Page 2 of Shifting the Flame

"No, Marco, I understand the bakery closes at six, but I need those gluten-free cupcakes by tomorrow morning." Danica paced her living room, her phone pressed to her ear, while balancing her laptop in her other hand. "I'll pay double your delivery fee. Triple. Just make it happen."

She hung up and immediately fielded call after call, while simultaneously firing off dozens of last-minute emails, well into the evening.

"Denise!" Chad Thompson's voice boomed through her phone at 11 PM. "The weather report shows a twenty percent chance of rain. We need tents."

"It's Danica, Mr. Thompson." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "And I've already arranged for a tent company to be on standby."

"Perfect. Also, Lily now wants unicorn princesses, not regular princesses."

Danica's eye twitched as she opened a new tab on her browser. "Unicorn... princesses. Got it."

When the big day finally arrived the next day, Danica pulled up to Chad Thompson's sprawling Garden District mansion in her compact car. Her blue sundress hugged her curves perfectly – professional yet comfortable enough for the inevitable running around she'd be doing.

"Dominique!" Chad called out, descending his marble staircase as Danica entered the foyer. His spray tan glowed unnaturally in the morning light. "The ice sculpture hasn't arrived."

"It's Danica," she replied with a practiced smile. "And the ice sculptor is setting up in the backyard as we speak. I arrived early to make sure everything is on schedule."

Danica moved through the mansion like a general inspecting troops, clipboard in hand. The princess performers – now sporting glittery unicorn horns – were practicing their routines. The bounce houses stood majestically on the lawn. The dessert table gleamed with colorful treats that looked too beautiful to eat.

Perfect chaos. Just how she liked it.

Three hours later, the party was in full swing when a tiny hand tugged at Danica's dress. She looked down to see Lily Thompson, her birthday crown slightly askew, looking up with wide eyes.

"Princess Elsa's horn fell off," the little girl whispered urgently.

Danica knelt down to eye level. "Well, that happens to unicorn princesses sometimes. Should we go fix her magic?"

Lily nodded solemnly.

Behind the dessert tent, Danica found the actress playing Elsa frantically trying to reattach her horn with rapidly melting glue.

"I'm so sorry," the performer whispered. "This humidity is killing the adhesive."

Danica reached into her emergency kit – a small purse that somehow contained solutions to every conceivable crisis – and pulled out double-sided fashion tape and a mini hair dryer.

"Crisis averted." She winked at Lily, who watched the repair with fascinated eyes.

"You're magic too!" Lily gasped.

"Just prepared." Danica smiled.

The moment of triumph was short-lived. A crash from the main tent sent Danica sprinting, Lily at her heels. One of the child guests had bumped the dessert table, sending a precarious tower of cupcakes tumbling.

"Everyone freeze!" Danica commanded with enough authority that even the adults stood still.

Thirty seconds later, she had rearranged the remaining treats into an even more impressive display, handed out the fallen cupcakes to nearby children as "special floor treats," and had the catering staff bring out the backup desserts she'd ordered just in case.

"Delightful, isn't she?" she overheard Chad saying to another parent. "What's her name again? Danielle? Diana?"

"Danica," Lily corrected her father solemnly. "She's the magic lady who fixes everything."

By sunset, as the last guest departed, Danica stood surveying the aftermath with satisfaction. Despite everything, the party had been perfect. Lily had experienced every childhood dream condensed into one afternoon.

Chad approached, phone in hand.

"Doreen—"

"Danica," she corrected automatically.

---