Page 14 of A Silenced Midlife

Reaching a space finally clear of the animal commotion, Olivia didn't waste a moment. She focused, her hand drawing a shimmering outline in the air, and with a flick, it expanded into a glowing portal.

"Quickly, quickly," she said, making sure the coast was clear.

"Got it," I replied, grabbing the bathroom door as we stepped through the portal, emerging into the familiar tiled space of the zoo's restroom. The sudden quiet was jarring.

"Come on, you guys," Olivia coaxed, turning back towards the salon. "This way to home."

One by one, animals began to cautiously wander through the portal. A pair of otters slid across the floor, their whiskers twitching with curiosity. I couldn't help but smile despite the urgency. They were so darn cute.

"Keep going," she urged, gently guiding a confused capybara that hesitated at the threshold.

I held the door steady as a procession of penguins waddled past, their flippers brushing against my legs.

"Watch the door." Olivia called out as a llama made its way through, nearly knocking me out of the way as it ducked through the doorway.

"Is that all of them?" I asked once the last animal, a sleepy sloth, had been encouraged through with gentle prods.

"Looks like it," Olivia confirmed, surveying the now empty salon through the portal. "Let's close this up."

With a wave of her hand, the portal sealed shut, leaving us in the fresh quiet of the salon. We both let out a breath.

"Zookeepers' problem now," I muttered. The real work of corralling all those animals back into their habitats awaited someone else.

"Let's get out of here," Olivia said, and we slipped out the front door.

Stepping out into the late afternoon sun, Olivia and I caught our breaths. The salon was a mess, but it didn't seem like too much was broken. It was over, the animals were back where they belonged.

"Okay, that tourist," Olivia said, pointing subtly to a man with a camera dangling from his neck. "He's the only one who doesn't know about magic. Got to do a quick memory tweak."

"Can you handle it? After all that?" I asked, eyeing her with concern.

"Lucifer's lessons are pretty ingrained," she replied with a half-smile, brushing a strand of blond hair from her face. "But yeah, it takes a toll. Let's make this quick."

She approached the man, her movements calm and measured. A soft murmur escaped her lips, her hand gesturing in a small but intricate pattern. The tourist blinked, his expression slackening for a moment before clearing.

"Excuse me, sir," Olivia said gently, "you were saying you saw a parade pass by, remember?"

"Uh, yeah," he scratched his head, looking around confused. "A parade, right." Satisfied, she gave me a nod.

Turning back into the salon, I waved my hand, creating one of my favorite ways to clean: a tornado. In about three minutes, the salon was 90% back to normal.

Mrs. Henderson, the owner, pulled me into a hug. "Thank you. I dreaded cleaning all that up."

"No problem. I'll take a free eyebrow wax for my trouble."

She snorted. "Deal."

Olivia collected Sammie and we made our way through the dispersing crowd.

"Let's get home," she replied.

The drive back was silent, the day pressing down on us. When we finally pulled into the driveway, the relief was palpable. The babies were at Michelle's parents' house for the night. Quiet awaited me.

"Go relax," Olivia said as we got out of the car. "You've earned it."

"Thanks. You too," I responded. "Night, Sammie."

"Good night, Aunt Ava." He ran for their house with Olivia trudging behind.

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