“So, you’re from San Francisco, too,” Zeke said to Sophia as she placed mugs of steaming tea in front of them.
“I am,” Sophia replied, sitting across from them.
“What brought you here?” Zeke asked.
“Someone I’d rather not think about,” she replied.
“Edna?”
“No. I wasn’t supposed to be here, but I was pulled through by the fog. We followed Cormac and Jenna.”
“So it’s possible to get caught up in the fog even if you’re not supposed to be a traveler. Interesting,” Zeke said.
Mary placed a thick slice of bread on the table in front of each of them. Everyone helped themselves to the butter and honey.
“I think this might be the best breakfast I’ve ever had,” Zeke said. “I mean it.”
Mary beamed with pride. “Thank ye, sir.”
“What’s your secret?”
“No secret. Just three simple ingredients. Flour water and salt.”
“No yeast?”
“We let the dough sit out on the table and after a while it rises on its own,” Sophia explained. “I’m no scientist, but I believe it gets the yeast it needs from the air around it.”
Zeke popped the last little bit of his bread into his mouth and had barely finished chewing when Mary placed another slice in front of him.
“You’re going to spoil me, Mary,” he teased.
“With great pleasure,” she replied.
A young lad entered the room and sat down at the table across from them. “Helene says yer to go up now,” he said. He looked to Mary, who indulged him with a slice of the fresh bread.
“Thanks for breakfast, Mary,” Zeke said.
“Aye. Thank ye,” Brenna added.
***
“I hear you want to contact Edna,” Ashley said.
“Aye,” Brenna said, barely able to conceal her excitement.
“Alright. Helene, hand me the snowglobe, please.”
Helene retrieved the globe from the mantel above the fireplace. “Here ye are,” she said.
They all gathered around behind Ashley, staring at the globe.
“Edna, we need you,” Ashley said. “She needs some time to respond.”
Before too long, the snow in the globe began to swirl and Edna’s face appeared. “Good morning, Ashley!” Edna said. “What can I do for ye?”
“I have two people here who want to go to San Francisco and since you’re the only one who can send them, we’re contacting you.”
“Edna, it’s me, Zeke. I’d like to go back home and I’d like to take Brenna with me.”
