We covered my main display counter with a heavy brocade cloth; it would serve as a refreshments stand. The shop was nearly emptied of merchandise, but I kept the too-fragile-to-wear dresses hanging on the wall as art pieces, their gossamer skirts fanning out. We outfitted the mannequins in the store’s window displays in sets of matching dresses that hadn’t been purchased for the tea. When, at Maya’s suggestion, we fitted them with hats and gloves, they looked very smart.
By early afternoon, we were done. Duke ordered pizza and the whole crew sprawled on the floor of the shop admiring our handiwork, and taking a well-deserved food break before starting on phase two of the preparations: giving the place a good scrubbing. I wanted to take this rare opportunity to clean thoroughly—using both standard and magical means. Sweeping and mopping under and around racks of clothing is no easy feat, and though I “cleansed” the shop every morning, given the circumstances, I thought it best to add a little extra magic. After the shop had been thoroughly vacuumed, mopped, and wiped down, I smudged widdershins, then sprinkled saltwater deosil, all over the store.
Next we set up several small folding café tables, and ringed the room with long tables for refreshments. There wouldn’t be enough room for everyone to sit at a table, but we wanted at least some chairs for those who needed them. Tomorrow morning we would put out the fresh flowers, dishes, and silverware. I was happy to have a reason to put all that vintage cutlery Selena had been polishing to good use.
I had noticed Conrad and his friend Shalimar whispering throughout the day; she seemed to be urging him to do something. Shalimar left after our pizza feast, and I asked Conrad if everything was okay.
“Dude, I’mma turn twenty-five next month,” he said. “I wanted to ask you . . .”
“Would you like to hold a party here?” I asked.
“Naw, it’s not that. It’s more like . . . I’m, like, tired. I was thinking I want to change things. Maybe visit my mom.”
“I didn’t know you had a mom.”
“Dude. Sure. We . . . we haven’t been close; but lately I’ve been thinking. I mean . . . a person never knows what’s gonna happen, y’know? I’m not getting any younger, and neither is she. It’s easy to act like you’ve got plenty of time, but when you really think about it, no one really knows how much time they have.”
“You are a very wise man, Conrad,” I said.
His words made me think of my own mother. Yes, I was anxious to see her, but part of me had been hoping she wouldn’t come. It was going to be hard to face her—wonderful, but hard. In some ways it was tempting just to avoid the whole thing. But Conrad was right. How did I know how much time I had, or how much time she had? I had faced disaster, and even death, several times in the past couple of years. I couldn’t take life, or time, for granted. None of us could.
“So, when you say you want to make some changes,” I continued, “what do you mean?”
His eyes shifted around the newly cavernous shop, as though he was embarrassed. “Dude. Sobriety. You’ve offered to help me get sober, before.”
Inside, I was jumping up and down in excitement. But I didn’t want to come on too strong, afraid to scare him off. So I played it cool. I kept my focus on the glass front of the display counter I was cleaning. “Oh, sure.”
“Is that, like, difficult?”
“Making any sort of serious change in life is always difficult,” I said. “But sometimes that’s an indication of how important it is to do.”
He nodded. “I guess I’m up to the challenge.”
“I know you are.” I smiled, and hugged him. Conrad was shaggy, his clothes threadbare. But he was kindhearted, and intelligent, and a good friend. “And I’ll be there beside you, every step of the way.”
“Thanks, Lily.”
“It will be my honor, and my pleasure. Now, care to help me set up some tables?”
“It will be my honor, and my pleasure.”
• • •
We had started our day before eight, so by four we had finished all we could do in preparation for the big Magical Match Tea. Tomorrow we would do all the last-minute tasks, like laying out food and flowers. Tonight everyone had baked goods to make, not to mention matching outfits to perfect, so we dispersed early.
I drove Selena back to her grandmother’s house, and we had a long talk about enforcing rules. We decided Selena would come to the tea tomorrow, but be grounded for a week after that. And any further shenanigans—especially putting herself in danger—would mean she might not be allowed to attend my wedding.
Afterward, I hurried back home to bake a few dozen macadamia butterscotch chocolate-chip cookies and wash all the silver cutlery Selena had polished, and I also wanted to brew to help Conrad.
And then I would brew for our safety tomorrow at the tea. I was profoundly worried about the Ashen Witch not appearing the last time I’d brewed, but I didn’t know what else to do but what I’d always done. I flipped through my Book of Shadows, but found no answers. How
