It seemed so surreal to Rose Beryl to be back in Bridgeport once more. The troupe took over a secluded cabin up in the hills for their short stay in the area. The bustling city was just visible in the distance.
Crystal was beside herself with excitement. She'd grown up in the small towns that dotted their performing circuit, and had never seen the city.
"You really used to live here, mom? Can we see your old house? And the theater! and the clubs! And..."
Rose was not that excited - in fact, quite the opposite. Her heart skipped a beat as the taxi carried them across the old familiar bridge in the city. Would Pascal still be looking for her? It would be just like him to have people on the lookout for her here, where she still owned the old house. Moonstone Manor, people called it. Like something out of a movie.
Stephan and Crystal both had nearly the same reaction when the taxi pulled up in front of the old brownstone.
"This is Moonstone Manor?? It's a mansion!"
Rose wasn't quite sure what the big deal was; it was just home, to her. Her fingers trembled a little as she fitted her old key into the lock on the front door. It had been so long since she'd been home.
Inside it was just as Rose remembered. Her mother's Egyptian relics still graced the main downstairs room, along with the old dance floor where she'd first learned to smustle dance. Stephan and Crystal stared in amazement.
"This looks like something out of a museum. Where did you get all this?" Stephan marveled.
Rose shrugged her shoulders.
"Mostly from my mom. Remember I told you she liked to collect old relics."
"I thought you meant a few pieces of pottery or something. Not this... this..huge collection of one-of-kind museum pieces."
"Heh. You should see the basement. And the upstairs. This is only a small part of her stuff. And then there's all kinds of old art works stashed everywhere - it seems my ancestors never sold anything they created, I'm not sure why.
"What am I gonna do with this house, Stephan? I'm never going to live here again, but I don't want to just sell it - it's the old family home, it has so many memories, and... all this ... stuff."
They walked around the old place for a while, just taking in the many art pieces and relics. Finally Stephan approached Rose with an idea.
"What would you think about turning this place into a museum - sharing all this stuff with the people of Bridgeport? You could hire a curator to catalog everything, and display it properly. It wouldn't be like selling it. You'd still own it, but the house wouldn't stand empty anymore."
Rose was mulling over the idea in her mind, when they heard a knock at the front door. Rose's heart leapt to her throat, but it was only her Uncle Agate and her Aunt Jojo. They had aged some from the last time she'd seen them, but they were still the same happy-go-lucky pair.
"We heard you were in town, Rose, so we had to stop by and say hello.
Oh, and by the way, there's been some guys around town asking about you. They came to see Jo and me, and your sister, too. We didn't tell 'em anything, though. Like we could have even if we wanted to - you just disappeared into thin air and now you appear again - like magic. Hehe.
"Anyway, you keep in touch, you hear. Or don't, if you don't want to. Up to you!"
Rose, Stephan, and the two girls headed straight over to Coral's house after hearing the news from Agate. Over dinner, Coral confirmed that Pascal would send people around every once in a while, asking after her and Crystal, but she hadn't seen any recently.
Rose was relieved to hear that, but still was anxious to leave Bridgeport as soon as possible. She would have to speak with Esmerelda first, of course, so she was determined to set aside her fears for one evening, and get reacquainted with her twin.
It was good to see Coral again. She had married her old high school flame, Cosmo, and they now had a little blond haired boy.
After dinner, Coral cornered Stephan and cajoled him into showing them a few of his illusions.
Cosmo and little William watched with rapt attention as Stephan conjured toys, flowers and birds out of thin air.
Coral begged Rose to do a reading for her. Rose's clairvoyance was still an iffy matter, but this time, she was amazed at the clarity of her vision.
"I see our paths crossing again, but not for many years, and not in this place. I see a long distance move in your future."
There was more, and Rose embellished the reading to make it more interesting, as Esmeralda had taught her, but that was the essence. Coral could see immediately that is was a true telling, and was content that even though Rose and she would both move on, they'd surely meet again.
Early next morning, Rose walked the short distance from the cabin to the wagon, to talk to Esmerelda about her situation, and how she had to leave Bridgeport immediately. Esmerelda responded by asking Rose to let her do a reading, something she had never done before. Rose readily agreed, and Esmerelda pulled out her worn Tarot deck.
"Yes, hmm mm, hmmm, yes," she pored over the cards for what seemed an eternity.
Finally she lifted her head, and her eyes met Rose's with a steady gaze. Rose could tell instantly that Esmeralda had received a true vision this time.
"I see your paths crossing, you and this Pascal, but not here, not now. You will be safe in the city until our business is complete. Your meeting will take place in the future, and it will be at a time and place of your own choosing, not his."
Rose was exceedingly relieved to hear this news. She had a hard time believing that someday, she would voluntarily go to meet her ex-husband, but if Esmerelda saw it, it must be true.
The rest of their stay in Bridgeport passed by quickly. Coral took Crystal and William to visit the theater, and it was all Crystal could talk about for days.
Most days were spent sight seeing around the city. One of their favorite places was the children's park. Stephan and Crystal spent their time playing hopscotch or horseshoes...
...while Diamond watched and sang to her dolly.
Other times Stephan would set up his act and perform for tips, while Rose worked the crowd selling private readings. Then Crystal would take Diamond to the spring riders to keep her happy and occupied, while their parents earned a living.
And so the day came for them to leave for Starlight Shores. Rose and Crystal paid one last visit to old Moonstone Manor before they left.
"Have you thought any more about the museum, Mom? I think it's a great idea."
Rose hemmed and hawed once more, as she had every time Crystal or Stephan had brought it up.
"I just don't know, Hon. This was my old room. I slept here. I just don't know if I want people tromping though here."
"And I sat right here at this table every day and did my homework."
Rose rubbed her fingers lightly along the smooth polished edge of the old dining table.
"I understand, Mom."
But Crystal didn't really understand. She would have turned the place into a museum in a heartbeat. But she had never lived there, and it wasn't her decision to make - not yet.
And so they took their leave of the old place and stopped by to hug Coral and William, and then were on their way to the next town.
Their rented place in Starlight Shores was everything they'd hoped it would be from the ad, with a magnificent view of the ocean, and plenty of room in back for the horses.
The previous tenants had left an old guitar behind in the corner of the third floor bedroom, and Crystal took to it like a duck to water.
She auditioned for entry into the prestigious performing arts academy in downtown Starlight Shores, and was admitted on her performance alone - fortunately her vocal talent caused the admissions office to overlook her spotty grades.
Brandy soon grew into a fine colt, and Stephan tried on several occasions to teach Crystal to ride him.
But Crystal's slightly neurotic side came into the forefront when she managed to mount the colt.
"This doesn't seem safe at all. What if I fall? What if he has germs in his hair? What if he starts to poop when I'm riding him? Can I get off now?"
Rose and Stephan were a little disappointed that Crystal didn't share their love of horses, but they were never ones to push their children into activities they weren't interested in, so the horseback riding lessons were dropped, much to Crystal's relief.
Crystal would much rather be at the Spring Festival, playing her guitar while her mom scanned the crowd for potential clients....
And her step-dad performed his illusions. Sometimes they even let her skip school to play at the park. She always looked forward to those days.
When their work was done, Rose and Stephan would take a few turns around the roller rink....
....and slowly dance the night away under the stars. Life just couldn't get much better for the the Moonstones.
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