Daisy opened the door to let them in and had the strangest realization that it had been years since she’d had friends over.
Having friends over had been a staple of her life growing up. It was for most kids. Hanging out, spending the night. It was the most exciting thing, and she just didn’t do it anymore. She met people for coffee, went out to dinner sometimes, but this felt like the kind of slumber party she hadn’t had since she was a teenager.
“I have the craziest news,” Nora announced, sweeping into the entry. She was burdened with take-out bags, and Soraya was holding one small one.
“Pork rolls.” Soraya brandished the bag.
“We ended up ordering the entire left side of the menu.” Nora raised each bag up as an example. “Soraya has found an appetite.”
“I’m glad to hear that. But whathappened?” Daisy asked, trying to corral the conversation back to where it had been.
“Oh.” Nora closed the front door behind them. “I got commissioned to do a mural for the Holly.”
“The Holly Theater?”
“Yes.YourHolly Theater. The one that you’re doingSeven Bridesin.”
“That’s ... incredible. You haven’t done a mural since you did the gym in high school.”
“No. I haven’t. And that isn’t in my portfolio for a reason.”
“I liked it,” Soraya said.
“Really? I think all the basketball players have arms that are about four inches too long. But, anyway, the woman who runs the committee for the theater saw the community painting I did for the art center, and she loved it. She wants me to do a bigger version, with symbols that are important to Hemlock. And it pays well. So not only do I now have money coming in from being at Lady’s Mantle, I have this payment for the mural.”
“That’s amazing. I ...” Daisy snagged the takeout from Nora’s hand and gestured for her friends to move into the living room. She had put plates and forks in there earlier and now set the takeout on the coffee table. She was glad she’d decided they should eat in here, because it added to the slumber-party feel. “Zach came by today. Zach Woods.”
“I knew exactly which Zach it was before you clarified,” Nora said. “Because there is a reverence with which you speak his name.”
Daisy huffed. “I think we all do?”
“Who can blame us?” Nora tore into the food and put forks into the containers of noodles, rice, meat, and rolls.
“Who could?” Daisy agreed as she started to fill her plate. “Also”—she licked some teriyaki off her thumb—“he offered to build sets. Or at least facilitate it. He’s on the board for the theater.”
“That’s amazing!” Nora said.
Soraya sat on the floor in front of her full plate, frowning. She started to fiddle with her bun, pushing it higher, then tightening it.
“What?” Daisy asked.
“I got more orders for bread today through my Instagram than I’ve ever had before. They’re not all from one place. It’s like a bunch of people spontaneously woke up and ordered loaves of bread from me. I’ve been working on it all day. I’ll have to spend days getting through all of them. I ... It’s going to help so much. He’s still paying the bills right now, but there’s just nothing coming in for me to live on. And now there is.”
“Because of your spell.” Nora grinned, obviously picking up a conversation they’d started earlier.
“It wasn’t aspell,” Soraya said. “I added it to my vision board.”
Nora made a loud grunting sound. “Oh, Jesus Christ, Soraya. It’s the same thing! How do you not see that? When you do that, you’re trying tomanifestsomething. That’s what a spell is. It’s not communing with the devil, it’s just wishful thinking.”
“I just . . . There’s no way it . . .”
“Maybe it’s a coincidence.” Nora was never one to try and assuage someone else’s feelings, so Daisy didn’t think she was hesitating on the magic now for Soraya’s benefit. Something about it clearly botheredher.
Daisy wouldn’t normally jump on the magic-is-real train so immediately, but how could it happen like this? This quickly, this decisively, for all of them, without any mystical influence?
“Do you really think it could be?” Daisy countered. “We all got what we asked for today.”
“I don’t know,” Nora said, then she laughed. “It’s silly. Right?”
