Page 84 of The Sun and the Moon
For a moment she looks vulnerable, and I feel almost sorry for her.
“But Rick, he doesn’t seem to mind that so much,” she continues. “In fact, I think he appreciates it. He isn’t surprised by much.He understands the quest for…” Her voice drifts. Her expression is dreamy. “Magic. He’s not boring—no, he’s even surprising.”
“Even to the psychic?” My tone is almost playful.
“Even to the psychic.” She smiles at me, her eyes steady on mine. “I know you don’t believe me, and that’s okay. I’m just glad you’re here.” I roll my eyes and blink to keep the sudden pressure of tears from unleashing. “Cadence, I’m so glad.”
“Me, too,” I say, instantly, no question. It’s like we’re playing that game where you clear your mind and say the first thought that comes to the surface. The most honest.
She reaches for my hand, squeezing it. “Mom, stop it.” I twitch, not pulling away.
She smiles; I smile. I wonder if we’ve always looked alike when we do that, and I have just been too stubborn—too hurt, closed off, and angry—to see it.
?Whimsy Winery is beautifully quiet this early in the day.
We’re standing beneath the broad, worn, and weathered barn doors of the barrel room, where the engagement party will take place. It opens onto a limestone patio, with brightly colored lanterns hanging from the rafters of an arbor. There are ten round tables set up around the perimeter, also in a distressed wood that suits the style of the place.
This is starting to look suspiciously like the setup of a wedding reception.
Moira walks up behind me carrying two small pours of white wine. The clarity and color varies slightly as she swirls them around the bowls of the glasses.
“We have to choose a white for the open bar,” she says, holding them up. “You know I’m partial to reds, so.”
“You want me to try these and pick one?” I ask, scowling at the glasses. “It’s barely after noon.”
“Twelve forty-five, fully in the lunch window.”
“Alcohol at lunch is served with food.”
“Do you want to help or not? You always liked white—”
“No, I’ll help.” I reach for the glasses, taking one in each hand. “I just had to protest so I don’t feel like an alcoholic.”
Moira laughs, a husky, full sound in her throat. It’s incredibly rare to get that kind of laugh out of her. I’ve maybe managed it a handful of times in my life. I let myself be pleased at the honor as we drift to one of the high bar tables just inside the barrel room.
“What’s this one?” I lift the glass holding the paler white.
“Sauvignon blanc, but a blend. And the other is their chardonnay.”
“They’re known for the chardonnay, so right off, I’m feeling biased.”
She winks. “Let your taste buds choose.”
It’s so close to something she used to say to me all the time.Let your intuition take the lead.I feel those words ripple between us now like water someone has just dropped a pebble into. I let the ripples touch my skin. Feel the ease of the idea wash over me. It’s exhausting fighting so hard all the time.
I taste the sauvignon, taking a generous sip onto my palate and swirling it around. It’s tart, citrus-led, with hints of peach. I like it immediately, even if it’s not what I would choose to drink usually.
“It’s pleasant and easy,” I say after I swallow. I lift thechardonnay, their more well-known wine, the one they have stocked all over the country per their brochure. It has a deeper color, but chardonnay can be divisive, less of a crowd-pleaser.
This one is smooth, light on the palate but more robust than the sauvignon. It’s got hints of lemon and apple, and none of the buttery notes that I usually despise.
“I don’t think there’s a bad choice,” I say, my eyes traveling from the chardonnay to the sauvignon blanc.
“The budget allows for one,” Moira says, and it may be the first time I’ve ever heard her talk openly about money as if it isn’t an infinite, renewable resource granted by the Universe to those who visualize hard enough.
“The chardonnay will be what everyone expects.” I look up into her eyes, holding her gaze despite my usual aversion. “Give them something they won’t see coming.”
“Speaking my language,” she replies with a knowing smile.
