Free Love Potion #9 by Claire Delacroix

but she shook her head. “That won’t work, Jason. You see, plants are different from fences. They’re more like people.”
    â€œOh.” Jason didn’t know what to do.
    He didn’t think his dad did either.
    The lady turned the flower in her hand. Suddenly, something fluttered through the air. Jason couldn’t see what it was, at least not until it paused in the air right in front of Lilith.
    Then, she smiled, really smiled, as she hadn’t yet.
    â€œHello, Ralph,” she said softly.
    It was a little bird, Jason realized, but its wings moved so fast that he could hardly see them. He thought he could hear a hum coming from its wings. It was grey or dark green with a white tummy and a little red mark at its throat. The bird seemed to hang in the air, its long beak just a bit away from the flower Lilith held.
    She looked at Jason and winked. “He wouldn’t tell me his name, so I gave him one.”
    That made perfect sense to Jason. The bird moved forward and put his beak into the end of the red flower. Jason saw that it was actually a bunch of little red flowers all growing together. They were long and skinny, but the bird’s beak fit right into one.
    Ralph moved to the next flower and the next, and Lilith held the flower very still.
    â€œHe comes every day,” Lilith whispered.
    Jason was awed. “For the flowers?”
    â€œFor the nectar that’s in them. It’s like juice. That’s what Ralph eats and he knows he can find them here.”
    Jason thought about that and wished he could see the little bird better. He didn’t want to move and scare it, though.
    As though she knew what he was thinking, Lilith beckoned with her free hand. “Bring the honeysuckle,” she whispered and pointed to an orange and yellow flower on the ground beside him. It had the same kind of pointy shape as the ones she held. “And move very slowly.”
    Jason looked up and his dad nodded. He picked up the flower and moved closer to Lilith, watching Ralph carefully. The sun sparkled on the bird’s red throat like it did on some cars.
    Ralph suddenly darted back and seemed to face him for a long moment. Jason understood that the bird was checking him out. He offered the flower very slowly, just like Lilith said.
    He held his breath.
    In the blink of an eye, Ralph zoomed closer. He was right there! Jason could have touched him, but he was afraid to even move. Ralph stuck his beak into the flower, then pulled back.
    â€œBreakfast!” Nana called, slamming the kitchen door behind herself. “Who’s up for chocolate cake?”
    Ralph zipped skyward.
    Jason spun to face his grandmother and yelled as he almost never did. “Nana! You scared Ralph!”
    Nana looked confused. “What?”
    â€œJason was feeding a hummingbird,” Dad told Nana and she bit her lip.
    â€œOh, honey, I’m sorry...” and then Nana gasped. She jumped back and Jason almost laughed.
    Because Ralph was hovering beside Nana’s shoulder, giving her the same look he had given Jason.
    â€œIt’s the flowers on her shirt,” Lilith whispered with a smile. “He’s not sure if they’re real.”
    And it seemed he wasn’t. Nana was wearing one of her bright shirts from Hawaii, this one covered with big pink flowers. Ralph took only a moment to decide they weren’t worth the trouble, then zinged over the house and disappeared.
    â€œThat was neat!” Jason declared.
    Lilith smiled. “Yes, I like Ralph.”
    â€œDoes he really come all the time?”
    Lilith nodded. “Every day.”
    â€œCan I come see him again?”
    â€œJason!” Dad objected, but Lilith just nodded.
    â€œOf course you can!” She leaned closer. “But you know what you might like even better?” Jason shook his head. “What if Ralph came to your yard too?”
    Jason looked at their yard and didn’t see anything like the