wizard’s “promise” to make Boq her adviser. She knew from Boq’s public story about how he had been turned to tin that the Tin Man and Boq were one and the same. She remembered the shy Munchkin she’d set up with Nessarose, and she could not believe that Nessarose’s boyfriend had tried to kill Elphaba.

She did not mean to tell Boq the truth about Elphaba. But after Boq said something about Elphaba turning him tin, she was unable to hold back. At that moment, everything came out. In retrospect, Glinda supposes a meltdown was inevitable. She had only sent Dorothy home a few days before, and the stress of her new leadership and her best friend’s death was beginning to take its toll. She needed to take out her anger on someone.

Surprisingly, Psudina was the one who suggested that she hire Boq to watch over Glinda’s castle. Glinda could not put a national “hero” in prison, and this would give her the chance to watch Boq and ensure that he kept her secret. Boq was more than happy to comply when she explained her plan to him. So far, it has been effective. Though she hates to admit it, Boq is good at his job, even if he is much shorter than the rest of the guards.

Aside from small talk, the two have managed to avoid each other. Glinda checked in with Boq during the first couple of years to ensure that he didn’t give anything away, but stopped when it became clear that Boq intended to keep her secret. In fact, this is the first time they have been alone since those conversations ended.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that you believed me,” says Glinda, at a loss for how to respond. “I’m sure Elphaba would have appreciated someone else believing the truth, too. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a lot of work to do. Thank you for the flowers.” She holds out her hand and gestures for him to give them to her.

Boq hands her the bouquet, but does not leave the room. “You know, Miss Glinda, sometimes when a person is upset, it helps to talk. I don’t know why you’re upset, but I want you to know that I’m here for you if you need me.”

“I appreciate that, Sir Boq, but I’m just trying to get my work done.”

“Funny,” says Boq. “Every time you call me by my name, I’m a little surprised.”

Glinda flushes. The last thing she needs is a reminder of her own role in Boq’s and Nessarose’s relationship. Boq seems to recognize that she is uncomfortable, because he continues talking.

“Look, maybe I didn’t make myself clear. I know that you don’t want to talk to me, but I also know that there aren’t many people who know the truth about Elphaba. So if it’s something to do with that-the reason you’re so upset, I mean-then I’d like to help. I don’t even need to say anything. I can just listen.”

“What makes you so sure that I’m upset?” asks Glinda.

“Your eyes were red earlier. And even now, your nose is a little pink, the way I’ve noticed it gets after you cry.”

Glinda tries to conceal her surprise. She never noticed that her nose gets pink after she cries, and she can’t believe that Boq is the one who pointed it out to her. Why hasn’t anyone ever mentioned it before?

She decides to reward him for his observation. “If you must know, the reason I’m so upset has nothing to do with Elphaba. I had just come back from lunch with Sir Chuffrey when you saw me earlier, and the two of us have decided to end our relationship.”

“Oh,” says Boq. She can tell from his expression that this is not what he volunteered for.

“Do you mind if I sit down?” Boq asks after a moment. “I apologize, but I get stiff after standing for too long, and I think I need to oil up.”

Glinda flushes again. She always feels so guilty when Boq brings attention to his condition. She has no right to feel responsible, considering that she was not even there during his transformation. But Glinda did set up Nessarose and Boq in the first place, and Nessarose would have never cast her spell if Boq hadn’t attempted to run off to see Glinda.

She motions to the chair on which she is sitting. “You can sit here, if you like. I was just going to find a vase for the flowers. I think I have one around here somewhere.”

“You don’t mind?”

“Not at all. I need to stretch my legs, anyway.”

Glinda stands up, and Boq takes her place. She tries not to watch as Boq takes out his oil can and begins oiling his joints.

As Glinda searches her cabinets for a vase, Boq speaks. “Did one of you initiate the breakup, or was it mutual?”

“It was more or less mutual,” says Glinda, still lost in her search. So far, all she has found are endless stacks of paperwork. “He was always rather old for me, and while I was all right with it at the beginning, it became a thorn in our relationship.”

“Well, I’m sure you won’t have any trouble finding someone your own age,” says Boq quickly. “After all, you are Miss Glinda the Good.”

Glinda turns to face him. “Is that what you think it’s like for me?”

“Isn’t it?”

Glinda sighs. She cannot help the next words that come tumbling forth.

“Most people think so, but it’s not. Not at all. I’m the Leader of Oz, and while I hope to find a companion someday, I never have as much time to commit to a relationship as I’d like. Besides, for as much as people pretend to respect me for being a woman in politics, the truth is, they don’t. Most men are only interested in my beauty or are convinced that they have a pathway to power by marrying me.”

Boq stares at her. “Really?”

She bites her lip. While she is not about to admit this to Boq, she is more than a little convinced that Chuffrey’s main motive for dating her was the possibility of power.

Forcing an even tone, she says, “One gets used to it.”

Boq shakes his head.

Glinda finally manages to locate the vase. Since Boq does not appear to be leaving anytime soon and she needs to step out in order to fill the vase with water, she leaves it in the cabinet.

“You’re so matter-of-fact about it,” says Boq. “I don’t know how you do it. I know that no woman will ever want to marry me because I’m tin, but it still upsets me.”

Glinda shrugs. “That doesn’t mean I’m happy about it. Quite the contrary. But one gets used to being matter-of-fact when the situation requires it, especially in a more public setting.”

Recognition washes over Boq’s face. “Are you saying that the only reason you’re acting so calmly is because you don’t want to admit your true feelings in front of me?”

Glinda averts her gaze. The only man who ever recognized the difference between her public and private behavior was Fiyero, and she does not want to think about him. It’s distressifying to realize that the only man who ever understood her was in love with her best friend.

“You don’t have to hold back in front of me, you know,” Boq says, when she does not respond. “The first time I was ever alone with you, you yelled at me, and I didn’t know that a person could be yelled at by Glinda the Good. No matter what happens, it will never be as surprising as that.”

Despite herself, the corners of Glinda’s lips twitch as she imagines how other people would react if they knew that Glinda the Good once yelled at someone.

“You’re sure you want to risk it?” she asks, startling herself with the coyness of her tone. “I really am quite emotional if you get me started.”

Boq grins so widely that the smile reaches his eyes. “Try me.”

Glinda smiles back, but she can feel that her smile is more forced. She cannot believe that she spoke to Boq in such a coquettish way. What in Oz’s name has gotten into her? It has been so long since she teased a man. Sir Chuffrey was not the teasing sort, and when she teased men before him, she was purposely flirting. She was decidedly not flirting with Boq.

But Boq is still grinning, awaiting her response, and she decides not to overthink it. There must be a reasonable explanation for her behavior, so there is no use trying to decipher what it is.

“The truth is, you’re right,” says Glinda. “I do worry that I’ll never find someone. I’m twenty-eight-years-old, and most of my friends from school are married with children by now. Even Elphaba, Oz rest her soul, found Fiyero before she died. I’m not very upset about my breakup with Sir Chuffrey. It was courteous enough, and quite honestly, I’m glad I didn’t settle for him. I just feel further from finding my perfect man than I already was. And what’s more…” She blushes and wonders if she should continue.

“What?” asks Boq gently.

“I was hoping to have a child by now,” Glinda admits, and at this confession, her cheeks grow hot. “I don’t know if you remember my friend, ShenShen, but she just had a daughter, and she sent me a picture of her.” She reaches into her purse, then takes out a photograph and hands it to him. “Isn’t she lovely?”

“Quite,” says Boq, examining the picture. “Whom did ShenShen marry?”

“Some Gillikinese businessman. He didn’t go to Shiz. I don’t know him, but ShenShen seems happy.”

“So, you’re upset that you’re not married because it means you can’t have a child?”

Glinda gives him a worn version of her trademark smile. “I know, it sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? But I’ve always adored children, and I thought I would have one by now.”

“I don’t think it’s ridiculous, Miss Glinda. I saw the way you dazzled Dorothy. In fact, I think you’d make a wonderful mother.”

Glinda takes back the photograph. “I’d thank you, if there was any chance of it happening.”

“I’m sure it will. I have no doubt that you will marry eventually. But even if you don’t, you don’t need a husband to have a child.”

Glinda stares at him. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”

“No! Sweet Oz, no!” Boq’s eyes widen, as he realizes what he has just implied. “That isn’t what I meant at all! I just mean, I got this letter from my sister, and…have you ever considered adoption?”

Adoption. The word turns over and over in Glinda’s mind. Though she always imagined herself with a biological child, she has been a strong supporter of adoption. Glinda has even visited Ozian orphanages on several occasions and left special toys for the children. The sight of so many parentless children always tears at her heartstrings, and it takes great strength not to take them all back with her.

Boq continues speaking before Glinda has a chance to respond. “I don’t know if I ever mentioned my sister Bria, but she’s a maunt at a mauntery in Ix. It was always something she wanted to do. Even as a child, she was very dedicated to the Unionist life. She left Oz just before Nessarose passed the law prohibiting anyone from leaving Munchkinland. When I was Nessa’s servant, Bria wrote me letters, encouraging me to remain optimistic. It wasn’t legal, of course-Nessa forbade contact with anyone outside of Munchkinland–but we managed to smuggle our letters back and forth. It was the only contact I had with anyone outside of Munchkinland.”

It occurs to Glinda how little she knows about Boq. She has grasped that he is from a large farming family and received a scholarship to attend Shiz, but she does not know much else about him. She does not even know how many siblings he has.

She considers her half-written response to Munchkinland’s new governor. Though she does not want to admit it, she has a feeling that Boq, who had direct contact with Nessarose during her time as governor, would be an important asset in helping to rehabilitate Munchkinland. She is just not sure that she is ready to ask him.

“I appreciate you sharing this with me, but I’m afraid I’m a little confusified,” says Glinda. “What do your sister and her lifestyle have to do with adopting a child?”

Boq takes out a leather satchel and pulls out a folder. “This was Bria’s last letter. Apparently, one of her fellow maunts became pregnant. It was quite a scandal, as you can imagine, and it ended very tragically. Two months ago, the mother died in labor, and nobody knows who the father is. As far as they can tell, the baby has no one. He’s completely alone.”

Glinda’s heart clenches. She can still remember the look in Elphie’s eyes when she explained how her mother died giving birth to Nessa. She cannot imagine this baby experiencing the same pain that Elphaba did.

“The mauntery has an orphanage attached to it, but Bria’s very worried about the baby. He’s the sweetest thing, she says. Apparently, he hardly ever cries, and he has the most intent way of looking at you. The maunts do their best, but they can never give enough attention to all the babies. Bria is worried that because he’s so quiet, he’ll be lost in the mix. She’d even adopt him herself, but since it’s not allowed, she asked me to pass on the information to anyone who might be interested.”

“And you think I might be interested?” Glinda asks softly.

Boq shakes his head and dodges her question. “He’s the sweetest, most compliant baby the mauntery has ever had, and he doesn’t even have a name. The maunts know that if he is adopted, his parents will want to name him themselves. Still, can you imagine not having a name to call your own?”

Glinda shudders. Even after she changed her name from Galinda to Glinda, her name has always been part of her identity. Without a name or parents, what does this baby have?

Boq takes out something from the folder. “I’m not saying you should step into this blindly. Oz knows, it’s a huge decision, and I’m sure many parents in Oz would be eager to adopt him if we were to get the word out. But please, at least look at him. Then you’ll see.”

He passes Glinda a tiny photograph. Unlike the professional photo of ShenShen’s baby, this one is dark and difficult to see. She manages to make out a small, chubby-faced baby with wide hazel eyes. His intent gaze seems to pierce through the paper.

Glinda has fallen in love multiple times. She fell in love with the boy who sat behind her in primary school and with Zhander Settica, her first real boyfriend. Then, of course, she fell in love with Fiyero and became so lost in her infatuation that she ignored his obvious feelings for Elphaba.

Still, her previous glimpses of love have not prepared her for this. Although it is true that the physical symptoms are the same-she feels her pulse and breathing quicken-she is unprepared for the overwhelming feeling that washes over her as the stares into the eyes of the tiny baby boy. It is as if she has always known him. More than anything else in the world, Glinda wants to be involved in the future of this nameless boy with the wide eyes. She has never felt so instantly connected to anyone in her entire life.

“Gabryel,” she whispers, her eyes beginning to sting with tears.

“Hmm?” says Boq, glancing over.

“It’s the name I’d always thought about giving my son,” Glinda says. “The Wizard mentioned it once. It was the name of a friend in the world he came from, and I always liked it. According to the Wizard, there was an angel named Gabryel in his version of the Unionist bible. And this baby looks like an angel, doesn’t he?”

A small smile forms on Boq’s lips. “Very much so.”

“One of the reasons I like the name so much is because it starts with the same two letters as Galinda. After the way my mother responded when I changed my name, I think I owe it to her to give her a grandchild whose name starts with the same two letters.”

Boq laughs.

She glances at the photo again. It is overwhelming to imagine this tiny baby, alone at a mauntery so many miles away. How can he be so far when he feels so close?

Though it was initially difficult to talk to Boq, she has no trouble saying the next words. “Do you really think I can do this? Adopt a child and become a mother on my own, I mean?”

“I know you can,” says Boq firmly. “You might not believe this, but you’re the strongest person I know. And if you ever need help, like bringing the baby from the orphanage or looking after him later, I’ll be there.”

Glinda frowns. “You’d do that for me?”

Boq chuckles. When he speaks again, he has regained his seriousness.

“When we were at Shiz, I told you I’d do anything for you. I know you don’t remember, and I don’t mean it the way I once did, but I want you to know something. I never back out of my promises. I would still do anything for you, Miss Glinda. That will never change.”

« Chapter Twenty-Seven  Chapter Twenty-Nine »

“Saguaro, I’m not going to make excuses for my niece,” said Psudina. “She did choose fame and fortune over her friendship with your mother. But you must realize how young she was at the time. I know there hasn’t been a single instant when she hasn’t regretted her choice.” 

“She was older than I am,” said Saguaro stubbornly. Especially after the way Glinda had chosen to talk to Boq instead of telling her the story, she was not sure she was ready to forgive Glinda just yet. “I haven’t ever had a best friend, but I do know that I wouldn’t choose fame and fortune over anyone I care about.”

“Yes, I’m sure you wouldn’t. But you’re much more mature than Glinda was at that age. My sister has always refused to look past her private bubble, and Galinda was raised to be the same way. At the time, she was just beginning to see beyond her own small world. She’d always been popular, and for her to imagine a future in which she was hated by everyone…well, I don’t think she had the same strength your mother had.”

Saguaro repeated this last line in her mind. The same strength your mother had. Did Psudina mean the past tense, as in the same strength her mother had but no longer possessed? Or was Psudina still convinced that Elphaba Throgelaar, who could not even hear the word “Oz” without flinching, was as strong as Elphaba Thropp had been?

Saguaro blinked away a tear. It was too painful to think about.

“So after my mother left, Glinda got the job that was meant for her?” Saguaro asked.

“More or less. She went back to Shiz and got her degree, though she occasionally went to the Emerald City to see the Wizard. When she finished school, the job was waiting for her. The Ozians were quite eager to accept her as Glinda the Good.”

The implication of Psudina’s words struck her. Her mother, who shook her head after she read Saguaro’s report cards and lectured that she should be “living up to her full potential,” had not completed her degree. In some ways, this information was the most shocking of all.

“Glinda put on a smile for the public, but I could tell she wasn’t happy,” Psudina continued. “For the first time, I think she began to realize the consequences of her dreams coming true. Yes, she had achieved the fame and fortune she’d always dreamed of, but it had come at a terrible cost. She didn’t share her feelings with me, but I could tell from the hasty scribbles of her letters and the sad eyes behind her smiles how she was feeling. And, of course, she was still pretending not to see how your father truly felt about her.”

“You mean they were still dating?”

“You know, Saguaro, I’m a bit concerned about how you’ll react to the next part of this story. I know you’re still angry at your father after what you learned about his stories, and I don’t want this to make you more upset than you already are.”

A horrible thought occurred to her. “Was my father against my mother publically?”

Psudina hesitated. “Well, he was made Captain of the Guard, and although his primary job was to lead the search for your mother, I could tell that his love for your mother was what propelled the search. Still, I never heard him refer to your mother as the Wicked Witch in public. But that isn’t what I was referring to.” She cleared her throat. “You see, your father was engaged to Glinda.”

It was as though someone had drenched Saguaro with a bucket of cold water. Fiyero Tigelaar, who, as a boy, had rebelled against an arranged marriage, had been engaged to Glinda before marrying her mother.

She felt a little sick.

“It wasn’t what you think,” said Psudina, seeing her expression. “Your father wasn’t the one who got down on one knee.”

“You mean Glinda asked him to marry her?” asked Saguaro.

“It wasn’t as much a question as a declaration. During one of Glinda’s public appearances with your father, someone asked him how it felt to be engaged, and the whole story came out. I was visiting at the time. I’d tried to convince Glinda otherwise, but she had insisted that it would be more romantic that way, and I was powerless to stop her.”

Though she wasn’t thrilled that her father had been engaged to Glinda, Saguaro was relieved to hear that he hadn’t initiated it.

Psudina explained that she found Fiyero after the announcement and asked him about his feelings for Elphaba. Fiyero didn’t contradict her theory, but pointed out that it was clear that Elphaba didn’t want to be found. Still, Psudina suspected that something else was holding him back.

“His parents approved of his relationship with Glinda. Even though your father had spent most of his life disregarding what his parents wanted, I’m sure it felt good to have their support for the first time in his life. I’m not saying that this excused his actions, but I think it might help you to understand them.”

Saguaro considered this. From the Fyre stories, she knew how much her father had struggled over his relationship with his parents. Ever since his younger brother was born, his parents never seemed to notice their older son one way or another. If Psudina was right, Fiyero had received his parents’ approval because of his relationship with Glinda. Then he had forsaken it when he chose her mother.

It was so unbelievably sad.

Glinda wanted to keep Saguaro’s secret. She really did. The last thing she wanted was to betray Saguaro’s trust. But Boq’s eyes were so warm and inviting that she found herself itching to be honest. Despite what he had done in the past, despite how much Elphaba would disapprove, Boq had become her closest friend. If she couldn’t tell him, then whom could she tell?

“You promise you won’t let on to Saguaro that I told you,” she asked, “or even mention anything to Psudina?”

“Of course not, Glinda,” Boq said. “You can trust me.”

Still, Glinda could not bring herself to make eye contact with Boq. Her voice was so soft it was almost a whisper.

“When Saguaro and I went shopping that day, she mentioned that her mother didn’t want her. I’ve been trying to tell myself that Saguaro was just being dramatic, but I’m not sure she was.”

She glanced at Boq, expecting him to say something, but he seemed to be waiting for her to finish. With a start, she realized how much more she had to say.

“I don’t know what to do, Boq. I just don’t know what to do! Saguaro’s been so angry at Elphaba, and even though she hasn’t mentioned it again, I can tell how hurt she is. And the thing is…well, she’s not the only one who’s angry at Elphaba. All of you expect me to be happy about Elphaba, but sometimes, I’m not. Yes, I’m grateful that she’s alive, but things were also a lot less confusifying before I knew.”

She felt ashamed as she spoke the last words. What must Boq think of her? Boq, however, took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze-no easy feat, considering that his hands were so inflexible. This small gesture gave her a surge of strength.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you,” he said. “That must have been a terrible thing to deal with on your own, and I wish I’d been more sensitive. If it makes you feel any better, I don’t blame you for feeling that way. I can see why you hold Elphaba responsible. ”

“Thank you,” she whispered. They smiled at each other.

“You know, Glinda, the last thing I want is to add to your stress, but I think there’s a good chance that Elphaba will be coming soon,” Boq said after a moment. “I might not have known her well, but I saw the way she was willing to do anything for Nessarose. Whether or not she initially wanted a child, I’m sure she’d do anything for Saguaro, too.”

While Glinda had been trying not to think about it, she had considered this possibility before. “I haven’t mentioned it to Saguaro because I don’t want her running off again, but I think you’re right. I just hope Elphaba has the sense not to leave Fiyero behind.”

Boq frowned. “You think she’d come without him?”

Glinda nodded. “If there’s one thing Elphie’s good at, it’s blaming herself. I can’t say yet whether this is truly her fault, but I’m sure Elphaba will think it is. If I know her-though Oz knows, sometimes I’m not sure I still do-she’s taken this on herself without bringing Fiyero into it. She wouldn’t want to burden anyone else with her problems.”

“But…if they’re married…then surely she’s learned to let him in a little?”

Glinda smiled wanly. For as much as Boq had learned about Elphaba and Fiyero in the past sixteen years, he still did not understand the extent of the situation.

“Coming to Oz would be a big risk, Boq, and not just for Elphaba. If she comes without Fiyero, it isn’t because she’s not letting Fiyero in. It’s because she’s protecting him, physically protecting him from something like the Gale Force happening again.”

While Glinda had only recently learned that Elphaba had turned Fiyero into the Scarecrow, she shuddered at the memory. Fiyero’s expression just before the Gale Force guards hung him on the poles was forever etched in her consciousness.

“But wouldn’t Fiyero try to go after them?” Boq asked. “Elphaba and Saguaro both, I mean.”

Glinda considered the way Fiyero had followed Elphaba to Nessarose’s grave, where the encounter with the Gale Force had taken place. “I’m sure he would. The real question is whether he has the transportation to do so.”

Neither spoke for a few moments.

“You know you need to talk to her, don’t you?” Boq said finally. “Saguaro that is, not Elphaba.”

Glinda sighed. “I know, Boq. But what am I supposed to say? You didn’t see Saguaro’s expression just before she told me. And the truth is, I’m not sure I’m ready for the answer, either. I have enough going on without this.”

“Maybe, but you’ll never stop wondering until you talk to her.”

“I suppose.”

She realized for the first time that Boq was still holding her hand. She was about to pull away when she realized how nice it felt. She could keep holding Boq’s hand forever.

Boq seemed to realize this too, because his eyes grew wide. “Sweet Oz, Glinda, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” He attempted to pull his hand away, but she stopped him.

“Boq, it’s all right. Your hand is very nice. A little cold maybe, but otherwise very nice. Here.” She took Boq’s hand in both of hers and began rubbing it in an attempt to warm it. “Does this feel better? I’m afraid I don’t know much about changing the temperature of tin, but…”

She stopped, noticing Boq’s expression. His grey eyes were intently focused on her. In this light, they looked almost blue.

I wish I’d noticed Boq standing there before it was too late, she found herself thinking. If I had, perhaps we’d-

He suddenly broke free of her grasp and stood up. He wore a very strange expression on his face.

“I’m sorry, but now I’m getting hot. Do you want me to bring you a glass of water? Maybe that will help you cool down if you’re feeling the same way.”

“But Boq, you know you can’t go near water,” said Glinda, confused.

“Oh. Right.” He laughed a little and then shook his head. “You know, sometimes I think I’m the one who is allergic to water-since it turns out that Elphaba wasn’t, I mean.”

He glanced towards the doorway. “At any rate I, uh, need to oil up. I’ve been feeling especially stiff today. In fact, would you mind if I took the rest of the day off? I’m really not feeling well.”

“Of course not,” said Glinda, feeling more confused by the minute. “But Boq…”

He paused before exiting the room. “Oh, and Glinda? Good luck with Saguaro. I’m sure your conversation will be easier than you think.”

Glinda wrinkled her forehead as Boq shut the door behind him. Now that was odd.

Still, as Glinda returned to the seating chart, she found herself feeling warm, as well. She held up her hand mirror and was surprised to see that her cheeks were pink.

Boq was not the only one who felt overheated.

*****

Glinda found herself thinking about Boq for the rest of the day. She saw his tin face in the silver platters at dinner and his grey eyes in the color of the napkins. She excused herself as soon as dinner was finished.

Boq’s home was located towards the back of Glinda’s property. The tiny hut looked as though it belonged in Munchkinland, where many of the houses were blue and domed. Though Glinda had pestered him to build a larger house, so far, Boq had resisted. She sometimes wondered if Boq had kept his house small in order to punish himself for his role as a witch hunter.

When she approached the hut, she noticed that the windows were dark. “Boq?” she asked, knocking on the door. There was no answer.

Glinda was concerned. As a tin man, Boq could not sleep and thus had no reason to turn out his lights. She had never known him to venture out so late, either.

A flash of white from under the door caught her attention. She bent down and picked up an envelope with her name written in Boq’s familiar handwriting. When she ripped it open, she found herself holding a piece of the same stationary that she had recently given him.

Boq Chopper, assistant and adviser to Glinda the Good

Dear Glinda,

I’m finally using your stationary. I still have issues with it-the grey ink for my name is great, but the bright pink for yours is a little much-but seeing as you’re the only one reading this, I suppose I can make an exception, just this once. 

I feel terrible for what I said today. As I mentioned before, I never would have said any of those things had I been aware of what happened with Saguaro. It wasn’t my place to comment on your relationship. I should have chosen a more constructive way to bring up my concerns about you and Gabryel, but I stand by what I said. Whether or not I disapprove, I should trust you to tell Wroc when you feel the time is right.

I’ve been thinking lately about how far we’ve come from the awkward Munchkin and the popular girl at Shiz. I thought I knew you then, but I didn’t. Not really. I was in love with the Galinda I thought I knew, the pretty girl with the gold hair and winning smile who charmed everyone with how “Good” she was. At the time, I thought you were perfect. You were the only thing that kept me going during my terrible bout after Shiz.

We both remember what happened the next time I came to see you. Just before his departure, the Wizard asked Scarecrow to be your adviser, as his great brains would assist you in making decisions. When he declined, for reasons now clear to me, I offered to step in.

Of course, when I came to you and explained that the Wizard had appointed me, you were rightly putout, as the Wizard had never mentioned this to you. You were even more putout when you realized that I had helped kill your friend after dating her sister. In a fit of anger, you exploded with the truth…and I was horrified when I realized that the sister had been lying; your friend had only been trying to save me. I’d helped kill the very person who saved my life.

You appointed me as one of your guards to honor me for my “bravery” as a witch hunter, but we avoided each other for a few years. And then, against all odds, we became friends. After you realized how much I knew about politics from my time with the sister, you promoted me, and I became your assistant and adviser, after all.

To be honest, Glinda, I was disappointed when I realized that you aren’t as perfect as I’d always thought. But when I got to know you, I realized that I liked you, flaws and all. You aren’t the same person I had a crush on at Shiz; you’re a lot better.

 I suppose I should just say it. I think I’m still in love with you.

Now, I don’t think I have been this entire time. I can’t say when it began. But I’ve grown to love everything about you. I love your commitment to your work and how much you love Gabryel, and I love the way you act annoyed when I tease you, but have no trouble teasing me back. I love that you’ve been so worried about Saguaro that it’s been tearing you up inside and that you are still so dedicated to your friendship with her mother. I even love the way your voice gets too high when you’re rambling on about something and how you giggle like a teenager and glare at anyone who insults the color pink. I know I’ve given you grief for my stationary (see above), but I smile when I see it, because it’s just so you.

And, of course, you’re still beautiful. That goes without saying.

I’ve been able to suppress my feelings for a while. But today, as you tried to warm my hand, I realized this couldn’t go on much longer. No one could possibly love a man made of tin, especially someone who is already engaged. So I’m taking a break and will be out of commission for a few weeks.

I won’t tell you where I am. But please believe that I will be back. We will stay friends, Glinda. I just need some time. I’ve been struggling with my past since seeing Saguaro, and I think that this break may help, especially if a certain friend of yours decides to visit.

Tell Gabryel I’ll miss him and that I’m sorry I won’t get to spend time with him at the ball. I have faith that he’ll get through it, because he’s stronger than he thinks he is.

He gets it from his mother.

Love,

Biq Boq

A blot of oil had been spilled on the bottom corner of the page.

Glinda’s head was spinning. She reread the letter, but this did not relieve her confusion. She could not believe that Boq had been hiding his feelings for her all this time.

She knew that she loved Boq. He was kind, funny, honest, and sensitive, and he was wonderful with Gabryel. Sometimes, she suspected that he knew her even better than she knew herself.

Still, there were two reasons Glinda had not given more than a moment’s thought to a relationship with him. Boq had played a prominent role in the witch hunt, and he was tin. Though she accepted these things in her friend, she was not sure she could look past them in a potential lover.

Wroc was kind and handsome and had a prominent position in society. He did not know Gabryel well, but he had always expressed enthusiasm over Gabryel’s various accomplishments. She had no doubt that they would get along after they got to know each other. Glinda was confident that, by the time the wedding arrived, Wroc would make a perfect husband.

But how would her friendship with Boq be altered after she was married? He claimed that his feelings would not impact their friendship, but she was not sure she believed him. And without Boq’s constant presence in her life…Glinda’s heart began to beat faster, and she had to force herself to calm down. Without Boq as a friend, she was not sure where she would be.

Whenever Glinda had a problem, she usually turned to Boq for advice. But as she traced her finger over the header on Boq’s stationary, Glinda realized something else.

For the first time in many years, she could not ask her adviser what to do.

« Chapter Twenty-Seven  Chapter Twenty-Nine »

 “I don’t understand where this is going,” Saguaro said, pushing aside her conflicted feelings about her parents’ relationship. “My mom was just a normal college student. Well, not completely normal, because she was green and that isn’t common in Oz, but still, as normal as she could be under the circumstances. How did she become the Wicked Witch of the West? Was it just because of her skin?”

Psudina sighed. “Are you sure you’re ready to hear about it?”

Saguaro shot her a look.

“Of course you are,” Psudina said, half to herself. “You did travel all this way.

“During that time, the Wizard ruled Oz. He’d taken over as ruler a few years after your parents were born, though I myself had never met him. I must admit that I’d always been rather suspicious of him. My priority was to better Quadling Country, which was always the region most cut off from the rest of Oz, but I had noticed some of the negative changes that had come into effect since the Wizard took power. Animals’ rights had greatly declined, for one. I didn’t often voice these suspicions aloud…Ozians were very loyal to the Wizard, my sister and Galinda in particular…but I wondered if the Wizard was as wonderful as everyone thought. Not that I could have proven this. The Wizard was very secretive, and he’d turned down our invitations to join the Council of Four as the fifth member.”

One detail stood out. “So it was because of my mother’s involvement in the crusade for Animal rights, wasn’t it?”

Psudina studied her for a moment. “You know, Saguaro, it’s funny. Even though I know that she is alive and you are her daughter, every time you make a comment like that, I’m still taken aback. I keep forgetting that in some ways, you know Elphaba better than even Glinda. I take it that your mother is still a strong supporter of Animals?”

“There isn’t as much to do in Cascadia, but she does what she can.”

Psudina shook her head. “Yes. Well. It’s simply a lot to get used to, that’s all.

“Part of the reason Madame Morrible was so excited when she first discovered your mother’s talent was because she believed Elphaba’s powers would be an asset to the Wizard. She wrote to the Wizard, suggesting that he see Elphaba after her powers were more developed. Your mother, of course, was thrilled. I can’t tell you how many times she mentioned the Wizard when I visited. She looked up to him in a way she had never looked up to her own father.” Psudina’s shoulders fell. “Perhaps that’s the reason I never had the heart to tell her of my suspicions.

“In the spring of her second year, Galinda wrote to tell me that Elphaba’s dreams had come true; the Wizard had finally offered to see her. Your mother’s letter came just a day later. She was very excited, and she told me that part of the reason she was so eager to see the Wizard was because she wanted to tell him about what was happening to the Animals in the hopes that he would be able to help. But as happy as I was for your mother, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something didn’t add up.”

“You were right, weren’t you?” Saguaro said quietly.

Psudina did not speak for a few moments. When she did, her voice was softer than it had been before.

“The day after your mother was to see the Wizard, I was awakened by shouts outside my door. When I stepped outside, I discovered that my Quadling neighbors were in a state of panic. They kept talking about a Wicked Witch who was intent on destroying all of Oz. As I remembered Elphaba’s meeting with the Wizard, I began to get a very bad feeling. I rushed to the newspaper stand and skimmed the headlines. Sure enough, on the front page was an article that warned us of a Wicked Witch who had fled the Wizard’s palace on broomstick the night before. We would be able to recognize her from her green skin, which was an outward manifestation of her Wicked nature.” Her voice broke. “Damn that Wizard.”

Psudina’s glasses became foggy. It took Saguaro a moment to realize it was because she was crying.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

“I’m afraid it still hurts. Still-” Psudina took off her glasses and wiped away her tears. “Crying won’t change what happened.

“I never believed it for a single moment, of course,” she added, looking at Saguaro. “I knew your mother was-is-the most righteous person I ever met, and even though the article described that she had somehow been responsible for the mutilation of several now winged Monkeys, I knew that there had to be a good explanation. I found out what it was just a few weeks later. Galinda-now Glinda-came to visit me for her Estival break, and she told me the whole story.

“Apparently, Glinda had come with Elphaba to see the Wizard at the last minute. When they arrived, they discovered that the Wizard had made Madame Morrible his new press secretary. Madame Morrible asked Elphaba to read from the Grimmerie, an ancient book of spells and enchantments, in order to prove herself, and Elphaba obliged. To everyone’s amazement, the spell was successful, and several nearby Monkeys started to convulse in pain. They soon began sprouting wings. The Wizard revealed that he planned to use the Monkeys as spies to report on subversive Animal activity. Glinda confirmed the two things I’d been suspecting all along. The Wizard had no real powers, which was why he planned to use your mother, and he was actually responsible for the great decline in Animal rights. Your mother, of course, asked how she could undo the spell-”

“And Madame Morrible answered that spells are irreversible.”

“Exactly.”

Saguaro recalled Caper, the winged Monkey outside Camp Gabryel. That explained what happened to him.

It wasn’t until she spoke that she realized what she had been thinking. “And then my mom ran away, because there was no way she could work with the Wizard after that. But the Wizard and Madame Morrible realized that she knew too much and would say something if they let her go, so they announced that she was the Wicked Witch to protect themselves.”

“Once again, you amaze me with how well you’re able to understand things,” Psudina said. “As a matter of fact, I couldn’t have put it better myself.”

“She’s my mother,” said Saguaro, ignoring the tightness in her throat. “It’s not hard to guess what she would have done. I’ve known her my entire life.”

“Yes, I suppose you have.”

She swallowed hard. Everything was finally making sense, especially the way her mother had reacted when she first saw Saguaro’s green skin.

Still, one thing was not adding up.

“Psudina?”

“Hmm?”

“Why didn’t Glinda go with my mother?”

As Psudina smiled sadly, Saguaro realized that she already knew the answer.

The following night, Glinda took Saguaro to the theatre. She wanted to give Saguaro a break from the difficult transpirations of the last few days, and live entertainment seemed like the perfect distraction.

After a wonderful dinner at Verde (green glasses were still required inside), they settled into their theatre seats on a secluded balcony. A wide-eyed Saguaro looked down at the well-dressed audience below. Glinda, who had been attending the theatre since she was a little girl, found herself charmed by Saguaro’s awe.

“Does Cascadia have any plays?” she asked, when Saguaro praised the way the set had been built.

“Once a year, we have a performance to celebrate Founders’ Day, but that’s all.” Saguaro wiggled her new satin shoes, a gift from Glinda. “It’s nothing like this.”

Grateful that she had not missed every milestone in Saguaro’s life, Glinda squeezed Saguaro’s hand.

There were two productions currently playing in the Emerald City. One was Good, the musical extravaganza sequel to Wizomania, based on Glinda’s life. Glinda had not wanted to take Saguaro to that one (it was unsolicited and contained quite a few cackles from a certain disfigured Wicked Witch), so she took Saguaro to the second show, Quadling Flatheads of 1916. Quadling Flatheads was the latest song-and-dance spectacular from the famous Flatheads, who established their career shortly after Wizomania closed.

Saguaro enjoyed the show. She giggled at all the right jokes and gasped when the Flatheads first extended their long necks and rotated their heads in full circles. Glinda even caught Saguaro humming along to a more melancholy ballad about the Flatheads’ war with the Skeezers, which had occurred a few years before.

The highlight came at the very end. During the curtain call, the Flatheads once again extended their necks, and two of their heads collided. This caused the two Flatheads to fall to the ground. While the rest of the audience had the dignity to look concerned as the Flatheads struggled to stand back up, Saguaro caught Glinda’s eye. A moment later, they burst into laughter.

“It was just so funny,” Saguaro said, still giggling a few minutes later, as they picked up their programs and prepared to return home. “The whole time, I kept wondering what would happen if their heads collided, and then they did!”

Glinda smiled as she played the scene over in her head. “It was truly hysterical. You know, watching this brings back such vivid memories of when I helped Auntie Psue during the Flatheads-Skeezers War. I didn’t dare tell Auntie Psue, but I was tempted to break into song every time I saw a Flathead…the Flatheads who live in Quadling Country, that is, not the ones we saw tonight.”

Saguaro grinned. “I bet.

“They really are good, though,” she said in a more serious tone. “They were very coordinated with each other. How long have they been performing?”

“Actually, would you believe that your mother and I saw one of the first shows they performed together?”

“Really?”

“Oh, yes. It was the first show I ever attended in the Emerald City. Of course, the night didn’t end smoothly, but I like to think that your mother and I have at least one good memory from that day.”

Though Glinda could tell from Saguaro’s expression that she recognized what Glinda was referring to, she did not comment on this.

“I still can’t get over that you knew my mother,” she said instead. “I know it’s old news by now, but it’s strange to meet her best friend when she’s been so solitary for my entire life.”

Glinda brushed off lint from Saguaro’s dress. “I feel the same way. I can’t believe I’m here with Elphie’s daughter, either!”

Just before they stepped out of the carriage, Saguaro turned to Glinda. “Thank you, Glinda. I had a really good time tonight.”

Glinda’s heart soared. She winked at Saguaro before revealing the nickname that she had chosen for her. “I’m so glad everything worked out, Crowsie. It was my pleasure.”

Even though Saguaro rolled her eyes, Glinda noticed that her eyes were shining.

*****

Two days later, Glinda and Saguaro were giggling again. During a break from work just before lunch, Glinda told Saguaro about Fiyero’s command of the Ozdust Ballroom. The conversation somehow turned to Elphaba’s infamous dancing skills.

“So you’re telling me that my mother showed up to the dance and did something like this.” Saguaro attempted to move her arms in an imitation of her mother’s disjointed dance, but dissolved into laughter before she could finish.

“Let me show you. Perhaps I can remember it.”

Glinda, who indeed remembered more than she thought, showed Saguaro the dance. It didn’t take long before Saguaro was imitating Glinda, and the two were dancing around each other.

“Why, look at that,” said Glinda, when she noticed that Saguaro was spotting during her turns. “It seems that a certain Miss Saguaro has inherited her father’s dancing skills, after all.”

Saguaro blushed. “Dad taught me. He said it would come in handy, although I think he just didn’t want me to turn out like my mother. He’s always teased her about her dancing, but I didn’t realize she was that bad.”

They continued to dance. A few minutes later, Gabryel entered the room. When he noticed what they were doing, he gaped at them.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“It’s a replica of the dance Crowsie’s mother used to do,” Glinda said. “Care to join us, dearest?”

“Uh, no thanks,” said Gabryel, still staring. “I, um, think I’ll wait outside until you’re done. Tell me when lunch is ready.”

He left the room. Recalling the dumbstruck look on his face, Saguaro and Glinda turned to each other and dissolved into laughter once more.

Glinda was in a cheerful mood when she returned to work after lunch. As she added the finishing touches to a seating chart for the engagement banquet, Glinda found herself humming a song they used to play at the Ozdust.

“Oz,” said a voice, “I haven’t heard that song in years.”

Glinda turned to find Boq in her doorway.

“Taking a stroll down memory lane, Galinda?” he teased her, settling into the upholstered chair on the opposite side of Glinda’s desk. Since Boq spent so much time in her office, Glinda had bought a more comfortable chair for him. Because of his tin body, Boq preferred cushioned chairs to wooden ones.

“As a matter of fact, yes, Biq,” said Glinda. “I was just sharing with Saguaro the story of Fiyero’s first dance at the Ozdust. Don’t you remember? I went with Fiyero and then Elphie showed up in her pointed hat, and when she noticed everyone staring, she started dancing as if she didn’t care what anyone thought of her.”

An unreadable emotion flickered across Boq’s face. “Yes. Of course I do.”

“Anyway, I think they played this song that night. Or perhaps they played it at another dance. Fiyero had so many dances, after all. At any rate, I really should request that this song be played on Friday night. There will be mostly classical music at the ball, of course, but I’m sure the guests won’t mind a few songs from our generation. It will be a nice change of pace.”

“Speaking of the ball, how are the preparations going?”

“It has been horrifyingly stressful. But Saguaro’s been such a dear, accompanying me on last minute errands, even though it isn’t her favorite thing to do. On the bright side, it’s given us the excuse to go shopping afterwards. I love Elphie dearly, but how she allowed her daughter to go around in such plain clothes, I’ll never know.”

“I’m sure the options were more limited in Cascadia.”

“Still.”

Boq shifted in his seat in an attempt to get more comfortable. “You know, I still can’t get over what happened with Grygoro McGregor. It was so nice of him to encourage Gabryel like that.”

“Grygoro McGregor?” Glinda repeated.

Boq gave her a funny look. “The author who wrote to Gabryel?”

“Oh.” Glinda forced a smile. “Of course.”

That morning, Gabryel received a letter from the author who gave the lecture that Gabryel attended a few days before. The author had read the stories Gabryel had given him and wrote to inform him that he had real talent. While Glinda was proud of her son, she also knew that any author would be a fool not to encourage the son of Glinda the Good.

This subject, however, reminded her of something else. “Boq, I’ve been meaning to ask you. Do you think you could keep a special eye out for Gabryel during the ball?”

“What do you mean?” asked Boq, now frowning.

“Well, you know how he is. Gabryel, poor dear, is so dreadifingly shy, and he’s much worse around large groups of unfamiliar people. I’ll be too busy entertaining guests to properly look out for him, and as a public official, I doubt Auntie Psue will have time, either. Of course, Momsie will be there, but I’m afraid that she’ll be so busy with her own friends that she’ll forget about poor Gabry.”

“What about Saguaro?” Boq said. “Is she coming?”

“I’m surprising her by inviting Caper. He’s the only Monkey who was able to come, and I think it will be a treat for Saguaro to spend time with one of her mother’s Monkeys. That way, she won’t be too lonely during the ball.”

When Boq did not respond, she made her voice more pleading. “Please, Boq. Gabryel looks up to you so much. I know he’ll appreciate spending time with you.” She tossed her hair for emphasis. “Besides, it would mean a lot to me as well.”

Boq made his voice higher in an imitation of himself at Shiz. “And if I do that, Miss Galinda, will you make sure to save at least one dance for me?”

Glinda suppressed a smile. She could always count on Boq to come up with a clever retort. Thank Oz she now had one less thing to worry about.

She decided to play along. “I wasn’t planning to, but if you’d like that, I’m sure Wroc won’t mind…”

But Boq had begun to purse his lips. “What is it, Boq?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”

“I was just thinking about the Ozdust. Not about Elphaba’s dance or Fiyero, but about a certain Gillikinese girl who told me I’d be her hero if I asked a girl in a wheelchair to the dance, and the way I foolishly believed her.” He laughed bitterly. “Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I’d seen through you.”

Glinda was taken aback. For the most part, Boq went out of his way not to mention Nessa.

“Boq, I don’t understand why you’re bringing this up now,” she said. “I apologized for that a long time ago. I know I played a part, but you can hardly blame me for your entire relationship with Nessarose. Besides, this isn’t an appropriate conversation for right now. ”

Boq raised his eyebrows. “Oh, so you don’t think there’s any similarity between the way you pawned me off to Nessarose and the way you’re asking me to look after Gabryel now?”

Glinda was shocked by this accusation. “Of course not! Boq, he’s my son! I was simply asking for a small favor. You should be honored that I trust you with him.”

“It isn’t about that, Glinda. You know I’d do anything for Gabryel. I love him as if he was my own son, and that’s the honest truth. But it’s you who should be looking out for him at your ball, not me. Did you know that he had trouble making friends at St. Ozma’s because they had no idea he was shy and they thought he snubbed them because he felt superior to them? Or that he was so homesick he would sometimes write me in tears, but begged me not to say anything because he didn’t want to worry you? You’ve been so busy with your own life that you haven’t given more than a fleeting moment to your son. There’s a reason you couldn’t remember McGregor’s name.”

“That has nothing to do with it,” said Glinda coldly. She had no idea what was compelling Boq to say such horrible things, but she did not like it. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Boq ignored this comment and spoke right over her. “Then there’s Wroc. Gabryel barely knows him, so I doubt that you asked Wroc to look out for him, but that’s beside the point. You met Wroc for dinner yesterday, but you still haven’t told him about Elphaba or Saguaro. He’s going to be your husband. If you can’t trust him with this, then how can you trust him enough to marry him?”

“That’s enough, Boq. My relationship with Wroc isn’t any of your concern.”

“And then there’s me. Me. I know I’m not Wroc or even Elphaba, but I thought we were friends. Yet ever since you came back from your first shopping trip with Saguaro, you’ve become a different person. I haven’t felt this much like Biq since Shiz. And to make matters worse, Saguaro hasn’t looked at me once since Psudina told her what happened. She has the same hair as Nessarose, and even though Elphaba is alive, that doesn’t take away the fact that I-”

“Stop it!”

Boq stopped talking. Glinda took a deep breath and ignored Boq’s astonishment at her uncharacteristic outburst.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, her voice shaking. “Wroc and I are perfectly suited, Gabryel and I have never been better, and if anyone else decides to share more tidbits of advice with me, I just might explode. I can’t deal with anything more right now.

“Curse you, Elphie!” she said suddenly, the anger overwhelming her. She wished that her friend could hear her. “This is all your fault! Why in Oz’s name didn’t you tell me to begin with? If you had, then none of this would have happened!”

In an impulsive fit of anger, she grabbed the seating chart that she had been working on and tore it straight down the middle. The same surge of satisfaction she felt after throwing the hairbrush ran through her.

Before she could grab anything else, Boq placed a hand on her wrist to stop her. “I’m sorry for my outburst. I should have chosen a more constructive way to say those things to you. But you don’t need to create extra work for yourself.” He nodded at the torn seating chart. “Now, tell me. I’m getting the feeling that I’m missing something here. Is this something to do with whatever happened during your shopping trip?”

She shook her head. There was no way she could betray Saguaro. “I can’t tell you, Boq. I really can’t. Even if I wanted to, this isn’t my secret to share.”

“Is it Saguaro’s secret, then?”

When Glinda did not respond, Boq spoke again. “You know, a long time ago, you told me the truth about Elphaba, even though you promised her you’d never tell anyone. A few years later, you admitted how good it felt to tell someone. I’m not saying you should tell me if you’re not comfortable, but I can see how taxing this is on you.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“I’m saying that perhaps it will make you feel better to say it out loud. This may be Saguaro’s secret, but you owe it to yourself not to let it become your own.”

« Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Seven »

“So how did Glinda and my mother become friends?” Saguaro asked. “It doesn’t sound like they could ever stop hating each other.”

Psudina smiled. “Actually, I believe your father’s arrival set that into motion.”

She had nearly forgotten that Glinda had also known her father. “What do you mean?”

For the first time, the story went in a more familiar direction. Psudina described Fiyero’s arrival at Shiz, which was similar to “Fyre’s” at the last school he attended. Her father had apparently charmed everyone with his carefree façade and arranged a dance party his very first night on campus.

“What you have to understand is that Galinda was a very different person, then,” Psudina said, as Saguaro took this in. “I love my niece dearly, but she held herself above most Shiz students and was very careful about whom she chose as friends. Do you remember meeting Boq yesterday?”

“What does he have to do with my mom and Glinda?”

“Well, at the time, he had a little crush on Galinda. He was also in your parents’ and Glinda’s class at Shiz. Boq wasn’t tin then and was simply an ordinary Munchkin, but Galinda had no interest in him. I’m a bit hazy on the details, but I believe he asked Galinda to the dance. Galinda noticed your aunt nearby and expressed sympathy over her being confined to a wheelchair. In order to nudge Boq in the right direction, she said that someone would impress her if they asked Nessarose to the dance. Boq, of course, took the bait, which left Glinda free to go with Fiyero.”

Saguaro’s mouth fell open. “Wait. My father went to the dance with Glinda?”

Psudina chuckled at her surprise. “You know, Saguaro, you’ll need to get over that. They dated for a number of years.”

“What?”

It did make sense, considering that “Fyre” had been attracted to pretty, popular girls for a while, but she still couldn’t believe that her father had been involved with Glinda the Good.

“All right, I’ll get over it,” she said grudgingly. “I’m not saying that I like hearing about it, but I can at least try to tolerate it. Now. What happened with Boq and Auntie Nessa? Did Auntie Nessa know that Boq had only asked her because of Glinda?”

“Alas, no. She expressed enthusiasm over her date to your mother, and your mother was surprised that Galinda had done something so nice for her sister. In return, your mother decided to give Galinda a second chance and arranged for her to attend her sorcery seminar. That, combined with a few other factors, resulted in them finally becoming friends.” She chuckled again. “I still have Galinda’s ten-page letter, telling me all about it. She couldn’t decide what was more pressing: that she was now the girlfriend of Prince Fiyero Tigelaar or that she was friends with the roommate she once loathed. Half the letter was filled with exclamation points. I really must dig it out sometime. You’ll be quite amused.”

“I’m not sure about that,” Saguaro muttered. “I still can’t imagine my dad dating anyone before my mother. I mean, I know he dated lots of girls…but I can’t imagine him dating anyone seriously.”

“Well, it will please you to know that I don’t think your father ever had deep feelings for Glinda. He liked her well enough, but I don’t think he was ever in love with her. I visited the two of them after Shiz, and he never seemed to look at her in that way.

“In Galinda’s next letter, she described how Doctor Dillamond had been fired. Considering the way Animals were treated at the time, it’s astonishing that he lasted as long as he did. A new professor was hired in his place, and during his first class, he showed the students a caged Lion cub. Your parents rescued the Lion cub together and set it free.

“From that day on, your father changed. Galinda wrote to me about how distant and moody her boyfriend had turned and was especially concerned with how thoughtful he had become.” Psudina raised her voice a few octaves higher in an obvious imitation of Glinda. “‘Oh, Auntie Psue, I don’t know what to do! Fiyero’s been so moodified ever since Doctor Dillamond was fired. In fact, I don’t even know him anymore! Perhaps Elphie can help. He was with her when he released the Lion cub, after all.’” She returned her voice to normal. “Glinda never has been good at seeing what’s right in front of her.”

“So you think that setting the Lion cub free made my parents realize they had feelings for each other?” asked Saguaro.

“I do. I don’t know exactly what transpired between them, but I do think that was the beginning. Galinda might have been oblivious, but as soon as I read between the lines of her letter…well, I can’t tell you how happy I was for your mother and father. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it before.”

8 1/2 Months A.D.

There are so many ways Fiyero could approach this conversation.

If he were Elphaba, he knows exactly what he would do. After some small talk and questions about how Elphaba is feeling (and pretending that he has no idea just why she is feeling ill), he would plunge into the subject at hand. “So, I heard some interesting news today,” he’d say with Elphaba’s trademark sarcasm. “Anything you’ve forgotten to tell me?”

If he were Glinda, he would survey the room to make sure nobody was listening before launching into a rant. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” he would fume, an angry flush rising to his cheeks. “Do you know how hurtful it is to learn news like this from someone else?”

The problem is that he has no idea what he should do.

He steps into their one room apartment, trying to ignore his tangle of nerves. Elphaba is sitting on their couch, reading a book. She looks up when she sees him.

“Oh, I didn’t realize it was time for you to be back. I must have lost track of time. And before you ask, yes, I am feeling better. The sickness passed soon after you left.”

It is this comment that propels him. Fiyero is not sure of many things, but he does know that he is tired of pretending.

“Elphaba. I know.”

Elphaba’s eyes widen like those of a stunned deer. He finds himself taken by how small she looks and how different she appears from the strong college student with whom he first fell in love.

“Did Millie tell you?” she says, referring to the Sheep whose fiber shop is below their apartment.

“She wanted to congratulate me,” Fiyero says, his voice cracking. “She thought I already knew.”

Elphaba closes her eyes. The only sound in the room is the ticking of the clock on their mantel.

“I thought I had more time to prepare for this conversation,” she says finally, after opening her eyes. “I don’t know how to talk about it just yet.”

“Well, I need to talk about it now,” Fiyero says. “We’re having a baby, Elphaba. In nine months or less, we are going to have a child. That’s a lot to take in.”

Elphaba begins to fiddle with a loose lock of hair. “I know that, Fiyero. And I meant to tell you. But I didn’t even know for certain until a few weeks ago, and before that I honestly thought I was being paranoid. But then I got sick and I missed my cycle for the second time. I couldn’t ignore what was happening, so I decided to find out for sure. And I didn’t plan to tell Millie, but she recognized my symptoms and confronted me. She kept asking me when I was going to tell you, so I just said that I was going to tell you yesterday. I never dreamed that she would say something before I did.”

“Would you mind starting from the beginning?” he says, cutting in before she has a chance to speak again. Once Elphaba begins talking, it can be difficult to stop her.

Elphaba lets out a breath.  “How far back do you want me to go?”

“How about to when you think it happened? I’m pretty stunned. I didn’t even know this was a possibility. We’ve always been so careful.”

She motions for him to sit beside her.

“Do you remember that night a few months ago in January when you woke up in the middle of the night and found me awake?”

He remembers. Ever since they arrived in Cascadia, Elphaba has had trouble sleeping. He has awakened several times to find her staring into space, reliving her experiences as the Wicked Witch of the West or worrying about someone finding them. Still, something stood out about that night in January. She looked so much more delicate than normal. When he took her in his arms and reminded her that they were both safe now, he was stuck by how frail she felt.

“So that’s when it happened?” Fiyero says for affirmation.

She nods. “I didn’t realize we’d been careless until the next morning, of course. I could tell that you didn’t have any idea, and I didn’t want you to worry if there was no reason to be concerned. Besides, I didn’t think it was possible. It was only one time, after all, and the idea just seemed so remote. Even when I missed my cycle two weeks later, I assumed it was due to stress. It wasn’t until I missed my cycle for the second time and began to exhibit other symptoms that I decided to find out for certain.”

“And when was that?” says Fiyero.

“Two weeks ago. I’m about ten weeks along.”

Fiyero takes this in. He cannot believe he did not realize it sooner. While he knew something was going on, every time he tried to ask Elphaba about it, she rebuffed him with a harsh snap. When she chalked up her recent bouts of illness to the flu, he believed her. It is difficult to believe that she has actually been carrying their child all this time.

“I’m sorry, Fiyero,” she says, reaching for his hand. “I need to stop shutting you out when something is bothering me, and I promise I’ll try harder. But I’ve been so worried. I know you think we’re safe here, but what if you’re wrong? Caper found out that we’re alive; others could, too. And if that happens, what will happen to the baby? They killed my sister just to trap me. Can you imagine how much danger our child will be in if someone finds out about it?”

“That’s not going to happen, Elphaba,” Fiyero says, suppressing a shudder. “The only reason Caper found out is because he saw my letter. Besides, it wasn’t as though they targeted Nessarose just to get to you. They were also trying to get rid of the so-called Wicked Witch of the East. Even they wouldn’t kill an innocent child.”

Darkness haunts Elphaba’s eyes, reminding Fiyero of her hatred for Dorothy. Fiyero knows that no matter how hard he tries, he will never understand the horrors she experienced.

“You have no idea what they’re capable of, Fiyero. Innocent child or not, if that child belongs to me, ‘innocent’ is the last word they’ll use to describe it. And if the baby is green, it will be confined to a life of seclusion, with no opportunity for the unlimited future it deserves. You know whom the Ozians will think of if they see a green child, after all, and Oz only knows how much I will fail as a mother. Don’t you see, Fiyero? I’ve damned this child before it has even been born.”

She speaks these last thoughts devoid of emotion, as though already defeated. Fiyero is struck with the urge to embrace Elphaba and never let go. He cannot believe that Elphaba has been shouldering all of this alone.

In the wake of such pain, there is only one thing he can do.

Ignoring Elphaba’s bewilderment, Fiyero pulls back the curtain separating the living area from their bedroom and crosses the room. He returns with an object in his pocket.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, and there’s no question in my mind that this is the right time,” he says. “You don’t have to give me an answer right away, but please think about it.”

“Fiyero, I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Elphaba says, her brows furrowed. “What does any of this have to do with the-”

She gasps when he takes out a small wooden box from his pocket. Fiyero sinks onto one knee and takes her left hand in his free one.

“Before I met you, I was a confused boy who didn’t know his place in the world. My rebellion against my parents’ strained relationship and my own arranged marriage tainted my attitude toward love. But once I got to know you and fell for everything about you-your beautiful green skin, your passion for what you believe in, and your determination to change things, even when it seems impossible-I realized how wrong I had been. Love is real, and every time I look at you, I’m reminded of just how real my love for you is.”

He opens the box to reveal a ring woven from straw that he purchased a few months before. “Miss Elphaba Thropp, otherwise known as the most fiery, intelligent, compassionate, and beautiful woman in the world, will you do me the official honor of spending the rest of your life with me?”

He has never seen Elphaba look so stunned. She stares at the ring, as if unable to believe it is real. “Where is this coming from? I thought we agreed that we were committed to staying together without conforming to the convention of marriage.”

“It’s different now.” He drops her hand and touches her still flat stomach. “We made that decision when it was just the two of us, but it’s worth reconsidering now that we have someone else to think about.”

“You don’t need to do this, you know,” Elphaba says quietly. “We told people in Cascadia that we’re married anyway, so it isn’t as though the baby’s status is at stake.”

He shakes his head. “Elphaba, doesn’t it occur to you that I wouldn’t be asking you unless I wanted to?”

“But we talked it over, and you said that you’d never been in favor of marriage after witnessing your parents’ relationship.”

“I wanted to spare your feelings, so I told you how I used to feel. I knew we had enough to worry about as we adjusted to our new life together. But I’ve had this ring for a while, Elphaba. It’s been sitting in my trunk since long before you got pregnant. I’ve always planned to give it to you.”

“How long have you felt this way?”

Fiyero thinks back to when it all began. “Do you remember when Caper told us about Cascadia and you left for a few minutes to think it over?”

“Vaguely.”

“Caper and I had a conversation. I’d noticed how distant he was around me, and when I confronted him, he told me that he wasn’t sure the two of us were right for each other. He thought we wanted different things. He, uh, remembered the way I’d been around Dorothy and suggested that I might want a child of my own one day. I hadn’t thought of it before, but I realized he was right. What better way to rebel against the way my parents raised me than to give my own child a loving home?”

“Wait just a clock tick,” says Elphaba, as she finally comprehends. “Are you saying that you’re excited about the baby?”

Fiyero smiles as a series of scenes appear in his head. He envisions a toddler that is the splitting image of Elphaba, who lights up when she sees him and giggles when he tickles her. He imagines telling her stories, showing her around Cascadia, and watching the world through her young eyes. Next to the prospect of a future with Elphaba, he has never been as excited about anything in his entire life.

“Yes,” he says. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

As he and Elphaba consider each other, Fiyero is struck by the potential truth of Caper’s concerns. Ever since he and Elphaba moved to Cascadia, they have not had much conflict in their relationship. While they still have petty arguments over such things as her need for alone time and his desire to be more social, they have not let these arguments define them. They are together, and after their experiences in Oz, that has been enough.

But now, Fiyero realizes that perhaps being together is not enough. He wants more. He wants to call Elphaba his wife and commit to her in a way that is more binding than his private promises. And he wants this child. He wants to build a cradle for her nursery and pick out toys. He wants to argue with Elphaba over silly things, like whether the baby will be a boy or a girl or what color they should paint the nursery. Perhaps more than anything else, he wants a normal life. They’ve battled prejudice and lies, but this is one adventure they have not yet experienced.

They have lived together for the past eight and a half months, but as he studies Elphaba’s stunned face, Fiyero wonders if she really knows him, after all. He recalls when they reunited on the night of his engagement ball, and she expressed concern that he had changed and now believed the Wizard’s lies. “I have changed,” he had told her, referring to how much he had grown from the shallow boy he’d been at Shiz. Why is she so surprised that he is not the same person he used to be? Can’t she see how extraordinary this could be for them?

You’re overreacting, Fiyero tells himself. In seven months, he is going to be a father, and not getting married won’t change that. Still, his stomach churns as he realizes that she has not yet answered him.

“So, what do you say?” he says, still on one knee. His kneecap is beginning to hurt, and for a moment, he wishes he were still stuffed with straw. “Will you make an honest Scarecrow out of me?”

Elphaba bites her lip. She looks down at the book on her lap, and he already knows her answer. In truth, he has known it all along.

“I’m sorry, Fiyero,” she says, finally meeting his gaze. “But this is a lot to take in, and I need some time to think about it.”

“Can’t we do the thinking together?”

“No. I need to be alone.”

He wants to stay. He wants to shake Elphaba by the shoulders and tell her not to be afraid. They got through Oz; they can certainly get through this, too. He loves her, and getting married and having a baby won’t change that. In fact, it will only make him love her more.

Still, he knows this will only scare her off. Elphaba needs space in order to come to her own conclusion. So he gets up and places the engagement ring on the table, then shuts the door behind him.

****

Fiyero’s wanderings lead him to the clearing in the forest where he and Elphaba plan to build a house. He gathers an armful of sticks and begins arranging them on the ground to map out the dimensions of the home’s second story.

After he finishes, he realizes that he needs to change the size of the spare room, since it is too small for a nursery and a connecting bathroom. He wishes Elphaba had told him before he completed the final draft of his plans.

Fiyero misses the old Elphaba. While she would have been shocked at the prospect of becoming a mother, she would have been much more receptive to looking on the bright side. Sometimes, it feels as though their roles are now reversed, and he has taken over the optimistic way Elphaba once looked at the world.

Just as Fiyero finishes a revised layout for the second story, someone clears her throat behind him. He turns to find Elphaba standing a few feet away, a bright blue kitten in her arms.

“I thought you might be here,” she says, forcing a smile. “Mind if I join you?”

Fiyero shrugs and motions to the kitten she is holding. “Who’s this?”

She scratches the kitten behind its ears. “This is Azure. I just named her. I found her outside Millie’s shop, and since she appears to be a stray, I thought we could adopt her. Is that all right with you?”

Struck by how maternal Elphaba appears, Fiyero smiles back. “Of course. We’ve been wanting to adopt a cat for while, and I’m sure our child will love to grow up with an animal.”

“That’s what I was thinking, too.”

Hope overcomes Fiyero. This is the first time that Elphaba has acknowledged their future with the baby in a positive light. Perhaps she is beginning to see the appeal of having a child, after all.

Elphaba motions to his plans. “Is that our house?”

“Come on. I’ll show you.”

He leads her to the far side of the second story and shows her their bedroom, the master bathroom, and the library. Elphaba likes what she sees and compliments him on what he has done.

Just as he is about to show Elphaba the nursery, Fiyero hesitates. Though she seemed more receptive to the baby when talking about Azure, he is not sure she is ready for this.

“It’s going to be dark soon,” he says. “Why don’t we go home, and I’ll show you the rest tomorrow?”

Elphaba studies his face. “This is the baby’s room, isn’t it?”

“I don’t have to show it to you now, though,” Fiyero says quickly. “I understand if you’re not ready.”

“No, I want to see it. Show me.”

He leads her into the room. She scrunches her eyes as she looks around, as if trying to imagine it for herself.

Fiyero feels self-conscious. “I don’t have many ideas for furnishing it yet. I was thinking that we could put the cradle against one of the walls, and then in addition to the usual bedroom furniture, we could put in a rocking chair, in case one of us needs to sit with the baby. I also added a connecting bathroom, so the baby will have more privacy when he or she is older.”

Elphaba is still looking around when she says, “I think you have more ideas than you give yourself credit for.”

She sits down on the ground and pets Azure in her lap. In response, the little kitten begins pawing at her in an attempt to get away.

“Funny cat,” Fiyero says.

“I don’t think so,” says Elphaba, surprising him with her intensity. “She’s been by herself for so long that she doesn’t know how to handle someone else taking care of her. But I think she’ll learn to be more receptive if you’re willing to be patient.”

“You really think so?” Fiyero says, meeting her gaze.

“At the very least, she is going to try.”

She stands up. Fiyero is so distracted from worrying about whether he should have helped her up that he almost misses it when Elphaba flashes her left hand to reveal the straw ring on her finger.

“Oh, and Fiyero? My answer is yes.”

« Chapter Twenty-Four  Chapter Twenty-Six »

“You know, I feel badly for Glinda,” said Saguaro. “It must have been hard to share a room with someone who was chosen to be a sorcery student instead of you.” 

“Yes, I imagine it was,” said Psudina. “I received many letters from Galinda, complaining about her green roommate. To be fair, I don’t think your mother liked Galinda very much, either. The two of them were so different. Galinda was very popular, and she focused on material concerns. Your mother had no time for that sort of thing. I believe you remember Doctor Dillamond, the Goat you met at Camp Gabryel?”

Saguaro recalled the way Doctor Dillamond had asked about her mother. “He was my mother’s teacher, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, and as I understand it, they were very close. Both your mother and Galinda were in his history class. Galinda often complained about how much time Doctor Dillamond spent praising your mother’s essays. Of course, she also had a personal gripe with Doctor Dillamond. He had difficulty saying Galinda’s name and always called her ‘Glinda’ by mistake. She liked to rant about it in her letters to me.”

“If it mattered so much to her, why she didn’t correct him?” 

“Actually, she did. And do you know what she said to him?”

“What?”

“She told him her name was, ‘Galinda with a guh’…a phrase I’d nearly forgotten until you came into the picture.”

“Saguaro, please wait,” Glinda said as the girl rushed towards her bedroom. “I need to say something.”

Saguaro paused midway up the staircase, her eyes flashing. For a short moment, Glinda was reminded so strongly of Elphaba that she had to force herself to think of Saguaro.

“What is it?” Saguaro said.

“I want to apologize. I know that you don’t understand why I took you with me this morning. I just wanted to do something fun with you after the way we started off last night. I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out that way.”

“Is that all?” said Saguaro, crossing her arms.

“Not exactly. We also need to have a little chat.” In truth, Glinda was not looking forward to this conversation, but she knew this was what she was supposed to say.

“I understand that you’re exhaustified, and I don’t blame you for wanting to end our shopping trip early, but we must talk.” She forced the encouraging smile onto her face that she used whenever she made public appearances. “I’m sure you’ll feel much better once we do.”

Saguaro’s eyes narrowed further. “I just want to be alone.”

“That’s understandable,” said Glinda, trying to mask her relief. “Just tell me when you’re ready.”

With only a short glance in Glinda’s direction, Saguaro rushed up the staircase. Glinda sighed, feeling more exhausted than she had in a long time.

She went to her bedroom to calm down and climbed into bed. But when she closed her eyes, everything hit her at once. Her responsibilities as Glinda the Good. Her upcoming engagement ball. Wroc. Fiyero. Elphaba.

Saguaro…

“I’ve been wasting my time on someone who doesn’t even care,” Saguaro reminded Glinda in her mind’s eye. Though the real Saguaro had shrunk at this declaration, this Saguaro stood as tall as her mother. “My mother never even wanted me.”

The scene changed. Elphaba stood before her, dressed in the same black dress she had worn before her melting. “Promise me you won’t try to clear my name,” she told Glinda fiercely. “Promise me.”

For the past sixteen years, Glinda had tried to live up to that vow. She had restored Animal rights, learned spells from the Grimmerie, and smiled during the yearly anniversary of her friend’s death. Every time she was tempted to tell the Ozians the truth, she thought of her promise. It was all she had left of her best friend, and she was determined to keep it.

She missed Elphaba. She couldn’t pretend otherwise. For the past sixteen years, she had failed to fill the void that Elphaba’s death had created in her life. She’d adopted Gabryel and forged a friendship with Boq, but she continued to feel empty every time she thought of Elphaba. Her best friend was irreplaceable.

Sometimes, when Glinda felt the most alone, she would stare at the sky and imagine Elphaba looking down at her. “I hope you’re happy,” Glinda would whisper, the words tender instead of bitter, as they had been when she’d shouted them at Elphaba so many years before. “You and Fiyero both.”

Glinda was not a very religious person, but she did believe in the afterlife. It gave her the hope that Elphaba and Fiyero had found happiness together and that her own life’s work would not go unappreciated. Every time Glinda visited Doctor Dillamond or established another reform, she imagined Elphaba watching her. This helped whenever she received letters from disgruntled Ozians or wondered if her efforts were all for naught. As long as Elphaba was there for her, she knew she could handle anything.

But Elphaba hadn’t been there. Elphaba was not a spirit in the sky, but a real person with a life and family of her own. She hadn’t been supporting Glinda’s proposals, because she hadn’t known about them. She had not even told her own daughter about Glinda.

Her daughter, who was convinced that her mother did not want her.

Glinda opened her eyes and noticed a small hairbrush on the edge of her nightstand. Impulsively, she took it and flung it across the room. As the brush landed, Glinda was surprised by how good she felt. When she heaved one of her shoes against the opposite wall, the same pleasant sensation washed over her.

Before she knew it, she couldn’t stop herself, and soon the whole room was in disarray. Shoes and paperwork were scattered everywhere, blankets and pillows were tossed on the floor, and drawers were left hanging open. The only untouched part of the room was her closet, which had already transformed her life enough.

Once she was satisfied with the state of her room, Glinda took one of her pillows and screamed into it. Though she knew that no one could hear her, she felt a bit paranoid as she continued to scream.

A moment later, she understood the reason for her paranoia.

Boq stood in the doorway, a sheepish grin on his face. “I always seem to find you like this, don’t I?”

She brushed back her hair, though she knew it did not matter. Boq had comforted her through countless meltdowns over the years and had seen her cry just the day before. Ever since Dorothy’s departure, he had walked in on her worst moments of panic and self-doubt. When she was with Boq, she did not have to play the part of the Good Witch of the Compass. She could simply be Glinda.

Ordinarily, she would have rushed into Boq’s tin arms and explained everything. Boq had become her closest friend since Elphaba’s departure and always managed to put things into perspective. But as she looked into the grey eyes that had survived Elphaba’s spell, Glinda was reminded of the person Boq had been before. True, he had not known the truth, but he had tried to kill her best friend.

Their Shiz days felt so long ago.

“What are you doing here?” Glinda said, not quite meeting his gaze.

“I wanted to know how your shopping trip went,” said Boq. “You two were back earlier than I expected.”

“It went well.” Her back to Boq, Glinda began picking items off the floor. “Both of us were tired, that’s all. And don’t worry about any of this. I just had trouble finding something.”

Boq raised his eyebrows. Exactly three parts of Boq’s appearance had remained unaffected by the spell: his lips, his eyebrows, and his eyes. “Having trouble finding something doesn’t usually make your room look like it was hit by Dorothy’s tornado.”

“Well, that thing was especially difficult to find.” She replaced a pair of shoes on the shelf above her bed, then turned back to Boq. He was not smiling anymore and was now looking at her with concern.

“If you don’t mind, Boq, I’m very tired. I think I’ll take the bubble bath I was so looking forward to last night. I desperately need some time to relax.”

“Um-all right.” Boq cleared his throat, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “Do you want me to run the water for you? Well, I obviously can’t do it myself or I’ll rust…but I can ask if someone else will do it for you.”

“No, it’s fine.” Glinda had to smile at the image of Boq rusting in her bathroom. “I think I can do it myself.

“I’m sorry, Boq,” she added, as he turned towards the door. “I’m just so exhaustified. I promise I’ll find you if I need to talk.”

“All right.” He glanced over the room again, and when he looked back at her face, she knew that he understood what had really happened. “I’ll be happy to help you clean up the room when you’re ready.”

Just before he left, he touched her arm. His tin fingers felt cool on her skin. “Glinda, you don’t have to pretend with me. You know that, don’t you?”

“I know.”

But she spoke the words so softly that she was not sure Boq could hear her.

*****

Glinda’s relaxation was short-lived. The next morning was filled with chaos. Boq had heard about a lecture that one of Gabryel’s favorite authors was giving nearby, and he and Psudina decided to take Gabryel to see him. When they announced this to Gabryel, he looked like Lurlinemas morning had just arrived.

“Which one of my stories should I give to him?” he asked at breakfast. “I really want to get his feedback, but I’m not sure which story is best. I was going to give him the beginning of my sequel to his Langwidere book, but maybe I should pick something original instead.”

As Gabryel continued to fret about which one of his stories to bring, Glinda snuck a glance at Saguaro, who was sitting across the table. For a very brief moment, their eyes met. Glinda quickly turned away. The two had still not had their conversation, but Glinda did not feel any more ready than she had the day before.

By the time Gabryel decided upon the stories he would bring (the start of the Langwidere sequel and an original short story), it was already noon. Boq, Gabryel, and Psudina would have to rush to arrive at the lecture on time.

Just before he left, Boq turned to Glinda. “Good luck with Saguaro,” he said quietly. Glinda, already suspicious that Boq had arranged the entire event to give her some alone time with Saguaro, did not respond.

She found Saguaro in the parlor, reading the Langwidere book Gabryel had lent her.

“Are you enjoying the book?” Glinda asked.

Saguaro responded without looking up. “So far.”

“I can’t say I understand the appeal of it,” Glinda admitted, taking the chair next to her. “The story of Langwidere gave me nightmares as a child, and chapters from the perspective of each of her heads seems rather pointless. They’re all defeated in the end, so why waste time getting attached to them?”

“You wouldn’t understand this book, then,” said Saguaro, finally looking up. “I’m not very far into it, but I think the writer is trying to make the point that the heads weren’t just heads; they were people, independent of Langwidere and her crime. You’re supposed to get attached. If you don’t, the story isn’t as meaningful.”

So much like Elphie, Glinda thought. Aloud, she said, “I suppose your mother taught you how to read? She does still read, doesn’t she?”

Saguaro shrugged. “I suppose. I haven’t spent much time with her as of late. But yes, she did teach me.”

She returned to the book. Knowing that it would be fruitless to start up another conversation, Glinda instead began to study Saguaro.

She certainly was quite Ozian in appearance, even if she hadn’t been raised that way. There was a reason Lanetta had not challenged Saguaro on her background. Saguaro’s nose was long and characteristically Winkie, and her small stature, something neither of her parents possessed, was clearly inherited from her Munchkin side.

Even Saguaro’s accent was not foreign. Though Glinda had noticed that Saguaro’s “a’s” were soft, for the most part, she pronounced her words like most Ozians Glinda knew. Glinda wondered if Cascadia did not have a distinctive accent or whether Saguaro had simply spent more time with her parents growing up than with her peers. Judging from Saguaro’s history as the “Ordinary” child of Cascadia, which Psudina had explained to her, Glinda guessed it was the latter.

“Well, I’ll be going now,” Glinda said, as Saguaro turned another page. She felt very much as though she were talking to Elphaba at Shiz. When Elphaba had been lost in a book, Glinda could barely get her attention, either. “I have some papers to look over, so I’ll be in my office if you need anything. Perhaps we can have tea later.”

Still not looking up, Saguaro said, “Have fun.”

Glinda snuck a final glance at Saguaro. With her green nose above her book, she looked exactly like her mother.

******

In her office, Glinda struggled to concentrate. Her mind kept drifting to Elphaba and what Saguaro had told her. Every time she read another sentence of the proposal she was reviewing, Elphaba’s face popped into her head.

Setting her work aside, she took out a fresh piece of paper and began to doodle, something she hadn’t indulged in since Shiz. She drew flowers and hearts and then, as an experiment, wrote out her old signature: Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, with a heart dotting the “i.” It still looked exactly as it had so many years before.

Halfway through an attempt to capture her old name in bubble letters, the lights flickered and then went out. Glinda stood up and tested the light switch, but nothing happened. When she opened the door, she discovered that the hallway was also dark. A quick survey of nearby rooms confirmed that the power was out.

Glinda’s maternal instincts kicked in. She thought of Saguaro, sitting by herself in the dark. Though she knew that Saguaro would not be afraid-it was still early afternoon, and there was enough light from outside to see-she was still consumed with worry. She rushed to the parlor to see how Saguaro was doing.

Once she arrived, she discovered that the room was empty. Saguaro’s book rested on the chair she been sitting on, as if forgotten.

“Saguaro?” Glinda called. The only answer was a faint sobbing from a room nearby.

Glinda’s anxiety intensified. She followed the sound until she reached the nearest bathroom, where the sobbing was considerably louder.

Glinda knocked on the bathroom door. “Saguaro, are you all right?”

Saguaro’s voice came out muffled from behind the door. “I’m s-so s-sorry!”

“What are you sorry about, dear?” Glinda asked. Saguaro sounded so different from the strong girl Glinda had come to know. Even after learning about the identity of her mother, Saguaro had not cried in front of her. “I’m quite sure you haven’t done anything wrong.”

“The power. It’s my fault. It’s all my fault!”

“Oh, Saguaro, I’m sure that isn’t true,” said Glinda, wondering where in Oz the girl had gotten such an idea. “I don’t know what made the power go out, but it certainly wasn’t you! Are you sure you’re all right in there? You aren’t sick, are you?”

“I need to be alone.”

“Saguaro, I’ve let you have time to yourself, but I’m not comfortable with that under the current circumstances. What’s wrong? Please tell me. I want to help.”

Saguaro’s next words came out in a rush. “Doyouhaveanysupplies?”

“…I’m afraid I didn’t quite catch that, dear.”

“Do you have any supplies?”

At that moment, Glinda understood and recalled a younger version of herself, also shut in a bathroom.

“Oh, Saguaro,” she said softly, “this is your first time, isn’t it?”

The door opened. Saguaro stood before her, her eyes red and swollen. Wordlessly, she nodded.

Glinda reached out to hug her. For perhaps the first time, Saguaro did not turn away from her. Instead, she sank into Glinda’s embrace.

“I’m so, so sorry, dear,” Glinda said, squeezing her tightly. She wiped away a tear from Saguaro’s face. “What dreadible timing. I can still remember my first time. I was younger than you, about twelve, and I was at a sleepover with one of my friends. I thought my timing was bad, but I was lucky compared to you. Everything seems to be hitting you at once.”

Saguaro looked down at the floor. “We had a plan…my mother and I. We didn’t talk very much before I left, but she made sure I knew what to do. I was going to find her, no matter where I was, and then she was going to take care of me.”

She looked up at Glinda, her eyes gleaming with fresh tears. “I miss her, Glinda. I know it’s foolish, and I’m still so angry…but I really, really miss her. She was supposed to be here for this.”

Glinda’s heart ached. How in Oz’s name could this wonderful, spirited girl blame herself for missing her mother?

“Of course you miss her,” she said quietly. “Don’t be hard on yourself for that! All girls long for their mothers at times like these.”

“What about my mom?”

It took Glinda a moment to realize what Saguaro meant. “Are you asking if your mother thought of her own mother when she was in this situation?”

Saguaro nodded. “Since my mom didn’t have a mother, it would have been even harder. Do you think that’s why she was so insistent that we have a plan…so I wouldn’t be alone like she was?”

As Saguaro’s brown eyes shone back at her expectantly, Glinda was struck by the most obvious realization of all. She had spent so much time trying to ignore the secret that Saguaro had revealed about Elphaba that she hadn’t considered the source of her best friend’s misgivings. Elphaba had never known her mother. Of course having a daughter would be difficult.

“You know, Saguaro, I think you’re right. Your mother never told me that story, but I’m sure she went through it alone. I know I’m not your mother, and goodness knows, I never can be, but I’m here for you. I don’t want you to go through this by yourself.”

She wet a washcloth with warm water, then wiped away Saguaro’s tears. Though Saguaro’s eyes were still red, it was less evident that she had been crying.

After Glinda gave Saguaro her supplies, she paused. “Saguaro, what did you mean earlier? You don’t really think the power went out because of you, do you?”

A shadow fell over Saguaro’s face. “I know it did. It’s the same thing that happens to me whenever I get too frightened or angry. It’s why you couldn’t speak after I yelled at you last night and why other things have happened since I ran away. I think it has something to do with my powers, but I can’t seem to control it. I don’t know how.”

A wheelchair rolled across her mind’s eye. “Did your mother never tell you?”

Saguaro stood up straighter. “There’s not another secret, is there?”

“No, of course not! This is actually a good thing. Well, not exactly…but it does mean good things for you. I don’t suppose Auntie Psue told you how the headshiztress of Shiz discoverated your mother’s powers?”

“No, she didn’t say.”

Glinda smiled. While her other memories of Shiz were distant, this one felt a little less faraway. “Well, it was the first day of Shiz, and all the freshmen were congregating, awaiting our room assignments. Your mother had just discovered that your aunt Nessa would be rooming with Madame Morrible instead of with her. It was all right, of course, as Madame Morrible was more than equipped to look after your aunt, but your mother grew very frightened. She had always looked after Nessarose and had promised her father that she would continue to do so. When Madame Morrible started to wheel Nessarose away, Elphaba demanded that she let her go. A moment later, the wheelchair spun around and started to wheel towards Elphaba, as if of its own accord.”

Saguaro’s eyebrows furrowed. “You’re saying that strange things happened when my mother got upset, too?”

“Oh, yes, especially during that first year. Things were always happenating. I’m surprised your mother never mentioned it to you. She later learned to control her powers, so I thought she had taught you how to manage yours.”

“My mother never let me work on sorcery,” said Saguaro. “She thinks it’s more trouble than it’s worth. Even though she taught some of my classmates, she refused to teach me. I didn’t even know I could do sorcery until I turned myself green.”

“But that’s ridiculous!” Glinda said. “Your mother is the most talented sorceress I’ve ever known. It’s ludicrous to think that you wouldn’t inherit her powers. She must have known your powers couldn’t stay dormant.”

Saguaro rolled her eyes. “That’s my mother. Whenever she gets something in her head, it’s impossible for her to see reason.” She scrutinized Glinda, as if still searching for an answer. “You’re saying that the strange things that have been happening to me are good? That I might be powerful, like my mother?”

“There is no doubt in my mind,” said Glinda firmly. “It’s true that I’m not as good at determining these sort of things as my aunt or Madame Morrible, but I have a strong feeling about you. As soon as you’re able to control your powers, I’m sure you’ll be able to make good.”

Saguaro threw her arms around her, nearly knocking Glinda over from the force of the hug. “Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me.”

“Actually, I think I do,” said Glinda, considering the similarities between the two green girls. “It meant just as much to your mother.”

For a moment, Saguaro frowned. Then she began to grin. With a smile, her entire face lit up, and her green skin seemed to glow.

At that moment, Glinda realized something. It was true that she did not know much about Elphaba now, but she could feel Elphaba’s presence, just as if she were in the room with them. “Take care of my daughter,” Elphaba seemed to be telling her. And Glinda would.

It was the new promise that she was determined to keep.

“Will you swear not to tell anyone this happened?” Saguaro asked, no longer the painful reminder of Glinda’s best friend, but an ordinary teenage girl. “Even Psudina?”

“Of course. It will be our secret.”

Perhaps she did not know Elphaba Throgelaar. But as Saguaro’s face relaxed, Glinda realized something else.

In the form of her daughter, Elphie Thropp’s spirit lived on.

Behind them, the lights flickered.

« Chapter Twenty-Three  Chapter Twenty-Five »

Not wanting to intrude, Gabryel left the room. Saguaro glanced at Psudina, feeling more nervous now that the two of them were alone.

“You know, Saguaro, I will do my best with the story, but I wasn’t there for most of it,” Psudina said. “I was more behind-the-scenes, as it were.”

Saguaro moved a piece of food around her plate. “I don’t care about the details. I just want to know why everyone thinks my mom is wicked.”

“I can explain that. It’s a long story, and it will take a bit of time to get to the part you’re most curious about, so you may have to be patient. I suppose I should start with how your mother and Glinda first met. Do you remember how I mentioned that your mother met your father and Glinda at college?”

“Shiz University,” said Saguaro. “Yes, I remember.”

“The last time I saw your mother was a little before she started Shiz. We corresponded for a while after that and we almost saw each other a few times because of our mutual connection with Glinda, but it never worked out. Both your mother and your aunt Nessarose started Shiz at the same time, despite being eighteen months apart. Your aunt was confined to a wheelchair, and as a result, I think Frex coddled Nessarose and relied on your mother to look after her. He always referred to Nessarose as the future governor of Munchkinland who would one day take his place. Frex claimed that he was only sending your mother to Shiz because of her responsibility for Nessa, but your mother was still very excited about going. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so excited.”

Saguaro tried to imagine a younger version of her mother, her eyes aglow with excitement. The image eluded her.

“If my aunt was in a wheelchair, why didn’t my mother share a room with her at Shiz?” Saguaro asked, recalling how her mother and Glinda had been roommates. “Surely my aunt needed special assistance.”

“You know, that’ s a good question, Saguaro. I’m not quite sure how it happened. All I know is that a few days after the term began, I got a letter from a distraught Galinda, which is what Glinda went by at the time. Galinda always looked up to me and wanted to follow in my footsteps by studying sorcery. Madame Morrible, the headshiztress of the school, was a renowned sorceress who only taught a few talented students, and Galinda was devastated because someone else was selected instead of her.”

“My mother?”

“Exactly. I received a letter from your mother a few days later, which also described the experience. She had not been aware that she could do sorcery until that point and wanted to know if I had sensed her powers.”

“And what did you tell her?”

Psudina’s eyes grew sad behind her glasses. “I told her the truth. I’d sensed the strength of her powers when I first met her, but I chose not to say anything since I was afraid that Frex would react badly because of his religious views. I didn’t want to give him more of an excuse to resent your mother than he already had.” She glanced at Saguaro, who had begun to study the floor. “Are you angry with me?”

Saguaro shrugged. “It happened a long time ago, so there’s no use being mad now. I just had no idea that my mother had secrets kept from her, too.”

Saguaro was awakened the next morning by sunlight streaming through her windows. She closed the curtains, but the sunlight still peeked through. Clearly, the sun did not care about the terrible revelations of the night before.

She’d had a horrible night. After Psudina told her the story, Saguaro had been plagued by nightmares. This time, she saw them through her mother’s eyes. In one, her mother was trying to escape the Wizard’s guards, and in another, she was at Kiamo Ko, convinced that both her sister and Fiyero were dead. It was one thing to live through the events in the dreams, but quite another to experience her mother’s feelings.

Saguaro had no idea if she was having visions from her mother’s time as the Wicked Witch of the West or if she was imagining things. Psudina had warned her that traumatic shock could affect the nature of one’s sorcery powers, but Saguaro had not been prepared for this. She had enough to worry about without adding visions of the past to the mix.

Just as she closed her eyes in an effort to go back to sleep, the door opened. A singsong voice rang through the room. “Good morning, Saguaro! Time to wake up!”

Saguaro groaned. Glinda stood before her, dressed in a glimmering, full-skirted gown. Her hair was in a bun like the day before, and her earrings and necklace complimented her dress. Examining Glinda’s perfect makeup, Saguaro hoped that Glinda would not insist on giving her a makeover.

“Goodness, you’re not an early bird like your mother, are you?” Glinda said, as Saguaro continued to stare at her, a bit bewildered by Glinda’s peppiness after her grave mood the day before. “When we were roommates, she had to practically drag me out of bed so I would have time to get ready and make it to class on time. Of course, I thank your mother for that. I always make sure to wake up extra early now.”

“On weekends, my mother lets me sleep in,” said Saguaro, recalling that today was Saturday.

Glinda’s laugh resembled a high-pitched bell. “Oh, I don’t doubt that she does! But I’m sure that is when you have nothing else going on, and I have lots and lots planned for us today! How do you fancy a trip into the Emerald City?”

“Psudina told me that I need to stay hidden so people won’t suspect who my parents are.”

“Yes, but did she also mention that she asked the guards to ensure that everyone wear green glasses like they did during the Wizard’s Regime? The guards are locking the glasses in place to be true to how things were done in the Wizard’s time, so nobody will be able to take them off. No one is going to suspect who you are through those glasses. As long as we come up with a plausible lie regarding your identity and make sure that we stick to it, there’s no reason you can’t come along with me on my errands for the engagement ball.”

“Engagement ball?”

Glinda wiggled her left ring finger to reveal a ring with a large diamond surrounded by smaller pink sapphires. “Yes, I’m hosting an engagement ball next Friday. I’m afraid you won’t be able to come…I’m not going to force people to wear green glasses there, so it would be simply too dangerous…but there’s no reason you can’t come with me for a little shopping today. We might trim your bangs too, as long as we’re at it. I’ve noticed that they’re getting a little long.”

“I don’t like shopping,” Saguaro said quickly. She had never gone shopping and thus had no opinion, but shopping would ruin her plan to sleep all day. “And I’ve always trimmed my own bangs, so you don’t have to worry about that, either.”

Glinda laughed again. “You’re just like your mother! She didn’t like shopping, either. I’m sure she ruined your opinion of shopping before you could even give it a chance.”

“Actually, there aren’t many stores in Cascadia, so whenever I need a new dress, we usually go to the dressmaker.”

Glinda clapped her hands together. “Then you’ve never truly gone shopping! Oh, this is so exciting! Perhaps I can make a fashion lover out of you yet. I’ll let you get changed, and you can meet us downstairs for breakfast in fifteen minutes. We always have breakfast at eight, you see. After that, we can begin our day!”

“But-”

“Goodness, it’s so dark in here!” Glinda opened the curtains and beamed. “There, that’s better. Bye-bye, Saguaro! I’ll see you downstairs.”

She flounced out of the room. Saguaro turned to her stuffed Hedgehog, Bramble, with whom she had slept the night before.

“She was my mother’s best friend?” she wondered aloud.

Bramble’s button eyes were scrunched in similar confusion.

*****

Though Saguaro normally did not put much thought into her appearance, Glinda had made her more self-conscious. All of her clothes were either wrong for her skin color or too dowdy. Her mother had always stressed practicality over appearance. While Saguaro normally agreed with her, today she wished that her mother had learned more from Glinda’s influence.

She finally settled on a black-and-white gingham dress and her straw hat. The gingham dress fit her better than any of her other outfits, and the straw hat had a pink ribbon that she thought Glinda would appreciate.

By the time Saguaro came downstairs, Gabryel, Psudina, and Glinda were already in the middle of their breakfast. “I’m sorry I’m late,” she said. “I must have lost track of time.”

“No worries. It was my fault,” said Glinda. “I should have known better than to give a girl your age only fifteen minutes to get ready. I’ll wake you up earlier tomorrow.”

Saguaro suppressed another groan.

“So, how are you feeling today?” Psudina asked her when she sat down. “Did you sleep all right?”

Saguaro shrugged, not wanting to explain about her nightmares. “I’m okay, I guess. No better or worse.”

“Saguaro, I feel posifyingly awful for the way I broke the news yesterday,” said Glinda. This was the first time she had spoken about the night before, and Saguaro was relieved that they were no longer tiptoeing around it. “I simply can’t tell you how sorry I am. I wouldn’t have mentioned anything if I’d known that Elphie and Fiyero hadn’t told you. I know that you talked to Psudina yesterday, but I would also like to talk to you when you’re ready.”

Saguaro’s heart sank. She had already done enough talking the previous night to last a lifetime.

“Maybe later,” she said. “I’m not in the mood to talk right now.”

“Oh, of course!” said Glinda. “We’ll have the conversation any time you wish. I just want you to know that I’m here whenever you’re ready.”

Psudina had prepared breakfast as she had their previous meals. Though Glinda employed a cook and other servants, they had been given leave while Glinda was at Camp Gabryel. Psudina extended their leave to minimize questions about Saguaro.

“I do miss their help, but it’s safer this way,” Glinda said, after explaining this to Saguaro. “I don’t want to worry about what I say in my own home.”

“Good thing Gadonna isn’t here now,” Gabryel said, referring to his grandmother, who was visiting the Upper Uplands and would not be home until Glinda’s engagement ball. “I don’t think she could live without servants.”

For her part, Saguaro could not imagine the cook’s food being better than Psudina’s. Today, Psudina had scrambled eggs with spinach and cheese and baked fresh muffins to go along with them. The eggs were so delicious that Saguaro took a second helping even though she was not very hungry.

The only inedible part of the meal was the sausage. While Saguaro knew from Ie’ello that the sausage was made from artificial meat proteins in accordance with the Animal Alternative Act, she still felt nauseous as she watched Gabryel and Glinda eat theirs. Even though it was not real meat, the prospect of eating anything that tasted like an animal revolted her. She wondered how Psudina, who was also a vegetarian, had stomached cooking the sausage.

After breakfast, Psudina and Gabryel took care of cleaning up, so Saguaro and Glinda could plan their day. As Gabryel and Psudina cleared the table, Glinda explained about their errands. She had a final gown fitting at nine-thirty, and from there, they would buy decorations for the ball. After that, they could spend the rest of the day however they chose.

“I’ve decided to introduce you as a distant cousin on my father’s side,” Glinda added, at a point when they were alone. “Most people know my mother’s family because of Auntie Psue, so my father’s side is safer. I can still introduce you as Saguaro Throgelaar, even if you won’t be Elphie’s daughter.”

“Why do you always call my mom Elphie?” said Saguaro.

“You’ve never heard anyone call your mother that?” Glinda asked, looking surprised.

“Never,” said Saguaro. “It seems too perky to fit my mother.”

“Then it probably won’t surprise you that I came up with the name,” said Glinda. “I’ve always like having special nicknames for people, and Elphie was my name for your mother.” She studied Saguaro. “You’re sure your father hasn’t called your mother that? Not even once?”

“Not that I can recall,” said Saguaro. “The only thing he’s ever called her besides her name is ‘greenest’ and ‘Fae,’ and that one was in a story.”

“Hmm,” said Glinda. A faraway look overcame her, and she was silent for a few minutes.

It wasn’t until Gabryel came to retrieve her cup that she said, “I suppose I need a nickname for you, too. Psudina tells me you also go by Guarie, but I want to call you something special that I come up with.”

Saguaro was not sure she was looking forward to this.

The Emerald City was more crowded than it had been on the first day she’d visited. From the dome of Glinda’s carriage, Saguaro looked out at the people carrying bags from recent purchases. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Just like the sunlight, these people were completely indifferent to her revelations from the night before.

The various shades of green began to blur around her. How could a color that was responsible for so much happiness also produce so much fear?

Glinda’s coach stopped in a quieter neighborhood. Only a few women walked along the street, and they barely glanced at Glinda and Saguaro as they exited the carriage. Saguaro noticed that their dresses were filled with even more adornments than the other outfits she had seen. She guessed that they were now in a more exclusive area of the city.

“We’re here!” Glinda said, pointing to a jeweled green sign that read “Lanetta’s Dresses For Ozsome Occasions.” Several mannequins showed off gowns in the boutique’s window. “Just in time, too. Ooh…look at that!”

She took Saguaro’s hand and rushed her towards the shop next door, where a ten-tiered wedding cake, adorned with intricate frosted flowers, was displayed in the window.

“I’ve always wanted a cake like that,” said Glinda wistfully. “This is the bakery that’s going to be supplying the treats for the ball, but I still need to think about my wedding cake. I’ve always liked white cake best, but I wouldn’t want to disappoint my guests who prefer chocolate. Perhaps I should do a mix. What do you think?”

“I’ve always been a chocolate fan myself,” said Saguaro, her attention no longer focused on the cake. A tall, well-dressed woman sneered at Saguaro as she walked by. Clearly, Saguaro should have chosen a different outfit.

She continued to feel self-conscious as they entered the boutique. Fancy dresses of all styles and sizes surrounded her, mocking her with their elaborate details. Saguaro gasped when she noticed one of the price tags. She had not even known that such expensive dresses existed.

A woman rushed towards them. “Lanetta!” Glinda squealed. The two embraced.

“I’m simply thrillified to see you,” said Lanetta, once the two had broken apart. She had short auburn curls peeking out from under a feathered hat and wore a layered, turquoise gown. “How was your trip?”

“Exhaustifying, but productive,” said Glinda. “Still, I am very grateful to be home. Speaking of which, allow me to introduce you to someone. Lanetta, this is Saguaro, a distant cousin of mine on my father’s side. She’s staying with me for a few weeks.”

“Hello,” said Saguaro, holding out her hand.

Lanetta ignored her hand and instead hugged her tightly. “Oh, how positively fortuitous to be related to Glinda! Your friends at home must be so jealous. Tell me, Miss Saguaro, what Land of Oz do you hail from? I’m usually quite skilled at determining where someone resides, but I’m having more trouble with you. I can see you’re not very Gillikinese, despite your relationship to Miss Glinda, but I can’t tell whether you’re Winkie or Munchkin.”

“As a matter of fact, I’m both Winkie and Munchkin,” said Saguaro, ignoring the voice reminding her that she needed to be as inconspicuous about her parents as possible. “My father’s from Winkie Country, and my mother is from Munchkinland, although we live in Winkie Country now. My mother has some Gillikinese blood, though, so that’s how I’m related to Glinda.”

Lanetta raised her thin eyebrows. “How very interesting! I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone half Munchkin and half Winkie before. It’s such an usual pairing!”

Lanetta looked so serious that Saguaro could not resist playing with her. “Theirs is a very interesting story. Nobody wanted a Winkie and a Munchkin to get together, but true love won out in the end, of course. Why, I doubt there’s ever been such an epic romance in all of Oz!”

Lanetta bought her act and expressed her enthusiasm over the story. When she left to retrieve Glinda’s gown, Glinda shook her head.

“What?” said Saguaro.

“I was just thinking how very much like your father you are. He wouldn’t have been able to resist toying with Lanetta, either. Still, it is nice to see you smiling.”

Saguaro, who had not realized she’d been smiling, frowned instantly.

Lanetta returned with the dress and herded them into a back room for the fitting. When Glinda stepped into the changing room, Lanetta bombarded Saguaro with a stream of questions about the plans for her stay. Saguaro responded with short, clipped answers and tried to pretend that she was somewhere else.

Despite her current mood, Saguaro was amazed when Glinda returned wearing a dark blue dress with ribbons sewn into the hem. On the bodice of the dress were tiny yellow and white rhinestones. They glimmered against the blue fabric like stars in the evening sky.

“What do you think?” said Glinda, holding up the skirt of the dress. “I decided to wear different shoes from the ones I wore at the first fitting, so I’m worried that it’s a little long.”

“It’s exquisite!” said Lanetta. “I agree that we should take off another inch, and I might need to resew the ribbons on the hem, but that should be all. You’re a vision, Miss Glinda. Positively splendified. Doesn’t she look beautiful, Miss Saguaro?”

Glinda’s and Saguaro’s eyes met. While Saguaro knew that she was supposed to agree with Lanetta, she was still angry at Glinda for dragging her there in the first place.

She gave a noncommittal shrug. “I don’t know much about dresses, but you look all right.”

The corners of Glinda’s mouth twitched, but she pulled herself together as Lanetta began pinning up her hem.

Saguaro had hoped that they would leave as soon as the fitting was completed, but Lanetta had other plans. “Miss Glinda, Miss Saguaro mentioned that she doesn’t yet have a dress for the engagement ball. I hope this isn’t too forward, but I have one that would be simply darling on her.”

“That really won’t be necessary,” said Saguaro quickly. “Glinda and I still have many other errands.”

“Oh, I think we can spare a few tick tocks,” said Glinda. “Thank you, Lanetta. That would be lovely.”

As Lanetta left to find the dress, Saguaro frowned at Glinda. “I thought you said I couldn’t go to the engagement ball.”

“True, but we don’t want to be rude. Besides, even if you can’t use it for the engagement ball, perhaps you can use it for another occasion.”

“Here it is,” said Lanetta, returning. “I do hope you like it!”

She held up a violet dress, which was much simpler than the others in the shop. Silver beading was sewn into the bodice, and the pleated skirt flared slightly at the hem. Unlike Glinda’s gown, which reached the floor, this one looked as if it would fall just below Saguaro’s knees.

“Oh, Saguaro, it’s perfect!” said Glinda. “You simply must try it on. Lanetta, would you mind leaving the two of us? It’s my first time taking Saguaro shopping, and I’d like to share this moment with her alone.”

“Of course not,” said Lanetta. “I’ll hang up your dress for alterations.”

Left with no other choice, Saguaro headed to the dressing room. Even as she began to slip it on, she could tell that it would fit. Perhaps Lanetta knew what she was talking about, after all.

“Saguaro, would you like me to come in and button the back?” Glinda called from outside.

“I’m fine!” She struggled to fasten the buttons, but finally succeeded. “Okay. You can come in now.”

Glinda caught her breath when she came in. “Oh, Saguaro, you look beautiful. Lanetta was right. The dress is perfect for you.”

Saguaro glanced into the full-length mirror. Even she had to admit that the dress looked good on her. The dress made her appear delicate rather than scrawny, and its color brought out the brown of her eyes and hair. She almost felt pretty, something she had never felt before.

Saguaro gave an experimental spin. The dress responded by circling in the air. She was surprised by how good it felt to twirl.

“We’re buying that dress,” said Glinda. “I don’t care if you wear it for the ball and nobody sees it, but we are getting it. Dresses like that don’t come along everyday.”

“Are you sure?” said Saguaro, not quite ready to admit how much she liked the dress.

“Positive. This gift is long overdue.”

Glinda sat down on a nearby chair. Saguaro caught a glimpse of her reflection in Glinda’s eyes and almost did not recognize herself.

“I so wish I had known you before now,” said Glinda. “I feel cheated that I didn’t get to be part of your life from the very beginning.”

Saguaro was taken aback by this more serious topic. “It’s okay. It isn’t your fault my parents never told me about you.”

“I know, but I still feel responsible. There’s so much of your life that I’ve missed. I would have taken you shopping long before now.”

“Knowing my mother, I’m not sure she would have let you,” said Saguaro.

Glinda winked. “I can be very persuasive when I want to be.”

She cleared her throat. “There’s something else that’s been bothering me. I apologize if this is inappropriate to ask, but are you sure your mother never mentioned me? I’ve always told Gabryel about your parents, and it seems odd that neither of your parents said anything. There’s the way you pronounce your name, of course, so I know they can’t have forgotten about me completely…but there’s a part of me that feels as if they have.” She spoke this last statement softly, as though ashamed of feeling this way.

Just like that, Saguaro’s carefree mood disappeared altogether. She could not believe she had almost fallen for Glinda’s bait.

“Is that why you’re buying me that dress?” she said quietly. “So you could get on my good side and ask me that?”

Glinda looked as though she had been slapped. “Saguaro, of course not! Wherever did you get such a cruel idea?”

“Well, what else am I supposed to think?” Saguaro snapped. She had been struggling to control her emotions all morning, and Glinda’s self-pity was the final straw. “You drag me out of bed the day after I find out the worst news of my life-on a trip that hasn’t been any fun, I might add-and then you start asking me why my mother never mentioned you without even asking me how I’m feeling. I don’t know why my mother never mentioned you! I just know that she never did!

“She isn’t the same Elphaba you knew, Glinda,” she added, lowering her voice. Upset as she was, she wasn’t about to reveal her identity by speaking too loudly. “I’ll answer your question, but I’m not sure you’ll like it. When Psudina told me what happened yesterday, I couldn’t believe she was talking about my mother. Yes, she still cares about Animals and stood up for me whenever anyone made a comment about my Ordinariness, but when it comes to the big things…well, I can’t even ask about her past without her shutting down. So I know you want to believe that there’s a reason my mother never mentioned you, but maybe there isn’t. Don’t waste your time wondering like I have.”

“Saguaro, that isn’t true,” Glinda said. “I refuse to believe that. And you haven’t wasted your time wondering. She’s your mother. It’s natural that you’ve wanted to learn more about her.”

“No, it’s not natural,” said Saguaro. “And do you know why?”

Her entire body tensed at the prospect of finally admitting her secret aloud. Still, she forced herself to continue.

“I’ve been wasting my time on someone who doesn’t care. My mother never even wanted me.”

« Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Four »

“Vile, green, obscene, libertine. Wicked Witch of the West haunted me once, but not now…never again…”

“I don’t doubt they have. You see, the Wicked Witch of the West was also green.”

“Are you related to her? I bet you are. I bet she’s your mother, and she was so Wicked that you ran away. Then we found you, and you’re safe, but you’re still scared that your mother will find you at any minute.”

“Sweet Oz. How will I tell the Ozians that the Wicked Witch of the West isn’t dead, after all?”

Saguaro had been frightened the first time her heart raced back in the tunnel. Now she recognized that she hadn’t known anything about real fear.

It isn’t true, she thought. She repeated it again, fiercer this time. I must have heard Glinda wrong. It isn’t true!

She raced over to Glinda, who was sprawled on the floor, and began shaking her. After a few moments, Glinda opened her eyes. Saguaro offered her hand and helped her sit up.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

Glinda nodded, still looking a little dazed. Her voice came out softer than before. “Yes, I don’t know what happened. I used to be prone to fainting when I was younger, but I haven’t fainted in a long time.” She forced a laugh. “I suppose you gave me a bit of a shock.”

She said something else, but Saguaro was no longer paying attention. Nothing in the world mattered besides Glinda answering her question.

“Tell me it’s not true,” she said, cutting her off. Her voice came out low and pleading. “Tell me that isn’t what you meant.”

Glinda’s forehead wrinkled. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about, dear.”

“Yes, you do. You said something before you fainted about telling the Ozians that the Wicked Witch of the West is alive. I just don’t understand what the Witch of the West has to do with my parents.” She swallowed hard. “Did you really mean what I thought you meant?”

Glinda’s whole expression began to change. She stared at Saguaro, as if seeing her clearly for the first time.

“Oh my Oz,” she said quietly. “They didn’t tell you, did they?”

“Tell me what?” said Saguaro, her anxiety escalating.

“I thought it was strange that you had willingly put yourself in danger by coming here,” said Glinda, shaking her head. “I just didn’t expect anything like this.”

“Anything like what?”

Glinda put an arm around her shoulder. “Give me just a tick tock. It’s been a very exhaustifying day for me, and I need some time to process this. Would you mind bringing me a glass of water? There’s a pitcher on my nightstand.”

Saguaro forced herself to stand up and walked over to Glinda’s nightstand. Her stomach was beginning to hurt from the anticipation and anxiety.

As Saguaro poured the water, Glinda examined her. “You look so much like her, you know-your mother, that is. Even if you weren’t green, I would think so. You have the same shaped face as she did-well, does.”

Saguaro’s stomach ached. Though she never liked being compared to her mother, under the current circumstances, it was the last thing she wanted to hear.

Saguaro finished pouring the water and brought it to Glinda. “Are you going to answer my question now?”

Glinda accepted the glass and smiled at Saguaro. “If you don’t mind, I think we should talk elsewhere. I have quite a few questions myself. Do you like tea? Perhaps I can make us some. It would be the perfect drink for a conversation like this.”

“I don’t want to wait for tea,” said Saguaro. She had never felt such desperation. “I want to know now. You don’t have to tell me everything. Just answer my question. Please.”

Glinda ignored her. “Do you prefer herbal or caffeinated? I generally prefer mine caffeinated, since I have trouble starting the day without it, but under the circumstances, I think herbal might be better. We have chamomile, mint, and ozerberry. Of course, Auntie Psue may have brought some special tea from Quadling Country, which is certainly worth a try. I can never remember the name of it, but it is especially soothing. If you do favor caffeinated tea, then we have-”

“I already told you. I don’t want to wait for the tea!”

The force of her words hit Glinda like a blow to her chest. She stared at Saguaro, her mouth open. Saguaro took advantage of this lapse in conversation and continued speaking.

“Psudina told me that if my parents could pick one person besides themselves to tell me this story, it would be you. So you have to tell me. You just have to! I don’t care whether you break the news gently or whether you shout it out. I’ve come all this way, and I can’t stand a minute more of not knowing. You must tell me! Please!

“I know you’re scared about what my reaction is going to be, but I can promise that whatever I’ve built up in my head is far worse than what you’re going to tell me. I’ve imagined things, so many things, like my mom being sick or my dad not being my real father, neither of which is remotely true.” She realized for the first time that she was close to tears. “If you asked me what I thought the secret was now…and this is crazy…but if you were to ask me what I thought the secret was now…well, I’d say that my mother is the Wicked Witch of the West. But that’s-that’s crazy, isn’t it? I mean, there must be a reasonable explanation for why you thought the Wicked Witch is alive after you found out about my parents! There has to be!”

Tears were streaming down Glinda’s face. She moved her lips, as if to speak, but no sound came out. After trying to talk again, she shook her head and pantomimed that she could not speak.

A horrible thought occurred to Saguaro. Strange magickal things had happened the last times she’d become angry or hysterical, so was it possible that she was responsible for Glinda’s muteness? She had wanted Glinda to stop talking about the tea, after all.

Jolting Saguaro back to the more pressing matter, Glinda put down her cup and opened her arms for a hug. When Saguaro stared at her, she moved her lips again. This time, Saguaro could easily read what she was mouthing: I’m sorry.

Time slowed at that moment. Glinda did not have to say anything else, but Saguaro knew.

It was now no surprise that her powers had erupted in the past, Saguaro realized as she tore out of the room. After all, her mother was the Wicked Witch of the West.

****

Psudina had given Saguaro a guest bedroom on the floor above Glinda’s. Once there, Saguaro flopped onto her bed and clung to her pillow, as if the pillow would stop her from floating away.

When she felt more grounded, Saguaro buried herself under her blankets. The silky duvet cover was a stark contrast to her patchwork quilt at home.

Glinda and Psudina each knocked at her door, but Saguaro ignored them. She needed to be alone.

Normally, when Saguaro was upset, she was able to reason out the situation at hand. Even when she’d learned about her father being Fyre, she had been able to put aside her own feelings and approach Psudina. Now, Saguaro could not even think. She was only conscious of the word Wicked repeating itself over and over in her head.

She curled up in a ball and tried not to let the word overwhelm her.

****

Saguaro was walking along a street in the Emerald City when a mob of Ozians marched past her. They were all waving pitchforks and were dressed in heavy, dark clothes. The green lights of the Emerald City illuminated their sinister grins.

“Kill the Witch!” yelled a woman, standing next to her. When Saguaro turned towards her, she was gone.

Nearby pedestrians began rushing to join the rabble. Saguaro recognized the little girl who had bought the green lemonade from the day before. She blinked, and the mob tripled in size. Now, only one man stood with her.

“Good fortune, Witch hunters!” the man cried. He then joined the crowd, leaving Saguaro alone.

The mob started racing through the city. Saguaro tried to run after them, but it was as though she were running through sand or mud. She opened her mouth, but found that she could not speak.

I have to stop them, she thought to herself, as she struggled to catch up. I can’t let them get to her!

Suddenly, the mob stopped. One beady-eyed man waved his pitchfork and addressed the others. “I bet it’s Glinda!” he said. “She’s the one who’s hiding her!”

Then they were all standing outside Glinda’s palace, and the beady-eyed man was ramming against her door…

“Um, Saguaro? May I come in?”

The next thing she knew, she was back in her room again, tangled in her duvet cover. Her entire body was clammy with sweat.

It was just a nightmare, she told herself, taking a deep breath. It wasn’t real.

Nonetheless, she could still hear the Witch hunter’s voices ringing behind her eyes.

The door opened. Gabryel stood in the doorway with a plate of cookies in his hands. His expression changed when he saw her.

“What happened?” Gabryel asked.

Saguaro smoothed back her hair and hoped she did not look as bad as she felt. “Everything’s fine. I just had a bad dream.”

“Was it about your mother?”

When Saguaro frowned at him, Gabryel came into the room. The sugary scent of the cookies wafted towards her. “Mom and Aunt Psudina told me what happened. We’re all really worried about you. That’s why I made you these cookies.”

“You made cookies for me?” Saguaro said in surprise.

Gabryel nodded. “Aunt Psudina taught me how to bake a long time ago, and I hoped it might make you feel better. Would you like one?

Before she could respond, he sat down on the floor and motioned for her to join him. Once she was seated, he handed her a cookie. It appeared to be a cookie that was dusted with sugar and cinnamon.

Upon taking her first bite, Saguaro discovered that she had been right. “This is so good,” she said, swallowing. “Thank you.”

“Aunt Psudina is the one who made them up,” said Gabryel. “It’s my favorite recipe.”

“Well, it’s delicious.”

The cookie reminded her that she had not eaten dinner. She gobbled her cookie in just a few bites, but Gabryel was slower with his. Rather than taking a bite from the whole cookie, he broke off a small piece.

She had just bit into her second cookie when Gabryel said, “You know, for what it’s worth, I’ve always admired your mother.”

She choked on her cookie. Gabryel blushed.

“I’m sorry,” he said, as she struggled to swallow. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No, it’s all right,” said Saguaro when she could breathe again, ignoring the sinking in her stomach. Hearing Gabryel’s reference to her mother jolted her into remembering what she’d been trying so hard to forget. “I just didn’t realize you knew anything about her. Do Psudina and your mother talk about her?”

“Mostly my mother,” said Gabryel. “She used to tell me all sorts of stories about her. She wanted to make sure I knew that she wasn’t really Wicked.” He glanced at her face and froze. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that, not when you just found out.”

“No, it’s okay,” said Saguaro, pushing her feelings aside. “I didn’t realize your mother ever talked about mine.”

Gabryel nodded. “She doesn’t talk about her as much now, but she used to all the time when I was younger. She’d tell me stories every night before I went to bed. She said that I reminded her of your mother because of how much I love to read. I’ve always looked up to your mother. I even pretended for a while that she and Fiyero were my biological parents and that Elphaba gave me up for adoption after Fiyero died.” His ears turned pink. “I knew it was impossible, since they were supposed to have died years before I was born, but I still pretended. I can’t believe they’ve been alive all this time.”

Against her will, Saguaro thought of Fyre. She, better than anyone, understood the allure of bedtime stories. It just hurt that Gabryel knew more about her parents than she did.

“Well, if it makes you feel better, you’re not the only one having trouble digesting this,” she said bitterly. “I can’t understand why everyone thinks my parents are dead.”

Gabryel broke off another piece of cookie. “Aunt Psudina told me yesterday that you ran away from home to find out about your parents. Is that true?”

Avoiding Gabryel’s gaze, she nodded. “I bet you’re glad they’re not really your biological parents now, aren’t you?”

Gabryel shrugged. “I can see why it might be hard to be their child, but I still think your parents are great. I don’t think I would be very good at being their child, though. I could never do something brave like running away. They were brave, so it makes sense that you are too.”

“You wouldn’t think my parents were brave if you knew them,” said Saguaro, ignoring the tiny, internal voice that was questioning her own motivations for running away. “If they were truly brave, they’d have faced their pasts, and I never would have had to run away in the first place.”

“Well, maybe you’re more like they used to be, then.”

She chewed on her bottom lip, considering this. Gabryel swallowed his last bite of cookie and then grew somber.

“I’m really sorry for the way I reacted when I saw you talking to Doctor Dillamond,” he said quietly. “I know I already apologized, but I didn’t really explain. You see, Doctor Dillamond was really close to your mother, and I didn’t want him to get his hopes up by seeing another green girl. That’s why I made you hide before my mom saw you. But I shouldn’t have. You are their daughter.” He looked down at his lap. “Maybe if my mom had seen you then, she wouldn’t have blurted out the truth like she did, and we wouldn’t be here now.”

Observing the guilt-stricken boy before her, Saguaro was overcome with a surge of tenderness, not unlike what she’d felt for Nor. Though Gabryel was only three years younger than she was, she suddenly felt much older. She sensed herself beginning to soften.

“You shouldn’t beat yourself up about that,” she said. “There’s no way you could have known that I was their daughter. And even if you did overreact to me talking to Doctor Dillamond, you’ve more than made up for it with your thoughtfulness and concern.” She attempted a joke. “You may not think you’d fit as the son of my parents, but you’re certainly good at being the son of Glinda the Good.”

An unreadable emotion crossed Gabryel’s face. “Maybe so.”

It occurred to her for the first time that both she and Gabryel were connected by the identities of their mothers. Not only had their mothers been best friends, but Saguaro and Gabryel were the only children of the four Witches of Oz. She was not sure what to make of this realization.

Before Saguaro could consider this much further, the door opened behind them. Gabryel and Saguaro turned around to see Psudina holding a silver platter of spinach and artichoke tart.

“Did you enjoy the cookies?” she asked, putting down the platter.

Saguaro stiffened. She had been able to distract herself from thinking about the implications of her mother’s identity with Gabryel, but she could not do so with Psudina.

Before she knew it, Psudina’s arms were around her in a strong embrace. “I’m so sorry, dear,” she kept saying. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Saguaro was too tired to hug her back.

“Where’s Mom?” said Gabryel after Psudina let Saguaro go.

“She’s over at Boq’s,” Psudina said. “She’s still trying to get her head around all of this. Boq has always been good at calming her down.”

“Is she going to tell Saguaro everything after she comes back?” asked Gabryel.

“Actually, she hoped that I would tell the story for her. I hope you don’t mind, Saguaro, but neither of us wants you to wait any longer than you have to.”

Saguaro considered this. Lately, she had been feeling like a marionette that had no choice but to conform to other people’s wishes. What she thought no longer felt important. Though she would rather have had Glinda tell the story, she was too exhausted to fight it.

She glanced across from her, where a mirror was hung above her dresser. Her reflection gazed back at her, looking even more haggard than she felt. This was perhaps the last time she would see herself before she discovered the full extent of the truth. In just a few moments, Psudina would begin the story, and everything would change.

She would no longer be Saguaro Throgelaar, the daughter of the green-skinned sorceress and the half Scarecrow of Cascadia. Instead, she would be the daughter of Elphaba Thropp and Fiyero Tigelaar, two people she barely knew existed.

“Are you ready to hear the story?” Psudina said quietly.

Saguaro tore her gaze away from the mirror as she said, “Go ahead.”

« Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Three »

THE EMERALD CITY – Thrillifying news for our favorite Good Witch! Yesterday afternoon, Glinda Upland held a surprise public speech, where she announced her engagement.

“I’m so very happified about this, and I hope you’ll be happy, too,” she told the audience, before launching into her news.

Unsurprisingly, Ozians could not hold back their cheers.

“I’m thrilled for her,” said Pfannee, a friend and former classmate of Miss Glinda’s from Shiz University. “She’s had a lot of bad luck in relationships, so it’s wonderful to see her happy. Glinda and I have been friends for a very long time, and I’m hoping that she asks me to be Maid of Honor.”

The man in question is Wroc Blemirro, a guard of the Gale Force, who became Captain of the Guard a few years ago. Though the two have only been dating since last fall, Glinda commented that, “Love doesn’t have a timeline.

“Gabry is still adjustifying to it, though,” she said, referring to her son, Gabryel, who is finishing up his first year at St. Ozma’s Academy in the Upper Uplands. “He only met Wroc for the first time during his spring holiday, since I didn’t want to introduce them until I knew that things were serious. Still, I have no doubt that Gabry will come around after he spends more time with Wroc. They’re alike in many ways, and I know that Gabry will love having a father.”

Boq Chopper, Miss Glinda’s tin assistant who famously accompanied Dorothy Gale, also commented that he was happy for her, though he did express concern that things were moving a little quickly.

In spite of her beauty and charm, Miss Glinda has had only a few serious relationships in the past. Shortly before adopting Gabryel, she dated Sir Chuffrey, a prominent businessman, and was famously engaged to the late Prince Fiyero Tigelaar, before Fiyero became involved with the Wicked Witch of the West. Although Glinda has publically stated that Fiyero was under a spell at the time and did not truly love the Witch, Fiyero’s parents, who disowned him, did not appear to share her opinion.

“This time is different, though,” she said with one of her characteristic winning smiles. “I’m finally getting my happy ending.”

We couldn’t be happier for her.

A wedding date has yet to be announced.

-The Emerald Times, 5/14/16