“Wait. You’re supposed to tell me Iwasn’tgrumpy.”
“You want me to lie to you?”
After a short silence, she says, “No.”
“I know you’re going through a rough time.” I stroke her shoulder. “I know you’re reacting to a traumatic event. But…” How do I say this?
“I don’t get to be a bitch.”
Okay, she did it for me. “Well, yeah.”
She sighs. “I’m sorry.”
“Itwascolder than a witch’s tit out there.”
She gasps. “No! Too soon! We heard a witch ghost! I am not over that.”
I chuckle. “You’ll be fine.”
“We could be cursed!”
“Doesn’t feel like it right now.”
“True.” She sips her wine. “Thank you for not laughing at me about the witch ghost. And the name of the magic spell.”
My chest clenches. “Why would I laugh at you?”
“Because I say stupid things like that.”
“Jesus. That wasn’t stupid.”
“Okay, not stupid. But… kooky.”
“Have you met my sister?” I ask dryly.
“Yes. She’s going to take me to a full moon circle.”
“Oh, fuck me, no way.”
She laughs. “Maybe. It sounds intriguing. We have a lot in common. Oh. That’s what you meant.”
“Yeah. I’m used to ‘kooky.’ Mabel is always fun, though. She has crazy ideas going through her head all the time.” My voice sharpens. “Who told you you’re stupid?”
“Well…” She shifts against me. “Nobody actually said that. But when I was a kid, I often said whatever was on my mind. I didn’t always like following the rules, which got me in trouble in hockey.”
“Yeah, rules are important in hockey.”
“Right? Even in art class, I didn’t always do what the teacher told us to do. One time when the teacher remarked on that, I felt so scorned and hurt that I picked up my painting and ripped it in half. It always seemed like people—other kids, teachers, family friends—didn’t take me seriously and when I said something I thought was smart they’d just smile and ignore me.”
“Christ,” I mutter, a faint ache developing behind my sternum.
“Oh, everyonelikedme. I was chatty and cheerful and funny, and so I leaned into that and used my sense of humor to make jokes and make people laugh.”
I press my lips to her temple. “I hate that for you.”
“Thank you.”
She falls silent, drinking her wine and swishing her hand through the warm scented water.
