Page 5 of The Witching Hours

“Of course. Auntie Grace is the exception to every rule. Turn off the alarm first.”

He ran off to do just that. By the time Grace arrived in the bedroom, Brigid was on her feet going for more baby Aspirin and Pedialyte.

“What are you giving him?” Grace said even though she could see for herself. Brigid opened her mouth to give the obvious answer, but Grace interrupted. “Oh my God, Brie. You look like hell.”

“Nice of you to come all this way to reinforce my self-esteem. Everybody looks like hell at this hour.”

“If I could’ve got you on the phone, I would’ve. Did you forget to pay the bill? Blake’s number isn’t working either.”

Alarm shot through Brigid.

Oh, God. It’s started.

“I, uh, didn’t forget. Exactly.”

“I’ll make coffee and maybe get some eggs going while you brush and peepee.”

Brigid shook her head. Sometimes Grace, who was two years older, made her feel like she was still seven, but Brigid always got back at her. As Grace grew, her name had become a running joke because she was the opposite of graceful and often called names like klutz at school. It was all good-natured though. What Grace lacked in coordination, she made up for in generosity toward everyone and bighearted loyalty to her family. She’d been a lifeline since Steve had passed, but Grace had never asked if they were going to be okay financially and Brigid hadn’t volunteered that the future looked grim.

Grace’s husband was a firefighter. A big jolly guy who should be nominated for father of the year to their thirteen-year-old twin girls. Grace’s family was middle class. They got byon love, prayers, and her part time job at a non-profit animal rescue. Brigid had once asked what Grace would be if she could be anything. Without hesitation her sister said she’d want to be a veterinarian. Brigid didn’t know if it was better to work in close proximity to a dream that would never be realized, but Grace wasn’t a complainer.

“You hungry?” Brigid asked Kenny after he took his aspirin and drank his Pedialyte. He shook his head and fell back against the pillow. “Okay then. I’m gonna leave the bell right here. Ring if you change your mind.” She’d retrieved the small silver bell the family used in times of sickness to call the resident nurse, aka Mom. She could chart progress by the number of rings. When her patients started feeling better the rings became more insistent and closer together. It was kind of a game to make Mom come and go. “I can make you pancakes bananas and chocolate syrup.”

The fact that he showednosign of interest in pancakes with bananas and chocolate syrup was the surest confirmation that Kenny was not himself. After donning the clothes she’d put on after her shower the day before, she went straight to the kitchen.

“What are you doing here, Grace? Wait. Rewind. What I meant to say was, don’t you work today?”

Grace was nodding as she scrambled eggs and turned bacon. “Yeah. I do. But when I can’t reach my family on the phone, that takes priority.”

“Sorry about that.”

“No need. Anybody can forget to pay a bill. But when you do, I’m gonna have to come see what’s up. Right?”

“Right. Um. Thank you.”

“Sit down there.” Grace nodded toward a chair. When Brigid sat, she put a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her.That was followed by a cup of hot coffee, two Splendas, half a teaspoon of Hazelnut creamer.

The feeling of being taken care of was so overwhelming, Brigid almost burst into tears.

“Blake! Judson!” Grace yelled. “Soup’s on.”

The boys appeared immediately in pajamas and ran to sit in their places at the table.

“I don’t see any soup,” Judd teased.

“It’s an expression,” Grace replied predictably as she pulled biscuits out of the oven and tossed them into a basket for the table. “But if I did make soup, you would slurp it down and youwouldlike it. You would say, ‘Gosh, Auntie Grace. This is the best soup of all soups ever made in the history of the universe.’”

Judd chuckled as he crammed a biscuit into his mouth. He liked his no-nonsense auntie.

“Judson!” Brigid said. “Don’t eat Grace’s beautiful breakfast like a wild animal.”

“I’m hungry.” Judd justified without apology.

“You’ll get just as full if you eat biscuits one bite at a time and not one biscuit at a time.”

“What if Blake eats them all first?”

“Then I’ll make more,” Grace interjected.

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