The Big Reveal

You can't quite believe you are going along with this. But somehow, between them, Maisie and Jessie have convinced you to support your daughter in telling her friend Craig about her curse. Yesterday was her eighteenth birthday, and she is already anxious that someone else could find out about it, so won't delay any further. The three of you are therefore sitting at the kitchen table together, going through the fake backstory the other two came up with to avoid implicating anyone else, to ensure there aren't any contradictions when Craig is told. He should be here before too long.

"Okay, so when I told your Dad about my curse, I probably didn't get it exactly right" Maisie admits before turning to you "How about you give Jess some tips on how to do a better job of it than I did, You were in almost the exact position Craig is about to be put in, after all"

"I'm going to start by saying your Mom is the most amazing person I have ever met and she was in an impossible position, without anyone coaching her, when she told me her secret, so none of this is intended as criticism" you artfully caveat, placing your hand on top of your wife's before you go through everything she did wrong on that fateful day.

"Oh God, this isn't going to be good" Maisie giggles nervously.

"You need to make sure Craig feels he is being included in this decision, not just having it dumped on him as a fait accompli. You need to let him know you have chosen to tell him because you love him, trust him and value his integrity. not because you think he is a doormat who will go along with whatever you say. And above all, give him your full attention. This is going to be a huge bombshell for him, so no playing with your phone or ignoring the questions he is going to have"

"Ouch! I guess I did a terrible job of telling you!" Maisie winces.

"Mais, I love you so much, and I'm forever grateful you trusted me. I'm just trying to be as honest as I can with Jess" you attempt to console your wife, realising how harsh that sounded.

"That's good advice Dad, thanks" Jessie nods at you.

And then the doorbell goes.

Craig shuffles into the room. Of course, he has no idea of what is about to go down, but he can sense from the mood in the room it is something serious.

"Hey Mr and Mrs Petersen"

You agreed to take on Maisie's surname when you married. Although she wasn't the eldest daughter and it wasn't strictly family tradition for her to keep it, it was something Maisie wanted, and you have always been a sucker for doing anything that makes her happy. Besides, you kind of like being part of this crazy, unique family that has always meant so much to you.

"Craig, take a seat. Jessie has something she needs to say to you" you begin.

"Right, so I know this is going to sound fucking crazy but please hear me out" Jessie starts, before appearing to lose her nerve a bit "Actually, Mom, do you want to explain?"

"Sure" Maisie smiles, always so unflappable in just about every situation "So, you can probably blame me for all of this, Before we got married, my husband here was engaged to someone who turned out to be a witch. And she wasn't very happy when he left her for me. So she apparently put a curse on my first born"

Maisie gestures towards Jessie. It's all a total lie, obviously. But no more unbelievable than the truth, and it avoids implicating anyone else.

"Okaaay....And you actually believe that could even happen?" Craig asks in confusion.

"It's probably bullshit" Jessie pretends to agree "But in case it's real, and I am cursed, then I'll be controlled by the first adult male who finds out after I turn eighteen. So I'm telling you, because I love you and I trust you completely"

"Wait, controlled? What does that even mean?" Craig asks.

"If you say my name then give me a command, you can make pretty much anything happen to me" Jessie explains "Try it now. Say my name and tell me to change the colour of my hair"

Craig looks at Jessie, then you, and then Maisie as if this must all be some kind of joke he isn't quite getting. But when none of you blink, or crack a smile, he shrugs and goes along with it.

"Jessie, have red hair"

And there it is. Your precious daughters dark brown and partially dyed blue hair turns velvet red right in front of your eyes. Of course, you always knew the curse was in Jessie, just like it is in every other woman in her family. But watching it actually affect your daughter sends a chill down your spine.

"Holy shit!" Craig exclaims.

"Damn that witch!" Maisie calls out, not particularly convincingly,

"So I guess I'm at your mercy now" Jessie tells her friend with a nervous grin.

"Jessie, your hair goes back to normal" Craig instructs immediately, and it does "I want you all to know, to feel completely assured, that I will never take advantage of this curse in any way. Jess, you're my best friend and I love you. Trusting me with this only strengthens that bond. I am so glad you told me, because now you are safe"

He stands up, ready to excuse himself from the table.

"i need to head home now. But thank you all for putting your faith in me. I can assure you, I won't let you down. As far as I'm concerned, this curse dies here"

As Craig leaves, Jessie stands up and fixes you with a slightly smug expression.

"See? He's a great guy. And now that's been dealt with, I can forget about this stupid curse for good and get on with my life"

You have to admit, that did seem to go quite flawlessly. But you are a worrier by nature. and you are not quite so certain as your daughter that you have seen the end of this just yet.

---

"Hey Jess, how was college?" Maisie calls out as your daughter strolls into the house and throws her bag down on the kitchen table a few days later.

"Oh, pretty good actually" Jessie responds cheerily "I've mostly been hanging out with Craig"

"And how are you two getting on?" you ask tentatively "You know, after everything that went down the other evening"

"Fine, better than ever actually" Jessie nods with a smile "In fact, I have something to tell you both. But you have to promise to be cool about it"

You make no such promise.

"Craig and I are kind of together now. I've basically fallen in love with my best friend, which is awesome, so I hope you can both be happy for me. I just wanted to give you guys a heads up, in case you catch us making out, so you don't find it weird or anything"

That motherfucker! You are sure this new and unexpected development is the work of the curse, You just need to find a way to prove it.