Page 10

D aisy

The business at Fields’ Herbals never once let up.

The following morning, Daisy and Tessa arrived to find a line already growing outside the door.

Returning customers along with the unfamiliar faces of tourists excitedly awaited the ‘open’ sign, whispering and wondering about what tonics they’ll order next.

Daisy kept to the arcane room for most of the morning, pushing herself to the very limits to make all the orders they were receiving.

Only an hour into the workday, with an already full storefront, Daisy hurriedly called Anne.

Anne arrived within minutes of being called.

Luckily for them, she lived a few doors down, in an apartment building above a delectable cheese shop.

She swept through the storefront like an owner herself, regaining control over the crowd and seamlessly handling the growing line.

Daisy heard Anne’s deep voice from within the arcane room, immediately putting her stress at ease with the extra help.

“Morning, Daisy!” Anne greeted as she came into the backroom and set down her shawl and frayed old purse. Her rustically brown skin was glowing in the dim light, those wide chestnut-colored eyes warming up the room immediately. “Quite the crowd you’ve got out there.”

Daisy peeled herself away from her worktable. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Anne. The day’s just started and I’m behind already.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Well, it’s more than good, I suppose,” Daisy mused.

Anne raised a thick brow. “And?”

“And what?”

“Now, now, dear,” Anne cooed, “I’ve had five children myself, and they’ve gone on to give me over ten grandchildren.

I think I know a cloudy mind when I see one.

” Anne drew nearer, placing a wrinkled hand over Daisy’s.

“The worst thing you can do is trap it inside. We are humans, after all. God never intended to have us holding so much within. That’s why we’ve got each other. ”

Daisy let a smile cross her face. She’d never considered herself to be religious as an adult, though she attended church every Sunday alongside her family.

Hearing the words come from Anne made her feel small again, like she would head home soon to her parents cooking a roast in the oven and asking about her day.

It was one of the reasons why she greedily loved having Anne around.

Sometimes, feeling like a child again was enough to brighten Daisy’s troubled mind.

Daisy squeezed her hand. “Get us through this rush, and I’ll talk to you till your ears fall off.”

Anne gave her a quick wink before scurrying back out into the storefront.

The older woman’s voice carried through the room as she greeted the guests, knowing most of the Willowbrook residents by name.

Her addition to the business gave Daisy enough comfort to leave the counter in her hands.

Not only was Tessa a brilliant conversationalist - much due to her ongoing empath studies - but the involvement of Anne turned them into an unstoppable pairing.

There wouldn’t be a frowning patron in all of Willowbrook.

Daisy continued her work for a few more hours, till it was late morning and her stomach grumbled.

She’d just finished brewing a series of insomnia elixirs, which happened to be the second most popular after her skincare kits.

People of all ages came for a reprieve from their restlessness and returned with empty bottles, praising Daisy for how well and quickly the elixirs worked.

Doctors familiar with her practices quickly began referring their patients to her as well.

Tessa slipped into the arcane room just as Daisy finished pouring the elixir through a funnel, and into a series of short vials. Tessa swiped a rag across her forehead before laying it across the back of her neck.

“I gotta tell you,” Tessa breathed, “this crazy business has me beat before the clock even strikes noon.”

Daisy chuckled, though she felt the exhaustion all the same. “They say that comes with old age, Tess.”

She gaped. “Don’t offend me, now! Or you’ll have to make me a private batch of that deaging cream.

” Tessa chuckled to herself as she crossed the room, looking over the ledger of all the tonics and brews Daisy had marked off her list. She let out a low, impressed whistle.

“How do you feel after all that potion making?”

Daisy shrugged. “You know.” She chugged down the rest of her water, the depletion of her energy holding onto her more than it usually did. “It is what it normally is.”

“You should eat something.”

“Don’t you think it’s too busy?”

Tessa nodded towards the storefront. “Take a look at it yourself.”

With a heavy sigh, Daisy pushed herself up, ignoring the cracks and aches that began in her knees. Her long cardigan reached down to her ankles as she stood, the warm fabric clinging onto her in the already stuffy building.

The storefront was surprisingly quiet. Anne swept within the aisles, whistling a cheery tune as she worked.

A faint smile remained on her lips. Passersby lingered outside the front door, glancing through the windows before deciding if they wanted to come in or not.

Despite already having a large amount of sales, the extra tonics Daisy worked on kept the shelves full and ready for more purchases.

Daisy breathed a sigh of relief. They could handle the busy shift after all.

Anne came back around the counter. “Why don’t you two get some lunch?”

“What about you?” Daisy asked. “You’ve already done so much.”

The older woman waved a dismissive hand in the air. “There’s a cluttered shelf calling my name. Take a break to enjoy this fine day, won’t you?”

Daisy breathed in deeply. Even from within the shop, she could tell that the sky was a cloudless blue.

The sun rose steadily over the trees, bringing a steady heat throughout the town.

A gentle breeze coaxed the trees into a delicate sway.

Daisy felt her shoulders sag. Perhaps she was craving a moment or two out in the fresh air.

“As long as you’re comfortable with it, Anne,” she said.

Anne was already making her way to the crowded shelves positioned at the wall, where a few vials and squat containers were tumbling into each other.

With Tessa following close behind, Daisy made her way out of Fields’ Herbals .

The weekday was surprisingly busy in downtown Willowbrook.

Tourists were more common at that time of year, when the trees had a magnificent color and the flowers bloomed all along the streets.

The pair began to make their way in the opposite direction, where a small diner a few doors down from the shop sat.

“How does The Wilted Garden sound for lunch?” Tessa asked.

Daisy nodded. “We’ll probably run into every person we know in town, but -”

“I think you can say that for everywhere in Willowbrook.”

Daisy blurted out a laugh. “Touche.”

The Wilted Garden sat at the very end of the block and was built in the traditional style of a diner.

The floors were a square black-and-white pattern, with red barstools and booths with squeaky leather seats.

Behind the bar counter, the entire kitchen was on display, the tall cooks flipping pancakes and building sandwiches.

Most townspeople found themselves in the mock diner regularly, using it as their time for mingling and gossiping.

While Old Lady Witherford often sat at the counter directly beside the cash register, Daisy didn’t expect to see her there today.

When they entered, The Wilted Garden was already bustling with lively energy. Daisy led the way to her favorite booth, one that was directly in the middle of the row with a delightful view of the storefront down the way.

“Can’t keep your mind away for even one second, can you?” Tessa teased as they slid into the booth.

Daisy shrugged. “Can you blame me?”

“Sure,” Tessa said, “but I won’t today.”

They laughed together as the waitress came up to the table.

“Good morning, Lucy,” Daisy greeted. “How’s the tonic doing for you?”

The waitress, Lucy, attended the local community college on the outskirts of Willowbrook.

She was an attentive student, one who’d left high school in the south with more accolades than Daisy could count.

Lucy, however, struggled to merge into college life after the ease of high school, and had trouble concentrating when it came time to get her work done.

She came to Fields’ Herbals the previous week and ordered a custom-made tonic, fit around her needs specifically.

“Holy Lord, Daisy,” Lucy drawled, her heavy southern accent quickly filling the already noisy restaurant, “You damn near saved my entire semester.”

“I guess that means it’s working for you?”

“It’s more than working,” Lucy said. “I feel like myself again. How about some of Jesse’s famous chicken salad sandwiches for you both, on the house? Extra sweet potato fries on the side?”

Before Daisy could speak, Tessa piped up.

“How kind of you, Lucy!” Tessa exclaimed with a wide smile. “I think some sweet teas might sweeten the deal.”

Lucy finger gunned her before twisting around and disappearing behind the counter.

“You’re something else, Tess,” Daisy teased.

Tessa shrugged sheepishly. “If business skyrocketing means free lunch, I’ll take it faster than you can say ‘witch’!”

After the teas were delivered, Daisy sipped leisurely, her gaze focused out the window.

From where they sat, she watched a handful of young people trickle into Fields’ Herbals .

For a moment, her immediate instinct was to rush out of there and assist Anne, but she settled herself just as fast. Anne wouldn’t have told them to leave if she couldn’t handle it herself, and with how everything had been going the past few days, she needed a moment or two to sit in a cozy diner.

“Look at what the cat dragged in,” Tessa quietly mused, her eyes following someone behind them.