Page 17

D aisy

The fourth Madonna song clicked on the radio and Daisy tapped her foot against the floor.

The bedroom had a delicate glow about it with the setting sun on one side and the amber lights Daisy bought a few years ago on the other.

The warmth was meant to calm her down, but her mind was racing a million miles a minute.

The music, some of her favorite songs, played on repeat to set the fun mood.

Across from her, dancing in front of the walk-in closet, Tessa yanked out another dress.

This time it was long, reaching to the ankles, and had sequined beads speckled across the torso and lower skirts.

Tessa held it in front of her with a suggestive brow, the corner of her lip curling up in a grin.

“How about this one?” she asked. “I think it says ‘I’m a classy girl, but with a youthful, fun side.’ Right?”

Daisy eyed the dress. Butterflies swirled in her stomach.

She pressed her hand over her bellybutton, desperate to soothe the lunch they’d gotten from The Wilted Garden hours ago.

Nerves began plaguing her the moment lunch was finished.

Working at Fields’ Herbals while it was raging busy couldn’t even stop the fretting in her mind.

In fact, she managed to catch a glimpse of Ethan across the street when she was sweeping.

He hadn’t seen her, but Daisy couldn’t take her eyes away till he disappeared around the corner.

Her heart stammered and the butterflies fluttered through her as if she was a bright-eyed school girl.

Daisy shook her head. “Not that one.”

“Okay,” Tessa drawled, her eyes narrowing on her.

“Perhaps you’re feeling more like a top and bottom situation?

” She dived deeper into the closet before pulling out a skirt and ruffled blouse.

The skirt was dark and sleek, slightly flowing at the edges but tighter near the waist. The blouse had unfortunate ruffles across the breast, an old-fashioned trend she wished to forget.

“Now, this ,” Tessa continued as she held the outfit up, “is a more mature look, I know, but men these days appreciate a mature woman. How about it?”

Daisy frowned. Did she really want Ethan to see her as a mature woman?

Tessa sighed. “Judging by your look, I’ll assume you’d like to pass.”

“Blessed be,” Daisy breathed. “I’m sorry, Tess.”

Leaving the clothes behind, Tessa took a seat on the edge of the bed beside her and reached across to lower the radio’s volume as the Madonna music carried on.

“What’s going on, flowers?” She reached to tuck a strand of Daisy’s long hair behind her ear.

“Don’t tell me you're chickening out now! You’ve got a handsome knight in shining armor arriving in about an hour. ”

Daisy blushed. “I don’t think I’ve been this nervous since I first met Gary.”

“Really?” Tessa asked. “I thought you went on a few dates over the years.”

Daisy shrugged, twisting her hair around her finger nervously. “They weren’t anything serious,” she mumbled.

“So Ethan’s already serious, huh?” Tessa giggled, bumping her shoulder into Daisy’s.

Daisy let her head fall into her hands, unable to stop the embarrassment from showing.

“Relax, flowers,” Tessa cooed, running her hand over Daisy’s back. “I was only teasing. Is your date with Ethan really getting you this wound up?”

“The dates I’ve had after Gary felt forced, if that makes sense,” Daisy finally said.

“I was never ready, and it was never right. I pushed myself when I wasn’t actually meant to jump.

But now,” she paused, the smile finding her lips before she could catch it, “I feel something real for Ethan, Tess. It is so real for me, and it could all be because of that spell.”

Tessa frowned. “The spell?”

“What if he came back and asked me out on a date because I wanted it to happen?”

“Well, now,” Tessa shook her head, “we have no way of knowing that.”

Daisy shot up from the bed. “So shouldn’t I cancel the date until we know for certain?”

“Blessed be, no, Daisy!” Tessa exclaimed. “Are you truly that insecure about yourself?”

Daisy glared. “I am not insecure. This is a real concern.”

Tessa shook her head again as she crossed her legs. Her gaze was that of a disappointed mother. “Why can’t you just enjoy this?”

“If Ethan doesn’t really like me, why should I force him to go?” Daisy asked.

“It doesn’t have to be that negative, Daisy,” Tessa replied, her voice even and collected. “There’s nothing unusual about being nervous. Every woman and every girl gets nervous before their first dates. Don’t be ashamed of it.”

Daisy felt her embarrassment settle, but she stared into the closet still, the nerves growing stronger.

“What if it turns out to all be real?”

Daisy frowned. “What?”

“The date,” Tessa replied. “Your feelings and Ethan’s feelings. What happens then? Wouldn’t you want to enjoy your night?”

The words sunk into her. Daisy pressed her lips together. Sometimes, without realizing it, Tessa managed to still surprise her. She knew very well that Tessa would grow to be a flourishing empath, but besides that and all the magic in the world, she proved herself to be a brilliant friend.

Despite that, Daisy felt the worry wade over her once more.

If the reason behind Ethan asking her out did coincide with the potion, it would mean that his interest in her would simply disappear.

Things would return to the way they were before, or worse.

Daisy swallowed down the stress, not wanting to disappoint Tessa any further.

Daisy couldn’t find the strength to conjure up another argument, even if she wanted to.

Instead, she waded back to the bed and took a seat beside her best friend.

“You’re right,” she finally said.

Tessa fist-bumped the air, the victory evident on her face. “Shall we go back to outfit picking, then? There’s still the hair and makeup, you know.”

Daisy laughed, ready to tell her to carry on, when the phone started to ring. Holding her hand up to Tessa, Daisy raced out the room, tightening her hold on her warm bathrobe, and slid in front of the phone. She snatched it off the receiver right before the last ring finished.

“Hello?” she greeted, entirely breathless.

“Daisy! It’s Grandma!”

Daisy’s shoulders fell in relief. “Grandma Lotta,” she said, pressing a hand to her heart. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear from you.”

“Whatever’s the matter?” she huffed into the phone. “You sound winded! What’s going on?”

“Nothing to worry about, Grandma,” Daisy quickly said, leaning her shoulder against the wall. “I only wanted to hear your voice. It’s been quite the week for me here.”

“Really?” she asked. “I pray that the shop is treating you well. You know, you need to watch -”

“ - How much I work, I know,” Daisy finished. She smiled, taking all the reassurance she could get from her grandmother’s presence. “You’ll be happy to hear that Fields’ Herbals has been flourishing lately.”

“Flourishing?” Grandma Lotta repeated, the smile evident in her voice.

“The business has been skyrocketing,” Daisy explained.

Telling another soul about the things that happened within the past week was relieving.

Daisy had known that her grandmother was an outrageously spectacular witch all her life and she wanted more time to disclose it all to her, but she hesitated on unpacking it all.

There wasn’t a true need to get Grandma Lotta involved in something that could burden her to no end.

“For a few days straight, even,” Daisy continued. “Honestly, Grandma, it was hard to believe at first, but we’re soaking it up as much as we can. The business had…well, I’ll say it had been resting on my shoulders for some time. This was a much needed relief.”

Grandma Lotta was silent for a long moment.

Daisy could just imagine her sitting at her favorite rocking hair, one hand resting across her heart, another clutching at the phone, her head tilted back with eyes squeezed shut.

Her hair, once brown like Daisy’s but grey with age, was pulled into a loose braid down her shoulder.

“What good work you’ve done, Daisy,” Grandma Lotta cooed. “Your mother would be more than proud.”

Daisy sighed and leaned her entire back against the wall. “I think she would be, too.”

“Well,” Grandma Lotta said after a long sniffle, “what’re you up to now that you’re off? Anything fun? It is a Friday, after all.”

Daisy perked up. Perhaps she could revel in her date with Ethan, like Tessa had said. What if she never had the chance to do it again?

“I’ll actually be going on a date tonight, Grandma,” she replied.

“A date ?”

“Mhm,” Daisy said. “With Ethan -”

“Walker?” Grandma Lotta blurted, her voice loud with excitement.

Daisy laughed. “You got it. Do you remember him?”

“Oh, I know the name well enough,” she replied. “I never thought I’d live to see the day you'd be going back on dates.”

“Grandma,” Daisy whined. “I’ve told you of numerous dates I’ve been on since Gary.”

“Beeswax, that’s what those were,” she snapped. “This, this, is a real date. Ethan’s a good boy, from an even better family.” Grandma Lotta made a tsk sound. “Shame what happened in his first marriage, but sometimes, hardships like that make a man what he needs to be.”

Daisy smiled. “He is very kind, Grandma. I know you’d like him.”

“I’m sure I would.” Grandma Lotta sighed, the sound almost wistful in a way. “Daisy, there is only one thing that truly brightens my world, and it’s seeing you so happy.”

Daisy blushed, the smile stretching so wide it hurt her cheeks. “Grandma.”

“Knowing you are happy is all I need to get by,” she whispered. “And you deserve all the happiness the world has to offer.”

“I should see you more,” Daisy said in a small voice. For a moment she thought it had been in her head, but it wasn’t until she heard her grandmother’s sigh breathe through the intercom she realized she said it aloud. “I’m sorry I haven’t visited you recently, Grandma.”

“Silly Daisy,” Grandma Lotta cooed. “You have a successful business to run!”

“I promise I’ll be there soon,” Daisy added.

Grandma Lotta sighed, but didn’t argue. “Don’t you have a date to get ready for?”

Daisy laughed, eager to get off the phone but unwilling to say goodbye.

“I will see you soon,” Grandma Lotta said. “Go and enjoy your date, Daisy.”

“I love you, Grandma.”

Her smile could be heard over the phone. “And I love you more, Daisy.”

Daisy lowered the phone and set it back down on the receiver.

Making her way back towards her bedroom, she wrapped her arms tightly around her body.

A chill of excitement lingered within her still, blending alongside a constant blur of nerves.

She took every last bit of it. To experience her date with Ethan, she’d take it all.

Even if it did turn out to be a product of the spell that ominously loomed over her.

Tessa flung around when Daisy entered the room.

A stunning red dress was held up in front of her.

The bottom half came down to her knees, spreading out slightly as it tapered up towards her waist. From the waist up, the dress was form fitting and sleeveless, hugging her chin like a turtle neck.

Despite its simplicity, it felt oddly scandalous, a far too attractive dress for a woman like her to wear.

Daisy blushed. “I don’t think that’s appropriate.”

“What’s inappropriate about it?” Tessa pulled it back to look over it again before shrugging. “Looks perfect to me.”

“I-I haven’t worn it in years,” Daisy said next, though her argument felt flat and Tessa obviously wasn’t buying it. “I doubt it still fits.”

“Perfect reason to try it on.”

Daisy sighed, but took the dress from her outstretched hands.

Slipping within the walk-in closet, she threw off her robe and shimmied into the dress.

While it felt far too snug to reach over her hips for a moment, it fit like a glove in the next.

The zipper came up all the way with ease.

The skirt reached her bony knees. Daisy crept out from the closet, stepping into the frame of her mirror cautiously.

“Blessed be,” Tessa breathed, a hand over her heart. “If only the world realized that women over fifty could look like you do right now.”

Daisy covered her face but peeked through her fingers as she watched herself sway in the mirror. The confidence trickled into her slowly, like the beginning of rain, before it washed over her completely, the downpour fully falling over her. Daisy had never seen herself look so beautiful.

“How fast can you do my hair and makeup?” Daisy asked.

Tessa beamed, already grabbing onto the things she needed.

The next ten minutes were spent in the midst of intense concentration.

Tessa worked brilliantly across Daisy’s face, leaving the makeup to a minimum while highlighting the natural beauty in her face.

Her long brown hair normally flew all around her on a regular day, quite frizzy when Daisy couldn’t be bothered with it.

Tessa pulled her long strands into a bun at the back of her head, pulling a few long curls out to purposefully frame Daisy’s face shape.

By the time she was finished, Daisy stared into the mirror and wondered where that person came from.

Suddenly she was a different woman, one that she never expected herself to be.

Not that she meant it in a bad, vindictive way, but rather a kind of future she thought to be impossible for her.

Daisy touched the side of her face as if to make sure what she saw in the mirror was truly real life.

“Tessa,” she breathed. “I’m -”

Ring! Ring! Ring!

The musical doorbell rang through the house.

Daisy flung herself away from the mirror, frantically looking up at the clock and gaping at the time. “Blessed be, he’s here!”

“Breathe, flowers,” Tessa said giddily, a wide smile on her face.

“Here’s your purse!” She shoved it into her hands.

“And shawl,” she added while wrapping it loosely around Daisy’s shoulders.

When she was finished, Tessa gingerly held the sides of her face.

“No matter what happens,” she whispered, “you deserve this.”

Daisy beamed and left the bedroom behind her. With every step she took closer to the front door, her belly hummed with anticipatory nerves, but she merely let them push her forward. Once she reached the front door, Daisy exhaled, determined to not let this moment slip between her fingertips.

Daisy opened the door.

“Hello, Ethan.”