‘Oh rats. I don’t have the managing realtor’s card on me, but I do have some drinks cards for The Silver Slipper.’ She held those up, somewhat surprised at how savagely Beatrice snatched them out of her hands.
Mama wants a drink, she thought wryly.
‘That sounds lovely. We’ll be there. Oh wait, it’syourplace?’ Beatrice’s lips moved as she read the copy on the back of thevoucher. ‘That is so impressive. I’ve always wanted to be a small business owner. Maybe a plant shop. Or a bookshop. Or a plant bookshop.’
‘The feminine dream,’ said Bonnie, marvelling at the magnificent monstera in the corner. The plant was so big it was basically a botanical CPAP machine.
‘Instead, I’m an engineer.’ Beatrice made a face. ‘Yay numbers and keeping bridges from falling down.’
‘Oh, is that all?’ Bonnie chuckled, but a wistful feeling overcame her as she glanced around the room once more. She’d never been one to think about settling down, but there was something about this cute little family in this cosy little house that called to her. Perhaps, one day, she’d be one half of a couple browsing quaint cottages and excitedly talking about where the furniture might go. Perhaps there was a future that involved nights sprawled in front of the television, and home-made pizza with his and hers toppings, and building a collection of seasonal decorations that would be added to each year.
But there was only one person who came to mind when she considered the possibility, and the last time she’d seen him, she’d thrown all of his kindness and generosity right back into his face.
‘C’mon, I’ll see you out,’ she said, trying to keep her voice from breaking.
Bonnie was clearing empty pitchers and glasses from the bar’s patio area when she felt a slightly queasy feeling in her stomach. She turned, knowing her uncle was somewhere in the vicinity. Ah, there he was, dressed not unlike the tree he was standing beneath. Only with more velvet and definitely more gemstones.
‘Bonnie, my dear!’ he called. ‘Busy, busy, I see. I just thought I’d stop by to drop off some extra coasters. Don’t want to ruin the wood of these tables, do we? Twenty per cent discount ifyou bring that to Behind the Curtain!’ he told one of the teachers from the high school as he slid a coaster beneath her purple drink. She looked up from the tests she was marking, surprised.
‘For you, I recommend blue calcite,’ he said. ‘It helps with communication when trying to impart those difficult concepts. Grades will soar.’
Once he was done explaining the wonders of blue calcite to the teacher, he made his way over to Bonnie, his cane tapping against the flagstones.
‘Fabulous job, Bonnie. Just fabulous,’ he said, sliding an envelope onto Bonnie’s tray. ‘I’ve sold five Bastet cats today alone. That said, if you want to dial up the intensity, I am all for it.’
Then he grimaced. He’d spied Beatrice and Todd and their wagon approaching.
‘The arrival of a child signals that it’s my time to exit,’ he said with a shudder. ‘If you need more coasters, just knock.’
He disappeared out the side gate, not bothering to hold it for the little family. Instead, Beatrice propped open the gate as Todd tried to angle the wagon with its sleeping passenger through the gate, punching the air when at last he succeeded.
‘You made it!’ said Bonnie, adjusting her grip on her heavy tray. ‘Come on in and I’ll get you hooked up.’
Todd eyed the bar door, and then the wagon. ‘I’ll pull up out here. I trust Beatrice to order for me. Just no Jägerbombs.’
Ditching Todd with alacrity, Beatrice hurried after Bonnie.
‘Wow,’ she said as she crossed the threshold into the bar area. ‘It’s so weird existing as an individual human again. You don’t realize the freedom of just walking through a doorway until you’ve been trying to do it with a wagon for two straight years. Ooh, and you have darts! And pinball! And is that a magician?’
Bonnie glanced over at Terrance swearing at his deck of cards. Around him, a group of his friends heckled him for his inability to remember where the joker in the pack was.
‘After the queen of spades, you ding-dong!’ crowed a girl wearing three layers of fishnet tights, all in different colours.
‘You’re going to have to pick a different audition talent,’ added a guy in a 90s band T-shirt. He definitely did not realize he was wearing a T-shirt from a band from the 90s.
‘That’s just Terrance,’ said Bonnie. ‘He’s made it his life’s work to memorize a pack of playing cards.’
‘Pfft,’ said Beatrice. ‘How hard could that be? I’ve memorized every infant milestone all the way up to age five. Now that’s dedication. What’s that purple drink everyone’s got? I’ll take one of those. Assuming they’re strong.Reallystrong. Because I’m not driving, or even pushing the wagon. That’s Todd’s job right now. I carried the baby, I nursed the baby, and now I’m drinking for one.’
Outside, little Olivia whined. Bonnie could hear Todd settling her, bribing her with smuggled-in goldfish crackers.
‘Sure. One Memory Lane coming up,’ she said brightly. ‘I’ll mix you a fresh one, extra strong. And if you want to get a little something for your future home, bring this coaster over to Behind the Curtain for a discount.’
Bonnie topped the drink with a garnish of wildflowers, then popped it on one of Uncle Oswald’s coasters. She slid the order over to Beatrice, who wasted no time in taking a sip.
‘Oh, that’s good,’ Beatrice said, eyes widening. ‘And yes to the discount. I’ll take a brownie as well. No, make it two.’
Bonnie plated up the brownies, popping them on a tray for easy carrying. Although this was apparently unnecessary, because Beatrice was halfway through one of them before she made it outside. Apparently juggling was a skill that new moms became proficient at very fast.
