Page 46 of Of Potions and Honey
Belatedly, Mira realised that she was still standing, and hurried to sit back down while the next performer took the stage, two teenagers wearing clothes they had clearly pilfered from their parents’ closets. Emilia announced ‘a creative dialogue’ and left the stage to them.
“I’m just surprised to see you, is all,” she said, voice low so as to not disturb the teenagers. “I didn’t know you came to watch these.”
“Occasionally,” Yoni replied. “It’s… good to get out of the house sometimes.”
Mira chuckled. “Isn’t it.” She nodded at the stage. “Were you going to perform?”
Yoni’s eyes went wide. “Absolutely not! I wouldn’t even know what to do.”
“Neither did I,” Mira muttered, “which didn’t seem to be a problem.”
“Perhaps,” Yoni suggested, “you are simply a bit of a pushover.”
“Wh-” Someone at the neighbouring table shushed them, and Mira ducked her head and lowered her voice. “I am not! I just… didn’t want to disappoint Cassia.”
Yoni raised an eyebrow and mouthed ‘pushover’ at her. Mira rolled her eyes, feeling a lot more grounded all of a sudden.
“Am not,” she whispered back. “Should I tell Cassia you promised her a funny dance for the next show?”
Now Yoni looked like a spooked deer. “You wouldn’t.”
“Or would I?”
Yoni huffed. “If you keep your mouth shut, I’ll buy your next drink.”
“Mhmm.” Mira pretended to think – while trying not to feel like that sounded a little like a certain kind of invitation. Which she wouldn’t mind. She just wasn’t sure if Yoni would. “All right.” She hoped her smile struck a balance between playful and happy – happy that she’d said yes, happy that Yoni had come, and happy that, yes, maybe this was going somewhere, and no, Mira didn’t mind at all. “We have a deal.”
Nineteen
MuchtoMira’ssurprise,the magpies showed some restraint and did not ruin her entire harvest. Every morning, she woke up to the odd stolen bit here and there, but in the end, when she finally collected her first harvest, she returned inside with not an overflowing basket. The radishes and beans were fat and looked delicious, the greens of her carrots looked exceedingly healthy, and her beets were coming along nicely as well. Maybe she’d buy a bag of sunflower seeds as a form of apology some time.
Much to Mira’s chagrin though, no part of this bountiful harvest would do her any good in her potion kitchen. When she went to set up a new batch of ‘anti-itch’ – a useful little addition to her shop that alleviated hay fever and other assorted reactions – she discovered that she was once again almost out of everything. Which was, on paper, a good sign. The shop was going well, and she’d rather run out than toss things she had never used.
It did, however, mean a trip across the street to the greenhouse – and Yoni. They’d spent such a nice evening afterher only mildly embarrassing public performance. When they had walked home together, Yoni had even cracked a few jokes. Then, the next day, she’d answered Mira’s knock on the door with a strangely guarded expression. When Mira had asked her if she fancied a walk, Yoni had been mysteriously ‘busy’. Since then, Mira hadn’t seen much of her, though she had seen the odd curtain move, andsomeonewas opening the door for Marigold, unless the cat had learned how to do that herself. Whatever her reasons, Yoni suddenly seemed to be avoiding Mira. Slowly, Mira was beginning to think that she must have imagined whatever she’d thought had been growing between the two of them. Friendship, if not something else. Now she didn’t seem to even have that. Why, she had no idea.
Hopefully, Yoni would at least still sell her things. Surely, they could maintain a professional relationship?
Ever the optimist, Mira packed a little bowl with the fruits of her hard and often frustrating labour, grabbed her basket, and ventured out to see if she couldn’t figure out what was going on with her equally pretty and unpredictable neighbour.
Heart in her throat, she climbed the steps up to the front door, where she stopped to find a sign taped to the knocker.
Out back in the greenhouse.
Well. Mira chose to take that as an invitation. She went back down and to the right around the house. The greenhouse lay peaceful in the morning sun. When Mira approached, a fuzzy blob moved on the table next to the door. Marigold hopped off and sauntered over to meet Mira with a demanding meow.
“Yes, all right!” Mira obediently bent down and began scratching. “I’ll greet the lady of the house first.”
It took a minute or so until Marigold was satisfied and disappeared around the house. Now with nothing to distract her – or Yoni, should the need arise – Mira felt her palms get sweaty when she approached the greenhouse. She could hear rustlinginside, followed by indignant muttering about bugs. She put the basket on the table, peered through the open door, and called out.
“Hello? Yoni?”
A sharp curse, and the sound of metal clattering against stone. The next moment, Yoni’s head appeared from around a large bush in the middle aisle.
“Mira!” She looked a little spooked. “What are you doing here?”
“Hoping to buy something.” Mira gestured to the basket just out of sight. “I also brought radishes.”
“Radishes?” Yoni put something down, then trudged over, wiping dirt off her hands. “Why in the world did you bring radishes?”
