by A. G. Mayes
She shook her head. “And today we’re not going to think about it.”
“We’re not?” I asked, my mouth full of chocolate-chip pancakes. I knew if my mother was here, she would remind me that she raised me better than to talk with my mouth full, but the pancakes were just so darn good. They were light and fluffy, and the chocolate chips were melted just right. Aunt Erma had even topped them with whipped cream and shaped them like animals as she used to do when I was a kid. I was eating the ear off a dog when I noticed Mitzy giving me a disapproving glare.
“How does she know I’m eating the dog pancake?” I wondered under my breath.
“Magic,” Aunt Erma said with a wink. “Now today, instead of focusing on the evil plot to take over our beloved town, we are going to decorate for Christmas.”
“Decorate? Even more than we already have?” I asked. I thought about all the tinsel we’d hung and the cardboard Santa cutouts in every corner of the shop downstairs.
“Yes, we’re just getting started,” she said, sitting down across from me with her own stack of pancakes and a cup of coffee. “We have paper snowflakes to make for the snowman-building competition. Last year I cut out three hundred tiny snowflakes and hung them all over the square. It was beautiful, if I do say so myself. I used this glittery paper that was thin, slippery, and a little hard to work with, but it was worth it.”
I tried not to cringe at the thought of cutting out paper snowflakes. It sounded like just the kind of project I would normally try to find an excuse to escape.
“Don’t you need me to run the pie shop? We’ve been pretty busy lately,” I said. I felt proud of my valid excuse to avoid this task.
“Don’t worry, your mother is coming, and we can all take turns serving people as they come in. The Morning Pie Crew is coming too. Flora has a project she thought we’d all enjoy as well. I think it has something to do with folding paper flowers out of book pages. I think to make garlands to hang around trees.” I tried to hold in a groan. “But anyway, they’ll be able to help while they’re here too.”
“Don’t they have their own shops to run?” I asked. Now I was desperate to get out of this. Mr. Barnes was a yoga teacher, so I knew he had some free time depending on his schedule, but Lena ran the hardware store, and Flora owned the bookstore. Didn’t people need to fix things and buy books this time of year?
“All their holiday employees are up to speed and can do without them for a few hours. Plus, today’s going to be quiet. Lots of people are getting ready for the snowman-building contest,” she said. “Which reminds me, we probably need to practice a few more times.”
Wow, this day just kept getting better and better.
***
It turned out my knitting injuries weren’t a good enough excuse to get out of snowflake making. Two hours later I could barely feel my fingers. Lena, Flora, Mr. Barnes, my mother, Aunt Erma, and I all crowded around two of the three tables at the front of the pie shop. Customers were wandering in here and there, and I always made sure I was the first one to leap out of my chair to serve them. In between Aunt Erma explained the importance of the paper snowflakes.
“We’ll use them as part of a protection spell in the town square,” she said.
“Isn’t there some magical way to cut them out?” I asked as I held up yet another disappointing snowflake. Aunt Erma kept assuring me that they were good.
“Every snowflake is supposed to be different, and yours sure are different,” Lena said.
“Thanks,” I said, glaring at her a little.
“You can’t magic away everything,” Aunt Erma said. “We aren’t in a children’s movie.”
“In order for them to have power, we have to cut them out by hand,” Flora explained.
I sighed and folded another piece of paper. A customer walked in and, of course, I was the first one behind the counter. I took my time serving them. So much so that they began drumming their fingers on the counter. The nerve! Hadn’t they ever heard of small-town charm? Where the service was slow, but the people were friendly, and your mailman was also the barber?
“So, tell us about that fella I saw you with,” Lena said during a lull in the conversation.
All eyes turned to me. There was no getting out of this now.
“Oh, you mean Josh?” I asked, buying time, trying to figure out what I was going to tell them.
My mother’s eyebrows shot up. “Josh was here?” She had speculated many times that Josh had feelings for me, and I had repeatedly reassured her that she was imagining things. The smug look on her face grated on me.
“He just came to say hi. He’s working on a job nearby. I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to him,” I said.
We must have said his name too many times and summoned him because all of a sudden he walked through the door.
“Hi, Josh,” I said, trying to keep my tone calm, but it came out a little too high-pitched. The whole table’s eyes went from me to him and back to me again.
He froze for a second when he saw me at a table full of people. He quickly regained his composure.
“Hi, Susie. Hi, Mrs. Daniels,” he said, nodding towards my mom. “Hi, everyone else. I didn’t mean to interrupt. Maybe I can come back later.” He backed towards the door so quickly he almost tripped over his own feet.
“Nonsense,” Lena said pulling up another chair to our already crowded table. “There’s plenty of room here, and we could really use some help cutting these snowflakes. I think Erma wants to fill the entire town with them.”
Aunt Erma rolled her eyes. “Oh, quit being a drama queen, Lena. I’ll share some of these with you.”
“I run a hardware store. I can’t have people getting distracted by all these sparkly snowflakes,” she grumbled, but I saw her perk up a little.
Josh sat down on the corner of the chair, his hands folded tightly in his lap. He looked about as awkward as I felt. After five minutes though, he had Mr. Barnes showing him how to do the eagle pose and had Flora glowing when they discussed their favorite books, and he and Lena got into a heated discussion over which brand of drill was the best. That was how Josh was. He was quiet, but had a way of charming everyone around him easily. I had always admired that skill. I had a way of alienating or making people uncomfortable with my failed jokes. He hadn’t fully won over Aunt Erma yet though. She eyed him skeptically when he asked her about the best method for making pie crust. My mother was already in love with him, so he didn’t have to bother with anything more than a little small talk with her. Sometimes I wondered if my mother would rather have him as a child than me.
I was deep in thought about how I would explain this group date to Henry when I heard Josh say, “I’d love to come. Thank you so much for the invitation.”
“You’d love to come where?” I asked.
“He’s going to celebrate Christmas dinner with us,” Flora said.
“What?” I asked. It came out sounding a little more harsh than I intended. This was going to be my first Christmas with Henry, the last thing I needed was Josh hanging around being Josh-like or trying to find the perfect moment to proclaim his undying love to me. I had been looking forward to a day of organized chaos. Adding Josh to the mix completely messed up my plans.
Just then, Henry himself walked through the door. “Henry!” the room greeted him in chorus. I waved a crooked snowflake at him.
“You’re pretty good at that.” He pointed at my pile.
“Don’t patronize me.” I glared at him. He smiled innocently at me and I couldn’t help but smile back.
He noticed Josh and extended his hand. “I’m Henry.”
Josh stood up and shook it, introducing himself.
“Josh is my friend from back home who I told you about,” I said. I saw Henry’s eyes quickly size up Josh, and I could feel the gaze of the group as they studied every nuance of our reactions. I tried to keep a neutral expression, but all the muscles in my face were straining to react. React how, I wasn’t sure, but I didn’
t want my face to reveal to the room what I was feeling before I had a chance to figure it out myself.
“I should really get going,” Josh said. “Thanks for letting me join in the fun.” He puffed up his chest a little as he said goodbye to Henry. I got up to follow him out because we still needed to talk, but a large group walked through the door clamoring for pie.
“Can you help, Susie?” Aunt Erma asked, likely sensing my hesitation about going after Josh. I sighed and turned back to the front counter to serve pie.
***
“We found the perfect patch of snow,” Aunt Erma announced when she and Mitzy got back from their afternoon walk. “We’ll have to go quick and double back a few times. I saw Nancy Harrington eyeing me as though she knew I’d found fresh snow.”
“Great.” I tried to sound enthusiastic. I was enjoying the warmth of the pie-shop kitchen and in no hurry to bury my hands in the snow and lose feeling in my feet.
“Maybe we should run to the hardware store to see if we can find something better for the eyes. The bolts we’ve been using give our snowman a blank stare.” Aunt Erma had been against using the traditional coal for eyes because it was “too expected”. She also didn’t want to use the wiggle eyes because she didn’t want our snowman to look like a raving lunatic. I was pretty sure we’d tried hundreds of different items in an attempt to get the perfect expression to satisfy Aunt Erma.
“Don’t worry, I’ll go.” I grabbed my coat and was out the door before she could respond. I knew whatever I got would be wrong, but going to the hardware store with Aunt Erma was always painful. She didn’t understand that the hardware store was a sacred space to be appreciated and explored and instead opted for more of a “get in get out” approach.
Lena was rearranging her display of outdoor Christmas decorations when I got there. She greeted me warmly as she moved an inflatable Santa Claus to the other side of his inflatable sleigh.
“Do you need any help?” I asked.
“Nah, I’m just playing around.” She smiled and put her hands on her hips. “How’s everything going for you?” She nudged the Santa over another few inches.
“I’m thinking of staying.” I blurted out the words before I could stop myself.
“In Hocus Hills?” she asked.
I nodded.
“Really?” She carefully studied my face while her expression remained annoyingly neutral.
“Do you think it’s a good idea?”
“I think the real question is, do you think it’s a good idea?”
I slowly blew out a breath. “I’m not sure if it’s too much too soon. Twenty years apart and then, bam, now we’re together all the time.”
“Erma’s thrilled you’re here, but you have to do what’s best for yourself. That’s all she wants too.”
“Maybe.” I turned to one of the crystal baubles hanging in the window. I wondered if I stared at it long enough if it would show me my future.
“What’s keeping you from staying?”
“There’s a really good pizza place around the corner from my apartment. They know the perfect mushroom to green olive ratio. Plus in the city I can go days without having anyone look deep into my eyes as though they’re trying to see into my soul. Like you’re doing right now!” I accused, taking a step back.
“What about Henry?”
I turned my attention back to the bauble. “I feel like I’m at one of those crossroads moments in my life. Which path do I take? Is one better than the other?” I was talking more to myself now.
“Pizza and privacy? Is that really all that’s holding you back?”
“Look, magic is a lot to take in. Just a few weeks ago, spells and fairy dust were only things I’d read about as a child. Now I’m learning how to use them. That’s just … crazy. I’m not sure I’m ready to live in this reality forever.”
“Does Josh have anything to do with this?”
“No!” My answer came out a little louder than I intended, and I felt my cheeks flush.
“You know, a big change now doesn’t have to be a permanent change. You don’t even have to make a decision today. You can stay at Erma’s a while longer.”
“No, I can’t. Have you ever slept on that sofa?” I rubbed my lower back.
“A couple times.”
“Sober?”
“No …” She giggled to herself.
“After a few nights it feels like sleeping on this table. Then there’s the furry alarm clock.”
“Mitzy?”
“I’ve started having recurring dreams that I’m an ice-cream cone. I’ve woken up too many times with her tongue up my nose.”
“It sounds like you could use a little space. Let me take you out to look at apartments. There’s no harm in looking. Maybe knowing your options will help you make your decision.” I’d heard Lena was a realtor on the side. I contemplated her offer for a moment.
“As long as we can keep it a secret. I don’t want everyone weighing in before I’ve made up my mind.”
She laughed. “There’s no such thing as secrets here.”
I bought a variety of nuts and bolts and brought them back to the pie shop. Aunt Erma then led me in circles around town until she was sure no one was following us. The patch of fresh snow was in the back corner of an abandoned lot. I got to work, but my head was on apartments and my future.
“The middle isn’t round enough,” she said.
“It’s getting cold out here,” I said. “Can I try again tomorrow?”
“One more time,” she said. She paced back and forth in front of me.
“Wouldn’t it be weird if I win though? Since we’re sponsoring?” I could hear a little whine in my voice, and I was ever so slightly embarrassed, but being this cold made me revert to my younger self.
“I can’t win, but you can,” she said. “Only the owners of the sponsoring businesses are disqualified. If we didn’t let any of the employees win, half the town wouldn’t be eligible to compete.” Because that would be such a shame? I wondered. “The head is lopsided.” It turned out when it came to snowman-building competitions, Aunt Erma was like the worst overbearing pageant mom out there.
“Can’t we just use magic?” I asked as I carefully rounded out the middle ball.
“Magic is forbidden at these competitions,” she said. “At least until after the judging, when everyone makes the snowmen dance.” She giggled. “Lena made hers twerk last year. I didn’t even know what twerking was until then.”
“Yeah, Lena’s pretty hip.” I rubbed my hands together through the mittens before reassembling my snowman.
Aunt Erma took a step back and sized it up. “Not bad,” she said with a curt nod. “Next we’ll work on making the perfect facial expression.”
“Great, can’t wait,” I said a little flatly.
***
I stopped by the nursing home that afternoon.
Lacy at the front desk greeted me with her ever-bright smile. “Henry isn’t here right now, but I can let him know you stopped by.”
“That’s okay.” I tried to match her brightness. “I’m actually looking for Bernie.”
“Oh.” Her eyebrows shot up. “I think she’s in the dining room.”
I made my way through the orange-blossom-scented hallway, shedding my jacket, hat and mittens before arriving at the doorway to the dining room. It was filled with residents playing cards, chatting, and watching the fireplace. I spotted Bernie at a table in the corner. Her perfectly curled ringlets stuck out around the edges of the book she was reading. I greeted everyone as I made my way through the room. I sat down in a chair across from her and waited for her to notice me.
She looked up, confused, as though I’d interrupted her from her deep thoughts. Bernie was sometimes able to see things that other people couldn’t. It was her special brand of magic. I hadn’t met anyone else yet who could do that. Her messages were usually cryptic. When Aunt Erma had been a cat, Bernie had told me several times to “dust the cat”. It had tak
en me a while to figure out that she’d meant I should put fairy dust on the cat, but when it had all clicked in my mind I’d been able to turn Aunt Erma back into a person.
This time the situation was not quite as dramatic, but the stakes still felt pretty high to me. I wanted her to tell me if I should stay in Hocus Hills or move back to the city. I knew Lena had told me to look inside myself, but it didn’t hurt to have a little outside help, did it?
“Sorry to bother you,” I said. She looked at me through her large thick glasses that made her eyes look huge and blinked a few times before smiling.
“You’re never a bother.”
“Can I ask you something?” She put a bookmark in her book and set it on the table, then looked at me expectantly. I went through my whole dilemma with her. I covered just about every aspect of staying in Hocus Hills or going back to the city. I was very careful not to mention Henry or Josh. No one else was sitting near our table, but I didn’t really want Henry to catch wind that he was both a positive and a negative in my life plans. Something about the way Bernie squinted at me made me think she already knew anyway.
“What’s the right decision?” I asked her when I got all done.
“I’m not a Magic 8 Ball, dear,” she said. “You can’t just ask me a question, shake me, and get an answer.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry.” It was silent for a minute while I looked around the room before turning back to her.
“Do you want to know a fun spell?” she asked, as though offering me a consolation prize for her lack of answers.
“Sure.” I tried to hide my disappointment.
“Hold your ear.” She demonstrated, grabbing the edge of her ear, and I copied her. “Then look at people having a conversation that you want to hear, and repeat after me.”
I looked across the room to Frank Labelle and Claire Sprinkles, and repeated the spell Bernie recited. I heard the faint sound of popcorn popping. Then something strange happened. I sat up straighter in my chair as I heard Claire’s voice in my ear, even though she wasn’t talking to me.
“I can show you that new move I’ve been working on.” She spoke in a low, seductive voice.
