“What’s that?”
“It’s a visual representation of your goals so you can manifest them. You cut out pictures of what you love, places you want to travel to, careers that inspire you, things you want to try, and paste it to a board. Then hang it up to focus on your goals and what you want in life.”
“I want a hot tub,” Melody said. “Where’s my vision board?”
When we finished yoga,Melody opened a bottle of chilled white wine and shared it with Robyn and me. Since Mercy planned on driving me back, she declined. Hope was pregnant, and Joy sipped on fresh lemonade that Bear had made especially for us.
I used to have a glass of wine every so often with my father, but I hadn’t had any alcohol in years. Needless to say, the wine hit me fast. We stayed in the art room, and I listened while they told stories that had me in stitches.
When Hope detailed how her mate had bought her adult diapers by accident, thinking they were baby diapers, I let out a snort.
“So now I have a whole box of them,” she said on a laugh. “I should probably donate them, but keeping them around to remind him is so much better.”
“You’re so bad,” Melody said from her spot on the floor.
“Guilty as charged.” Hope stood up from the hot-pink sofa. “Well, ladies. This was fun. I should see if Tak needs me for anything. It was nice meeting you, Cecilia. I hope we can do this again.” She crossed the room and left the door cracked after leaving.
Joy watched me from the opposite end of the sofa, clutching asmall pillow, her legs tucked beneath her. “We’d like to know more about who Cecilia is. Are you mated?”
Both Melody and Robyn rolled over from their spots on the floor to look at me. There were never awkward pauses around these girls, and I felt free to say whatever was on my mind. Was it the wine, or did we have a connection?
“Noah and I live together. It’s not official yet.”
“Yet,” Robyn said, waggling her eyebrows.
Joy put one foot on the floor and tilted her head to the side. “Why not make it official? You’re living together. That sounds serious to me. All you need is a Council member to officiate a brief ceremony.”
I worried my lip. “He works a lot. I think he just wants to make our living circumstances better.”
“He sounds like a good man,” Joy said. “Don’t think for a second that we’re pushing you, honey. Everyone goes their own pace in life. I once knew a lady who mated ten minutes after she met a fellow. Can you imagine?”
“It smacks of an arranged marriage to me.” Melody burped and then covered her mouth. “I had cold feet. But I was scared it would mean quitting my job to be a wife. Little did I know…”
“Lakota doesn’t seem like the old-fashioned type,” Robyn remarked.
“Everything was happening all at once between opening our store and us falling in love.” Melody drew up her knees. “I was also scared Hope would hate me forever. We grew up together.”
I furrowed my brow. “Why would she hate you?”
“Lakota is her brother.”
“Oh.” I could see how that might complicate a friendship.
“Hope was the most supportive person in the whole wide world,” Melody said, clearly influenced by the wine. She twirled her hair around her finger and stared at it cross-eyed. “I got lucky in the friend department.”
“What about the mate department?” a man boomed from the door.
Melody squeaked and jumped at once. “You can’t spy on us!”
The long-haired man swaggered in with a wolfish smile. He offered her his hand. “Come on,wife. Let me sober you up.”
“I’m not drunk.”
“You’re a lightweight. You can get drunk just sniffing the cork.”
She snorted. “Get me my bow, and I’ll prove I’m sober.”
He barked out a laugh. “The last thing you need is a weapon in your hand. Remember what happened to that poor mockingbird after you had too many glasses of wine?”
