"Now close your eyes. Say it again."
I did. When I opened my eyes, the plant had grown a second bud. "I made that happen?" I asked.
"You sure did."
"I’m now officially green-fingered? Is that why my aunt's garden is so lush?"
"Hold your horses," he said. "One spell does not a garden genius make."
"Then what’s the big deal? You said yourself the block isn’t gone completely.”
"It means you’re on the right track with our new theory. Once Jake and Violet's killer is behind bars, I shall be able to properly train you."
I groaned. "Starting at sunrise again? I love my aunt. I liked Jake. I really, really, really want to see the person who did this in prison. But if I have to hand over my life to you and drag myself out of bed every day at the crack of dawn, that's a steep price to pay."
He rolled his eyes at me. "You’re so dramatic."
"I mean it," I said.
"We'll talk about that later. And it does not always have to be sunrise, especially once you make a little more progress."
"A little more progress? I’m doing great, considering everything you've been throwing at me. Or are you used to so much better?" Was I starting to be jealous of my own dear, dead aunt? What other personality changes lay ahead of me?
Maybe I had been a little too meek and passive the last couple of years—okay, decades—yet all in all, I'd liked myself. I was kind, helpful, considerate. The almost empty swear jar alone was proof enough of my mild-mannered nature (bar a few understandable lapses when my marriage fell apart). I didn’t want the old Bex to vanish completely, only to be a little more assertive.
The afternoon opening brought eight customers. Business was looking up. Better yet, these were people who knew precisely what they were looking for and where to find the books.
All I had to do was stamp, register on the computer, and send them on their merry ways. I could get used to this.
At a quarter to six, I ended the library session and prepared for my guests. I'd arranged the available seats in a casual manner so that people wouldn't be too crowded, yet they were all within earshot of me.
My nerves twinged. I'd never had a starring role before, and this one was a doozy.
"You'll be fine." Cosmo put a paw on my hand.
"The power of the purr?" I asked him.
"The power of the purr." A soft growl emanated from him.
It enveloped me like a cocoon, one that would keep me safe from any harm. My phone pinged. Please don't let it be anybody canceling at the last moment, I thought.
I saw the ID. My ex-husband again. That was fast becoming a habit, after months of complete radio silence.
Everything OK? Alex says she hasn't heard from you in days.
Oh, sheesh. I texted back.
I'm fine. Just caught up in so many things here. But thanks for the reminder.
I ended the message and sent a quick, funny meme—a juggling house cow—to my daughter. I followed it up with a text.
That's me at the moment.Talk soon. Love you to the moo and back.Mom
I ended with a dancing cow sticker.
"Are young people still doing that?" Cosmo asked.
"I have no idea," I said. “It might just be a generational thing for people my age but I love them.”
