Page 122 of Smoky Mountain Dreams

“Oh, dear! Don’t call me ma’am, sweetie. Nova will do justfine, and please just call Tim by his given name too. It will confound us bothif you call us something else.” She reached into the cupboard and pulled outthree glasses. “You’re having some too, Jesse,” she said a little sternly,brooking no disagreement.

“If I must.”

Christopher looked a little nervous as Nova sat down the glasses.

“It’s tea,” she said. “A very wonderful, healthy tea thatwill strengthen your immune system and clean out your liver.”

“She grows it in her closet,” Jesse added.

“She grows tea in her closet?” Christopher’s eyes widened.

“No, she grows the SCOBY in the tea in her closet. It’sincredibly sanitary.”

“Shh, Jesse Birch, you’ll scare him. It’s perfectly safe.”Nova grabbed a pitcher of the golden liquid from the fridge. “Besides I don’tserve it with the SCOBY still in it. I use the SCOBY to start a new batch!”

“SCOBY?” Christopher murmured as she approached.

Jesse rested his chin against his fist and watched Nova makeher way across the kitchen with the pitcher in hand. “Yeah, gross slimy stufffrom where she’s fermented it for a few months.”

“Slimy stuff?” Christopher said, his voice slightly fainter,but he continued to smile at Nova like he desperately wanted her to like himdespite his lack of knowledge of kombucha.

“It looks like afterbirth.”

Nova sat the pitcher on the table and slapped Jesse’sshoulder scoldingly.

“Now, now, I thought Buddhists were against violence of anykind?” Jesse laughed.

Nova chuckled too, and poured the tea. “I should warn you it’snot fruity at all. More vinegary and, since I added ginger to this batch, a bitgingery.”

Christopher nodded and looked at the glass a littlesuspiciously, but then he lifted it and took a game sip. His eyes brightenedand he smiled. “Oh, wow, that’s pretty…strange. But good. I like it.”

Nova was clearly charmed and promptly topped off his glass. “Drinkit all for a healthy liver.”

Christopher took another mouthful and nodded happily at heras she returned the pitcher to the refrigerator. He caught Jesse’s eye andsmiled shyly. Jesse gave him another reassuring wink.

“Christopher, how is work?” Nova asked.

“Good! I’ve got the back-up lead role for the Christmasshow. Did two earlier today, and the crowds are great. Really enthusiastic!Always makes me feel amazing when they sing and clap along.”

“Well, you’re quite a performer.” She beamed. “I alwaysenjoy you.”

“Thank you, m—Nova.”

Jesse lifted his glass in a toast to Christopher’s improvedaccepting of compliments, and took a swallow. He coughed slightly. “Holy crap,Nova, what the hell? This is like fizzy hot vinegar!”

“I let it ferment a little longer than usual. It’s healthierthat way.”

“It’s terrible. Christopher, you don’t need to drink it.”

Christopher shrugged and took another sip. “I guess I like vinegar.”

Jesse chuckled. “Suck up.”

Nova rolled her eyes. “He’s not sucking up. It’s delicious.”She turned to Christopher and said jokingly, “If only poor Jesse’s taste budsweren’t spoiled by too much expensive wine.”

Jesse cracked up and Nova did too. Christopher laughedalong, though he didn’t know the context of the inside joke: Nova only likedcheap wine no matter how Jesse had tried to train her tongue to appreciate thegood stuff.

“But back to you, Christopher.” She smiled at him. “Do youhave any aspirations for your career? To replace Lash, perhaps, when he finallydrinks himself to death?”