brava!” 

She bowed proudly and Mr. Pomeroy placed the medal around her neck. She took a few more short bows and then went backstage.

“And now,” Mr. Pomeroy said, holding up the gold medal, and an unnatural hush fell over the crowd as they awaited for the first place winner to be announced. “For the most amazing display of magic this school has ever seen in fifteen years, it is my pleasure to present this first place medal to…Kit Cloudkicker!” 

Kit stood there in awe, only partly aware of Jeffery jumping up and down like a manic while clapping him on the back, and Chris hugging him tightly in celebration. He laughed as he started to move forward, Chris letting go of him and Jeffery giving him one last clap on the back.

Mr. Pomeroy stood waiting for him as he made his way toward him. Kit took a bow and Mr. Pomeroy started place the gold medal around his neck, but he held up a hand.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t accept that.” Kit said solemnly.

“What are you talking about, Cloudkicker?” Mr. Pomeroy growled, frowning at Kit. “You’ve earned this.”

“No, I didn’t earn that by myself,” Kit said. “I had help from my cousin Jeffery and my brother, Chris, without them, there’s no way I could’ve done all of this… Can’t you make that out to the three of us? We worked together as a team, and as a team, we’ll accept that medal together.”

Mr. Pomeroy’s expression softened as the crowd cooed and he nodded.

Kit turned around and beckoned Jeffery and Chris forward. “C’mon guys!”

Chris looked momentarily frightened at the idea of going back onstage again, until Jeffery grasped his hand reassuringly. Chris looked at Jeffery and Jeffery gave him an encouraging smile and a nod. Feeling slightly braver, Chris walked forward with Jeffery holding his hand the whole way.  

When they reached Kit, Kit took hold of Chris’ other hand, and as he did so, Chris felt so much better about standing on the stage.

Still holding hands, the Cloudkicker Trio bowed to the audience as Mr. Pomeroy presented them with the medal.

Jeffery and Kit each took hold of the ribbon. Between them, Chris let go of their hands to cup the medal in his hands with a mixture of awe and pride on his face. They stood there, holding the medal together, while in the audience, Melissa was on her feet, taking picture after picture with her crazy flashing camera. Baloo and Rebecca sat by her, both wearing sunglasses while the rest of the crowd ran for cover, shielding their eyes.

“That camera of hers should be illegal…” Jeffery muttered quietly, clapping a hand to his forehead in embarrassment.  

Chris, meanwhile, turned his back on the audience when the first flash went out. He seemed to have developed a phobia for camera flashes.

Baloo, noticing Chris’ back to the audience, snatched the camera out of Melissa’s hands and shoved it deep inside Rebecca’s purse.

“Baloo…!” protested Melissa, looking outraged.

“Look at Chris.” Baloo snarled, pointing. “He turned his back on you because he’s scared the camera flashes will hurt his eyes again.”

“He’s right, Melissa, look.” Rebecca said, also pointing toward the stage.

“Oh dear me,” Melissa gasped with a hand over her mouth. “Oh, poor Chris, I grabbed the wrong camera. Ah, fiddlesticks!” she pouted, sitting  back down with her arms crossed..

“Daddy Bear, we won! We won!” shouted Chris joyfully, running down the aisle toward them and jumping into Baloo’s arms. He was wearing the medal around his neck, as Kit and Jeffery had put it on him, deciding that he should wear it for a while.

“Hey-hey, good for you, kiddo.” Baloo said, hugging Chris and then giving him a playful nuggie.

“Heh-heh, Daddy Bear…cut it out.” Chris said, giggling.  He wiggled free of Baloo and hugged Rebecca, Melissa and Molly in turn.   

Kit came walking down the aisle too and gave his Papa Bear a hug just like Chris did, smiling as he did so.

“We won, Papa Bear,” he said with pride in his voice.

“Yeah, kiddo, I’m proud of ya.” Baloo said, hugging his young navigator. “But how did ya escape the trunk?”

Kit grinned slyly. “Sorry Papa Bear, but it’s against the Magician Code to reveal the secret to a trick.”

Jeffery put their things away and packed them up, and then he came bounding down the aisle in high spirit, jumping straight into Melissa’s arms.

“We won! We won, Mommy! Ya-hoo!” Jeffery shouted joyfully with his arms in the air and then he swung them around Melissa’s neck.

“Oh, I’m so proud of you, baby!” Melissa cried, happy tears in her eyes as she hugged her son.

“Mom…” Jeffery said, going red in the face. “X-nay on the aby-say.”

“Oh, Orry-say.” Melissa muttered, looking a little discomfort that Jeffery would be embarrassed by her nicknames for him in public places.

“When can we go trick or treating?” Chris asked Baloo eagerly, bouncing on Baloo’s knee in excitement.

“Whoa, easy there, Lil Buddy.” Baloo said, holding Chris still in mid-bounce. “We gotta get a bite to eat first, and then we’ll go.”

“Aww, but I wanna go now.” Chris said in disappointment, crossing his arms and pouting.

 Baloo just chuckled as he cuddled his Lil Buddy.

“Aw, don’t give me that look, kiddo,” he said, ruffling Chris’ hair. “We’ll go after we’ve had something to eat, okay?”

Chris sighed. “Okay, Daddy Bear,” and he hugged Baloo around the neck.

“That’s a good boy.” Baloo chuckled approvingly.

“Well, we’re going to go change clothes.” Jeffery said, and he and Kit went backstage toward the dressing room.

Half an hour later found the Higher for Hire crew and family at Melissa’ boarding house; all seated at the table.

“I hope everyone is hungry.” Melissa said, coming into the dinning room from the kitchen, holding a big rectangle-shape pan, bearing at least three dozen pigs-in-a-blankets (hotdog weenies wrapped in biscuits), her hands protected from the heat of the pan by a pair of cooking mittens. “I’ve made some for everybody. Jeffery dear, would you say grace?” she asked as she set the pan down on the table. 

Baloo reached for a pigs-in-a-blanket, but Rebecca and Melissa both smack his hand at the same time.

“Ow!” said Baloo, rubbing his hand and looking reproachful at the two women.

“Not until Jeffery says grace, buster!” Rebecca said, glaring at him

“Alright, alright, keep your hair on, lady.” Baloo said with a reproachful frown. He then turned, grinning to Jeffery. “Jeffers, hurry up and say grace before we all starve.”

“Okay, ‘grace!’ Let’s eat.” Jeffery said humorously.

Everybody at the table started laughing, except for Melissa, of course.

“Jeffery, you nut!” shouted Kit, playfully giving Jeffery a nuggie.

“Jeffery….” Melissa said sternly, with her hands on her hips, though she couldn’t help grinning with her eyes twinkling. “Say it the right way, or no deserts.”

“Okay, Mommy… but please don’t take away my desert.” Jeffery begged with the cutest pout. He then folded his hands and bowed his head, everyone at the table then imitated him.  “Dear Lord, thank You for watching over us and for giving us this meal we’re about to retrieve.  Bless our family and keep us safe from evil. Amen.”

“Amen,” echoed everyone around the table, and then Baloo quickly grabbed five pigs-in-a-blankets at once, earning disapproving glares from Rebecca and Melissa.

“Is this any way to set an example for the kids?” Melissa asked, a vein in her forehead started to throb.

“Mm?” Baloo asked through a mouthful of food, much to Melissa’s disgust.

Rebecca grabbed Baloo by the ear.

“OW!” Baloo cried.

“Excuse us, sister.” Rebecca said politely, and then she went into the living room, pulling Baloo along by the ear. 

Everyone in the kitchen listened closely as Rebecca started hissing at Baloo like an angry goose, saying things like: ‘…if you want meals in this house, you’ll learn some manners!’ and ‘…your behavior at the table was disgusting!” and finally: “Now go apologize to my sister!”

“Is Mama mad at Daddy Bear?” Chris asked with innocent curiosity and worry.

Everyone in the dinning room stared at him, surprised at what he called Rebecca.

“What?” Chris asked, getting a little nervous at all the stares he was getting.

“What did you called Miss Cunningham?” Kit asked, still staring blankly at Chris.

“Mama… is that okay?” Chris asked uncertainly, starting to fear that he might have committed some unknown crime. “I-I mean, she IS our legal Mama, isn’t she?”

Kit hugged Chris consolingly. “Yes, Chris, she is. I’m sorry we scared you, we were just surprised, that’s all.”

“It’s alright, big