Ryan snorted. “Like that’s going to help anything.”
He was right. By the end, the one side of our pie had gentle crust braids and puckered leaves around the edge while Ryan’s took on a more abstract quality, looking like a partially completed game of Chutes and Ladders.
Honestly, I’d thought it would look worse than it did.
“See, you did wonderfully.”
“Sure I did. You are just trying to make me feel like not a complete loser in front of your family.”
“A masterpiece,” I assured, giving a swift pat on his back.
I let my hand rest there, near the back of his neck, for a second. I gave it a squeeze, like I’d do to Vadika when she was stressed in the lab to ease her nervous system. Midway, I realized what I had done. Ryan and I hadn’t really touched before besides the occasional nudge or yank to make sure the other was following in the right direction.
Trying not to make it weird, I let my hand slide off his shoulder, and I went back to staring down at our Frankenstein pie.
“Hey, Lu.”
Turning my head up, I was immediately speckled with flour in the face. It wasn’t much, but just enough to know my freckles were coated in white spots, much like Ryan’s fingertips. I sputtered my lips to make sure they were clear.
“Very mature.”
“To purity and sweet beginnings,” Gertie toasted from behind the two of us. “Flour and sugar. A wonderful companionship, especially at this time of year when endings are all around us.”
Gertie raised her eyebrows at me.
Celeste’s attention also snapped to Ryan and me. Her fingers paused as she helped pinch the edges of Essie’s awardworthy-looking pie into perfect crinkles.
I went back down to our pie, straightening out one of my lopsided crust leaves.
“We now put them into the oven,” Celeste said as she stepped in front of us all. She wiped her hands off on her simple white apron. “And it’s time to clean up.”
A round of moans echoed through the kitchen.
* * *
Little giggles wentup when Ryan was splashed with a fresh coating of soap bubbles. One of them was himself, laughing at the mess he had made as he helped clean up each tiny bowl and wide sugarcoated dish.
Essie dropped the last of the dirty dishes on one side of Ryan, who was still at work, dipping his hands into the bubbly water.
“It’s not like I’m leaving for no reason, Mom,” Essie argued casually, glancing back in Celeste’s direction.
“It’s Mabon,” was all Celeste said.
“I know. I know it is, but my new friend, the guy from school I have been showing around, is still going out tonight with the rest of the group I introduced him to.” Essie traveled around the kitchen as she spoke. She leaned over her mother’s shoulder to make sure that she heard.
Celeste hummed good-naturedly as she wiped up the mess on the table. “You said that earlier, didn’t you?”
“I might have mentioned it,” said Essie.
“It won’t harm anyone if she’s not here, Celeste,” Gertie spoke up, keeping her voice mellow so it didn’t sound as if she were intruding.
Still, Celeste glanced over at the high priestess, considering her words. She shut her eyes. “Where are they going?”
“I think they are going to that fundraiser at the roller rink. I’m terrible at it.”
“You sprained your wrist the last time.”
Essie smiled, as if it was a fond memory. “Can I go? If I leave now, they can pick me up. I can still make it.”
