Page 60 of Bewitched By the Siren
“It looks…weird,” I say, my stomach churning at the sight.
“Trust me,” she says as she takes the other two cups and turns toward her mom and the nurse. “You’re going to love it.”
My stomach settles instantly as I smile back at her. I do trust her. With everything I am and everything I have.
After we sit and pass out the paper cups, no one touches their food. They all stare at me expectantly. I laugh and shake my head, then take a deep breath as I scoop out a gooey, cheesy bite of grits with a shrimp on top.
“Here goes nothing,” I say, then shovel the bite into my mouth.
While the texture is strange on my tongue, the flavors burst as I chew the shrimp. I nod thoughtfully as I swallow, meeting the impatient gazes of the other three.
“Okay,” I say, “that’s…actually…really good.”
“Yes,” Hali cheers, throwing up her hands and wiggling on the bench next to me.
Everyone digs in, and when we finish, we try another sampling from a different booth. It’s even better than the first, and Hali can’t stop smiling as she watches me eat. Afterward, we hold hands while we wander around the fairgrounds, chat with vendors, and kiss as much as possible.
Before I know it, it’s time for Hali to leave me and go get ready for her performance. She’s positively glowing, and her shine rubs off on me as she turns and jogs away. I smile as I watch her go, knowing how important this performance is to her.
She’s not singing for tips. To earn enough to survive and take care of her mom.
She’s doing it to make people happy. To make herself happy. Because she loves it.
And today, she’s going to leave the necklace on. The only magic she’ll be invoking is the joy in her voice. And the beauty of her own original songs.
I’m so fucking proud of her.
I head toward the area by the stage where Grace and Denny are already waiting. When I arrive, Grace peers up at me, then looks up at Denny, who’s standing on her other side.
“Denny, would you mind grabbing us some water bottles? Oh, and I’d love one of those cupcakes we saw at the booth at the end.”
“Of course, Grace,” the nurse says, then trots off to run the errand.
“So, you know the truth about our girl,” Grace murmurs as soon as the man is out of earshot.
“I do,” I say, squatting down so she doesn’t have to crane her neck to meet my gaze.
“And it doesn’t freak you out?” she asks, cocking her head as she studies me.
“Oh, it did. At first,” I say with a self-deprecating laugh. “I was freaking out, big time. But when I left and went back to L.A., nothing felt…right. I left a big chunk of my heart here, a chunk I couldn’t possibly live without.”
“You love her,” she says like it’s a statement of fact.
And it is.
“I do,” I breathe, and her smile grows as she nods.
“I’ve been terrified of what will happen to her once I’m gone. That she’d be all alone in this world. It’s really nice to be able not to worry so much.”
“Grace,” I say, my voice dropping an octave. “She’ll never be alone.”
Tears fill her eyes. “Thank you, Brendan.”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “Thankyoufor raising such an amazing daughter. My life is so much better because I met her.”
Someone makes an announcement over the loud speaker about Hali’s performance coming up, and I stand back up. I take Grace’s hand as Denny returns with our drinks and sweets, and we eat while the crowd around the stage grows.
I look around, noting dozens of phones out and waiting to record Hali on stage. There’s no stopping it. Not here. Not whenHali is determined to keep her necklace on and not influence the crowd in any way with her siren song.
