Silas leaned in, and some part of my belly fluttered, like maybe he’d just brush a kiss against my forehead. Instead, he whispered in my ear, “Sweet dreams, Alessia.”
Then he opened the door, rested a hand on my lower back, and all but pushed me inside. Millie clattered about in the kitchen, and I could smell bread baking and coffee brewing. A fresh watermelon was sliced on the table, my mouth salivating at the cold, crispy fruit.
When I turned back to bid Silas goodbye, he was already gone. I blinked.
“He does that,” Millie said, joining me by the door. “Disappears, I mean. Sort of his M.O.”
“Ah,” I said. Then, “Millie, I think I’m tired.”
“I think so too, Doc,” she said. “Go climb in bed, and I’ll bring you some tea and toast.”
But if Millie brought me tea and toast, I missed it. I took a quick shower to scrub off the trip through The Forest, and also the blood from the siren, and then slipped into a thin, freshly laundered nightgown that smelled like lavender and lilac.
I was asleep by the time my head hit the pillow.
The next time I opened my eyes, the sun was shining again, and I was pretty sure I’d slept through the whole night. I crept out of bed and headed into the kitchen where I found Millie, still clattering around. It was almostlike the last eighteen hours or so had been gobbled up in an abyss, and nothing had really happened.
Except thingshadhappened. I squinted out into the courtyard, hearing a hustle and bustle that was new. Lots of voices, also new. The smell of food—also new.
“Millie,” I said, wrapping a shawl over my thin nightgown. “What’s going on?”
“Good morning, Doc,” Millie said in a high-pitched voice, well into an octave that aroused suspicion. “Did you sleep well?”
“Very well,” I said. “Too well. How long was I out?”
“Long enough,” Millie said. “In fact, so long it’s actually your party right now, so why don’t you pop back into your room and get dressed? They’ll be wanting to see you as soon as you’re ready.”
“Millie!” I said. “My party?”
“That little welcome party I mentioned. People want to meet you. It’s not often we get a new doctor on the island.”
“But—”
“Can we save your arguments for a later date?” Millie asked in a way that wasn’t really a request but more of a command. “I’ve been trying to hold these people off, but my figgy pudding and strawberry shortcake is only going to keep Bert happy for so long. The people are getting restless for a glimpse of theguest of honor.”
Millie steered me back to my room. She snapped her fingers, and a moment later, a couple of bluejays flew through the window hauling a dress in their beaks.
“I’mhelping you.” Millie sounded defensive, like I might tattle on her for this use of magic. “I have a way with my feathery friends.”
“Okie dokie,” I said, and looked on in awe as they dropped the dress on the bed.
“It needed to be steamed,” Millie explained. “I was working on it outside while you were sleeping.”
Once I’d properly slid into the dress, I took a moment to stand in front of the full-length mirror and study myself. The dress was a play in movement and florals. A lovely, complex shade of blue, the gown was slim with strappy sleeves. The underlayer was a silky gray, the outer layer a gauzy purple embroidered with flowers and hummingbirds and bees.
As I looked closer, I realized those decals wereactuallymoving. The embroidered birds and bees flitted about like they were alive. The tiny wisteria decals swished in an imaginary breeze as I walked.
“I ordered this dress from Wanda of Wanda’s Weddings,” Millie said. “She usually goes over the top, but I requested something that I thought was more your style.”
“Thisisn’tover the top?”
Millie grinned. “For Wanda, this is downright demure.”
A few days ago, I wouldn’t have said an enchanted gown of any variety was my style, but right now, this felt right. It fit me perfectly, moved in a way that felt light and lovely. I didn’t mind the pencil-thin straps or the low back because somehow, it felt like it’d been made exclusively for me.
“The figgy pudding is gone,” Millie said, as I stared in the mirror. “As is the hot dish. It’s really time to get out there, sweetie.”
I nodded, feeling like I was in some sort of fairy tale that’d come alive. I moved behind Millie like my feet were floating. Millie pushed open the doors to the backyard, gesturing for me to follow behind.
