A Charming Brew Read online

“All right. Yes. When?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll figure something out. Two. Karla and I want to help.”

  I laughed. “We’d love to have you. Are you sure?”

  “But I don’t know where we’ll get costumes.”

  “Abby, can you do two more costumes?”

  “Sure,” she said. “Invite them next weekend.”

  I relayed that, and Jay-jay said, “That’ll be great. Last. I want your niece.”

  “She’s too young for you.”

  “Funny. A day at Valleyfair. It’s the end of the season, so it has to be soon. Maybe the day after Halloween. There’s nothing more pitiful than a couple of old broads going to Valleyfair together, but if we’ve got a teenager along, then we have an excuse.”

  I laughed. “Lydia, Jay-jay will only give us the scaffolding if she and Karla can take you to Valleyfair before the season is over.”

  Lydia pressed the back of her wrist to her forehead and leaned backwards dramatically. “The things I do for my school. Are you catching this, Ms. Mathis?”

  “I sure am,” Phoebe said with a grin. “Your sacrifice is duly noted.”

  “Lydia is reluctantly on board for a day of bad food and fast rides,” I told Jay-jay. “But I’ll have to talk to Merry.”

  “You tell your sister no Valleyfair, no scaffolding. I’ve got you over a barrel on this, Jackie.” She laughed, then sobered. “Is Merry going to have a problem? If so, that’s fine.”

  “I can’t imagine she’ll turn you down, but I don’t want to presume. You know how it is.”

  “Yeah, I know how it is.”

  I relayed the remaining information. Jay-jay and Ron talked for a minute, then Jay-jay promised to be by Saturday morning with a few scaffolding pieces as models. “And I’ll call you about Maeve.”

  “Great.”

  I hung up then looked at Phoebe. “Can you help me in the kitchen? Lydia, set the dining room table.”

  Phoebe and I headed to the kitchen. I began pulling things from the oven then turned to her. “You have a chance to change your mind about something.”

  “Dinner? It smells great.”

  “It’s probably obvious, but in case it’s not, I’m a lesbian.”

  “I know. So?”

  “And Jay-jay and Karla are lesbians.”

  “I gathered. And so I ask again. So?”

  “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t have a problem with that.”

  “Why would I have a problem with that?”

  “Don’t be coy. A great many people have a problem with that.”

  “I’m not one of them,” she replied. “Did you think I did?”

  “No, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Rose’s mother did.”

  “No. She might be a protective parent, but she’s not a bigot. Now, what’s this about some woman?”

  I groaned and told her about my agreement with Jay-jay. Phoebe laughed. “Enjoy your date.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” I said. “Hell, she may not be interested in me.”

  “Will your friend still let us have the scaffolding if you don’t take this woman out? Maybe you should dress the part when you meet her.” She stepped up closer and unbuttoned my top blouse button. I stared at her while she did it. “Show a little cleavage. I hear lesbians like cleavage. Or I assume they do, anyway.” She looked down at my chest. “One more would be better, but this isn’t the setting.”

  “I can’t believe you just did that,” I said.

  She giggled. “Neither can I, actually.” She stepped away. “Jackie, it’s all fine.”

  Lydia stepped in at that moment to collect things from the cupboards, but she stopped and looked back and forth between us. Then she grinned, quickly grabbed what she needed, and fled without a word. Phoebe and I both stared after her.

  Then Phoebe turned back to me. “Jackie? I hope we’re friends.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “Good.”

  * * * *

  “So?” Lydia said to me as the others drove away. “You like her.”

  “She’s straight.”

  “No, she’s not.”

  “Lydia...”

  “What was that bit in the kitchen? I saw your blouse.”

  I blushed. I actually blushed, and of course, Lydia noticed. She began laughing. “I knew you liked her! Did she check you out?”

  “She did not. Stop it.”

  “Tell me what was up in the kitchen, and honestly tell me if you like her, and I’ll drop it.”

  I sighed. I didn’t have the sort of relationship with my niece where I would just order her to leave me alone about it. I encouraged her curiosity. And her joy.

  “Yes, I like her. But she’s not gay. We’re friends. That’s it.”

  “And the kitchen?”

  I told her about Jay-jay demanding I take her friend on a date.

  “What has that to do with your button? And you were both looking a little guilty.”

  “Um.”

  Lydia turned full on to me with a hand on her hip.

  “Lydia, do you know how to be discrete?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “If you repeat this story, it could cause trouble for Ms. Mathis. And she doesn’t deserve that sort of trouble.”

  “I wouldn’t do a thing to hurt her! You know that.”

  “I need to be clear about this. Not a word. No comments. Nothing. You promise. This is the absolute last time you utter a single word about this, or I’m shutting down this conversation.”

  “This meaning you and Ms. Mathis, or this meaning your button.”

  “The button.”

  She held up her hand. “I swear. Not one word. After I tease you a tiny bit more.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” I told her the rest of the story. She was laughing by the end.

  “I bet she checked you out, and that was totally flirting.”

  “If she weren’t straight, then yes, it was totally flirting. But as she’s straight, it wasn’t. It was teasing. Hell, your mother has done the same thing to me. Twice. Right before dates. But if you say a single word to her...”

  She laughed again. “Mom’s got a wild side to her. It doesn’t come out very often.”

  “Yeah, she does. But I am not sharing stories with you. She’d kill me.”

  Lydia cocked her head. “She wouldn’t kill you. But she might not let me come over as often.”

  “Yeah. That might be worse.”

  Lydia stepped up and hugged me. “Yeah.”

  We collected our things and headed for the garage. “What about all your stuff?” Lydia asked. “I put the bin on the shelf.” She pointed.

  “After this is over,” I said. “Everyone’s coming on Saturday.”

  “I’ll help you put it back up after they leave,” she said.

  After that, she grew quiet, staring out the window as we drove out of my neighborhood. I wondered if she was tired. We were halfway to her home when she turned to me.

  “Aunt Jackie?”

  “Lydia.”

  “Are you some kind of witch?”

  Conversation

  I sputtered for a minute before pulling it together. “Why would you ask something like that?”

  “It’s an easy question with a simple, one-word answer,” she said. “Are you?”

  “Is this about the art project you found in my craft room.”

  “I don’t think it’s a craft room. I think it’s a spell room.”

  “Lydia, don’t be silly. Where is this coming from?”

  She held up her wrist, the one with the protection charm. “What is this?”

  “It’s a friendship bracelet.”

  “Every time something happens to one, you make me a new one. And Mom quietly guilts me into wearing it, saying how important it is to you. She said you’ll never have kids of your own, and so I’m like a daughter for you, too.”

  “You are,” I said quietly. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”


  “I love you, too. But you’ve never lied to me before. Are you going to lie to me now? Are you a witch?”

  “Are there even such things?”

  She held up her wrist again and waved it at me. “And I remember the necklace you tried to get me to wear. If it’s bigger, does that make it more powerful?”

  “Lydia...”

  “Yes or no, Aunt Jackie.”

  I found a place and pulled over, putting the car in park. I turned to her in the dim light. My heart was going a mile a minute. Merry was going to kill me.

  “Look,” she said. “I’m not stupid. You have all that new age stuff.” She waved her wrist. “And I know that wasn’t an art project. It’s a spell, isn’t it? You about had a cow when I mentioned it. If it were an art project, you wouldn’t have minded anyone seeing it.”

  “I left it on.”

  “You locked your craft room,” she said. She waved her wrist. “And is that some of my hair woven into the flowers and stuff?” She cocked her head. “Mom knows. She’s the one who gave you the hair. What is this?”

  “Lydia...” I’m sure she heard the pain in my voice. Merry was going to kill me. No. She’d never let me see my niece again.

  “Why won’t you answer? You know I won’t tell a soul.” She paused. “Mom. It’s because of Mom. You’re not supposed to tell me.”

  “Your mother and I...”

  “Do not lie to me!” she said. “Please, we don’t have to tell Mom I know.”

  “Your mother can smell a conspiracy from a mile away.”

  “Just answer me. Yes or no. Are you a witch?”

  I turned away, a lump in my throat. I pushed back the tears. I’d never see her again. I just knew it. Merry was going to be so angry, and I couldn’t blame her. I sat there, staring out the window, blinking away tears, until I felt a hand on my arm. “Aunt Jackie?”

  “Yes,” I said.

  “That is so cool!” Lydia exclaimed. “How did you become a witch? What kind of spells do you make? Can you do a love spell? If you can do love spells, you could do one for Ms. Mathis. I know she likes you, and I know you don’t believe me, but she’s totally gay, and you two-“

  I turned to her. “Lydia.” She shut up. “Love spells are evil.”

  “What?”

  “Love spells are evil. They are designed to force someone into doing something she wouldn’t otherwise do. They’re wrong, and I don’t do them.”

  “Oh. So what kind of spells do you do?”

  “Mostly protection spells,” I said. I pointed at her wrist. “That’s what the bracelet is. You’re right. A necklace would be stronger. It’s bigger and closer to both your heart and your head.”

  “Protection from what? Bad luck?”

  “There’s a little bit of good luck in it, but that’s mostly protection from evil.”

  She grabbed her wrist and stared down at it for a minute. Then she asked quietly, “Why didn’t you ever tell me? Were you afraid I’d blab.”

  “No. Your mother and I decided-“

  “Mom knows.”

  “Of course she knows,” I said. “We decided to tell you when you’re a little older. 18.”

  “Don’t give me that. Mom decided, and you’re standing beside her so I don’t get mad at her.”

  I sighed then clicked the steering wheel to activate the voice interface. “Call Merry,” I said.

  “Calling Merry Davis,” the car responded.

  “We don’t have to tell Mom,” Lydia said.

  “Yes, we do.”

  There was ringing, and then Merry answered. “It’s a school night, Jackie.”

  “Merry, we’ll be there in another four minutes. Get rid of John. Three of us have to talk.”

  There was a pause. “Right,” she said. She clicked off without another word.

  “She’s pissed,” Lydia said.

  “Your mother is a smart woman. She knows what that call meant,” I replied.

  “Dad doesn’t know.”

  “No.”

  “Mom used to wear a bracelet like this.”

  “She still wears one,” I said.

  “But the other day I saw her wearing a necklace, too. You said necklaces are more powerful. Why didn’t she wear one before, but now she’s wearing one? And what was that spell you were brewing?”

  “Lydia,” I said. “No more questions. I’m serious.”

  “No more questions ever? Or no more questions until we get home and Mom can scream at you first?”

  I sighed. “The latter.” Then the tears began flowing, and I turned to face the window again.

  “Aunt Jackie?” Lydia said. “Don’t cry. I think it’s cool. Now you’re really, really the cool aunt. It sucks I can’t tell anyone, but I understand. I won’t say a word to anyone.”

  “You don’t understand,” I said. “Your mother won’t ever let me see you again.”

  “That’s ridiculous. You said she already knew.”

  “But you didn’t.”

  “I figured it out two years ago.”

  I turned back to face her, pushing tears away.

  “It was that Harry Potter marathon. Do you remember? It was all four of us. Dad said something about witches being mythical. You and mom exchanged one of your looks and didn’t say a word. And I started thinking.”

  I sat for a moment. “So you figured it out, but your mother didn’t know you had figured it out.” I sighed. “We better get going.”

  I put the car into gear and pulled back onto the road. Lydia sat quietly for the rest of the drive. I pulled into her driveway and shut down the car, then stared straight ahead.

  “Mom might be mad,” Lydia said quietly. “But she can’t keep us apart.”

  “Yes, she can.”

  “I’ll-“

  I turned to her. “You will do what she tells you to do,” I said firmly. “She might, and I use that word carefully, let me continue to make protection charms for the two of you, but if you defy her, she’ll cut me out of your lives completely. You will do whatever she tells you to, and you won’t argue with her. Am I clear?”

  She lowered her eyes. “Yes, Aunt Jackie. I’m sorry. I should have kept my mouth shut.”

  “You and I have never had that kind of relationship, honey.”

  We got out of the car, and then she ran around and enveloped me in a hug. We held each other a long time, but then we heard Merry’s voice from the doorway.

  “Come on, you two.”

  She sounded tired and sad, but not angry. Maybe this wasn’t the end of the world.

  Reluctantly, I released my niece. She immediately ran to her mom, came to a stop, and said, “It’s not her fault. I figured it out all on my own.”

  “Inside,” Merry said. “Downstairs where your father won’t hear.”

  Lydia didn’t argue, but when I reached the bottom of the steps, Merry stepped fully in front of the door, looking down at me. I dropped my gaze and stared at her feet.

  “Please, Merry,” I said, the tears starting to flow. “Don’t keep her from me. I’m begging you.”

  “What happened?”

  “She guessed. She guessed two years ago, or so she says. But she found the brew for your belt. She confronted me in the car.”

  “And you couldn’t have lied to her?”

  I looked up. “No.”

  “Why not?” Her tone was harsh.

  “First of all, your daughter is at least as good at detecting a lie as you are, possibly better. Second, I’m a horrible liar. And third, lying to her is wrong.” I paused. “And fourth, when we finally did tell her, how do you think she would feel if she had already asked me flat out, and I had lied to her. Is that what you would have wanted?”

  She stared down at me.

  “She’s eventually going to stumble upon her own magic, with or without me. Which would you prefer?”

  “Get inside,” she said, clearing the doorway. “We’ll discuss this calmly.”

  I headed for the basement.

/>   * * * *

  Lydia was pacing back and forth as I entered the game room. This was actually Lydia and John’s space together. There was an air hockey game and a video console, along with a couch and two chairs.

  Merry entered the room behind me, and Lydia turned to her mother. “Don’t blame her. I figured it out.”

  “Sit,” Merry said pointing to the sofa. Lydia put on a rebellious expression but then glanced at me. Without a word, she took a place on the couch. Merry pointed to one of the chairs for me, and then she took the other. “Tell me how you guessed.”

  Lydia told the entire story. I didn’t say a word. Periodically she begged Merry not to blame me. “You can’t keep us apart!”

  “I can, and if I decide that’s in your best interest, I will. And you will obey me. Do you hear me?”

  She glanced at me. “That’s what Aunt Jackie told me. That I had to obey you. But-“

  “Quiet.”

  Lydia, uncharacteristically, grew silent.

  “Your aunt and I,” Merry began. Then she glanced at me. “No. Your aunt thought I was wrong. She’s been begging me for two years to be allowed to tell you. I decided we weren’t going to tell you until you turned 18.”

  “Why not? I wouldn’t blab.”

  “Because you should be old enough to understand the implications,” Merry said.

  “I’m old enough now.”

  “Frankly, you’re not. You’re mature for your age, but you’ll never be old enough to understand completely until...” She trailed off.

  “Until when?”

  “Until you’re forced to choose.”

  “Choose? Choose what?”

  Merry didn’t answer directly. “The day I knew I was pregnant with you was both the best and worst day of my life.”

  “You didn’t want me? Was I some kind of accident?”

  “I wanted you a great deal,” Merry said. “You know about the birds and the bees.”

  “Is this really the time for another sex talk?” Lydia asked. “I promised I would wait.”

  “I know you did.”

  “But-“

  “Lydia,” I said. “This is hard for your mother. Let her tell you her way.”

  The girl looked back and forth between us for a minute then lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  “I wanted you very much, Lydia. Never doubt that. Never doubt that for a second!” She paused. “You know how it works. A man and a woman, blah, blah, blah.”