show and be comfortable.” he suggested.

“Okay, then we’ll have to move the radio aside to make room.” Kit said.

“Right you are, cuz,” Jeffery said as he and Kit picked up either sides of the television-size radio, picking it up and carrying it to the corner of the living room. “There,” he said as he and Kit set it down carefully. “That’ll do, now let’s get things set up.”

Jeffery pulled six boards out of his bag and started putting them together.

“Is that a portable Saw-in-Half box?” Kit asked in amazement, pausing in putting on his magician jacket.

“Yeah, my Mom and I sometimes do a magic show at kids’ birthday parties, to earn a little extra money.” Jeffery explained, still focused on putting the box together. “We got tired of having to carry our Saw-in-Half box from house to house, so Mom and I made a portable one.”

“Clever,” Kit commented, smiling and he bent down to help Jeffery with putting the box together.

“Thanks, cuz, but I got it.” Jeffery said with a wave of his hand that meant he didn’t need help. “You just practice some while I set this all up.”

“But Jeff—” Kit protested, he didn’t want Jeffery to do all the work.

“I insist, cuz.” Jeffery cut in, sounding very firm.

 “No, we’re in this together, Jeff.” Kit said, sounding determined.

“That we are, cuz,” Jeffery agreed. “But you’re the magician of the show, you need to practice a little before the show, it’s what my Mom and I do before every show—well, that’s different, we had hired hands setting everything up for us.” 

“Are you sure you don’t want any help?” Kit asked, clearly torn between wanting to practice as Jeffery insisted and wanting to go against Jeffery’s wishes and help anyway.

Jeffery grinned and shook his head, looking amused.

“You always want to help people out, cuz, I like that about you.” Jeffery said with the pride of having Kit as a cousin and surrogate brother. “I noticed that when you were helping Oscar get into a club and make friends. But okay, you can help with this.”

“I couldn’t help it, he was lonely at school, and hardly anyone ever talked to him.” Kit said, getting down on his knees beside Jeffery and started helping him connect two boards together. “I’ve lived on the streets; I knew what it felt like to be an outcast and lonely,” he added, his head slightly bowed, his eyes in shadows.

Jeffery froze and stared at Kit for a moment, before he cast his boards aside and threw his arms around Kit, hugging him tightly. He was a little surprised but pleased when he felt Kit hugging him back.

“Kit, what’s wrong?” Jeffery asked in concern as they broke apart and he’d got a good look at Kit’s face. Kit’s expression was sad and a single tear was running down his cheek.

“I’ve gained everything I’ve ever dreamed of since my days on the streets.” Kit said, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. “A home, a family and siblings. But I had to go through hard times to get there.”

Jeffery threw his arms around Kit again, so many things were left unsaid in the embrace and then they broke apart and started setting things up.

“Okay, I think that’s everything.” Jeffery said, looking around the living room, which now looks like a very small magic show stage. “Do you want to practice a little bit before Jason and Chris comes down? I told him to keep Jason busy for at least an hour.”

“Yeah, sure,” Kit said, giving his wand a wave, which turned into a bouquet of flowers.

“Oh, good one!” Jeffery cheered, and then he added very slyly, elbowing Kit lightly in the ribs. “The ladies just love that trick... Do you have your eyes on one of those girls? Is it that lead cheerleader, Cindy? She’s so pretty, cuz.”

 “Yeah, she’s pretty…when she’s not being rude and snobby.” Kit muttered. “I just thought this was a classic magician trick, I wasn’t thinking about girls.”

“Sure you weren’t, cuz…” Jeffery said, even more slyly.

“Jeffery!” Kit groaned. “If you want me to practice, then stop teasing me!” 

“Okay, cuz.” Jeffery said sheepishly. “Sorry, couldn’t resist.”

Kit grabbed Jeffery, put him under a headlock and started giving him a nuggie. Jeffery squirmed and laughed as Kit continued his assault. Then he forced Jeffery to lie on his back on the floor and he started tickling Jeffery’s belly and ribs.

Jeffery burst out in uncontrollable laugher, his limbs flailing everywhere. 

“Ha, ha, ha, ha—no fair!” Jeffery gasped between fits of laugher as Kit kept on tickling him. “Ha, ha, ha, ha—you know I’m super ticklish! Ha, ha, ha, ha—stop, Kit, c’mon! I’ll do anything!”

Kit paused. “Anything?” he asked slyly.

“Yes!” Jeffery panted, gasping for breaths. “Anything, as long as you don’t tickle me again!”

Kit grinned, this was just too easy.

“Okay, I want to saw you in half at the show tonight.”

Jeffery’s jaw dropped like a stone.     

 “Uh, did I say ‘anything’? I meant—AHH!” Jeffery yelled as Kit started tickling him again. “Ha, ha, ha, ha—Okay, okay! Heh-heh-heh—I’ll do it! Just stop—ha, ha!—tickling me!” 

“Without resisting me?” Kit asked as he paused in his tickle torture once more.

“Well…” Jeffery said slowly, with the word ‘no’ clearly written on his facial expression. He regretted saying that at once as Kit resumed his tickle torture on him. “I mean, yes! I’ll do it and I won’t resist you, cuz! Ha, ha, ha, ha—now stop tickling me!”  

Kit smirked as he stood up and helped Jeffery to his feet again. Thoughts of “Revenge! Revenge!” crossed Jeffery’s mind as he stood there in front of Kit, but decided against it, Kit was just too strong for Jeffery to hold down and tickle for long, he’d have to set something up with Chris later…. 

They were just putting the finishing touch to their temporarily stage for their practical magic show, when Jason came bounding into the living room, looking very excited, closely followed by Chris, who was panting from running after Jason.

“Oh boy, oh, boy, oh boy!” Jason shouted excitedly. “Are you gonna pull Chris out of your hat?”  he asked Kit, pointing at the top hat on his head.

Kit smiled at Jason. “Maybe, Jason,” he said, placing a hand on the pup’s shoulder while Jeffery steered Chris into an armchair. “But first…” he presented Jason with a fan of cards. “Pick a card, any card.”

Jason pulled a card from the deck and looked at it.

“Okay, now put it back.” Kit said, and Jason put the card back into the deck. Kit shuffled the deck and then drew a card from the middle—a king of diamond. “Is this your card?”

 Jason giggled. “No…”    

Kit’s face fell. “Oh,” he said nervously. He tried again and pulled the next card—an ace of heart. “Is this your card?”

“No…” Jason repeated, still giggling.

Jeffery, who was watching from the sideline, wondered if the pup was pulling Kit’s leg somehow.

“Uh, Jason?” he said, stepping forward to Jason’s side. “Tell me what your card was, just to be sure.”

Jason smiled. “Okay!” and he whispered the identity of his card in Jeffery’s ear.

“Okay, cuz.” Jeffery said, turning to Kit, “Try again.”

Kit, who was slowly losing self-confident, pulled a card from the deck, but only half-heartedly—a nine of spade.

Jeffery frowned in puzzlement as Jason announced that it wasn’t his card. What was Kit doing wrong?

What am I doing wrong? I’m doing the trick exactly like Aunt Melissa taught me! Kit thought in panic.

“Uh, cuz? May I see that deck of cards for a minute?” Jeffery asked, holding out a hand for the cards.

Kit handed over the deck of cards and Jeffery scanned through it.

“Oh, no, cuz…” Jeffery groaned. “You got the wrong deck; this is just a regular deck. Where’s your trick deck?”

Kit bowed his head in shame and muttered something indistinct, but whatever it was, Jeffery must’ve heard it, for he let a loud exclamation.

“What? What do you mean they got burnt?!” Jeffery asked, sounding shocked beyond belief. “How did that happened?”

“It wasn’t Wildcat’s fault!” Kit said desperately, as though he didn’t want to get the oddball mechanic in trouble. “He didn’t know he made a flame blower out of a leaf blower! Anyway, I was playing with them in his shop and left them in there. Then Wildcat decided to test his leaf blower on the cards on the table where I left it, and instead of blowing them away, he shot fire at them.” 

Kit finished his story with a single tear sliding down his cheek.

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Jeffery said, putting a comforting hand on Kit’s shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault. Here, you can use mine.” He pulled a deck of cards from his secret pocket and handed it to Kit.

“Thanks, Jeff.” Kit said gratefully,