Page 64 of Last Witch Attempt
“She’s afraid. She doesn’t have to be. I kind of figured things out last night.”
“You figured what out?”
Now that I was in front of my mother, the news that had filled me with such relief felt like an anchor around my neck. Would she be relieved? “Well…” I scratched my cheek, debating how best to deliver the information.
“Just spit it out, Bay,” Mom chastised. “We don’t have all morning. I have to make oatmeal for Landon.”
“The horror!” Landon threw himself in Aunt Tillie’s chair and covered his face.
I shot him a dirty look—he was really playing it up for his audience—then glared at my mother. “Do you have to get him going? He’s kind of like Aunt Tillie. Once he realizes he has an audience he can’t stop himself from going for the biggest performance in his arsenal.”
“Okay,that’sthe meanest thing you’ve ever said to me,” Landon lamented. “Right there. I’m going to have it put on a shirt.”
“Geez, is it going to be like this every morning when you don’t have bacon?” Mom complained. “If so, you should embrace the no-abs life. At least you have a charming personality when there’s bacon involved. This whiny monster you’re becoming is not pleasant.”
I had to bite my lower lip to keep from laughing at the betrayed look on Landon’s face.
“I see how it is,” he said. “All the love you had for me was fake. You only cared when I was eating the bacon. I won’t forget this.”
Mom made a face before focusing on me. “He’s kind of the male version of Clove.”
I had to think about it, and I didn’t like the realization. “Man,” I groaned, “how did that happen?”
“I don’t know, but you’ve mated with King Kvetch for life.” Mom threw her hands in the air. “You tell me what’s going on with your great-aunt right now.”
That’s when I realized this icy exterior she was putting on display was because she was worried about Aunt Tillie. No matter what she’d said the previous evening, she had been afraid. She wouldn’t be able to keep a brave face for much longer. It was time to put her out of her misery.
“Aunt Tillie isn’t going crazy,” I started. “That’s the good news. She’s also not terrorizing Clove or doing costume changes downtown.”
“Ha!” Aunt Tillie came roaring into the kitchen, dressed for mischief in combat helmet and camouflage pants. She’d been listening at the door. “I told you! Bow before your queen and beg for forgiveness.”
Mom’s only response was to arch an eyebrow.
“Somebody should bow,” Aunt Tillie complained. Her eyes moved to Landon, who was still in her chair. “What’s with Whiny McWhinypants?”
“He doesn’t have an eight-pack but he doesn’t want to give up bacon,” I replied. “He’s having a crisis of faith or maybe a temper tantrum. I’m not sure.”
“It’s definitely the latter.” Aunt Tillie rolled her eyes at him and focused on me. “What made you come to your senses and realize Clove was lying?’
“Clove wasn’t lying,” I replied. “I never thought she was.”
Aunt Tillie crossed her arms over her chest. She suspected a double cross. I could tell that by the way her nostrils flared. “You just said I wasn’t crazy. Now you’re saying I am.”
“I’m not.” I shook my head. “I had a dream last night.”
“Oh, here we go.” Aunt Tillie screwed up her face in disgust. “If I have to hear about you and your boytoy doing dirty things in dreamland I’m going to throw up … all over both of you.”
“It wasn’t that type of dream,” I assured her.
“Well, don’t keep us in suspense, Bay,” Mom complained when I didn’t immediately come out with the information. “Ifwe’re going to have to put Aunt Tillie in a straitjacket and secure a room with padded walls, we should know about it soon.”
Aunt Tillie’s face filled with rage. “I cannot believe you said that to me. You’ll be in a room with padded walls long before me.”
“Nobody is going in a room with padded walls,” I fired back. “I’m not telling you about the dream to be weird. I’m telling you so you understand.” I took a deep breath. “I should’ve started out by saying that I had a visitor in my dream last night.”
Mom stopped what she was doing and stared. “A real visitor?”
“Yes, although I didn’t realize it at the start. I thought I was talking to Aunt Tillie.”
