time and precision. “That’s tricky to do with copper, and it would take quite a while, sweetie. I’ll be happy to show you, though, if that’s what you want to do.”
“Yes, please.” Ginia grinned. “Lauren’s worth lots of time.”
Elorie messaged Aaron to let her know when dinner was ready. They would be a while.
She picked several pieces of glass out of her baskets. Ginia’s idea was a good one, and her inventory was in dire need of replenishment. She might as well work while Ginia labored. Her fingers blissed out with the normal routine of it all.
~ ~ ~
Moira giggled as Mike threw a pebble at Nell’s window. She felt about ten years old again, sneaking around at midnight.
Nell stuck her head out the window and spoke in a stage whisper. “They’ll be right down. Don’t lose either of them.”
Mike grinned back. “I won’t. You just make sure Sophie doesn’t decide to take a moonlit walk on the beach.”
“Ha. I have chocolate ice cream. She’ll never get past me.” Nell ducked back in the window as Aervyn and Ginia came bouncing out the back door of the inn.
Aervyn looked very alert for a small boy at midnight. “I was really sneaky. I didn’t wake up anyone.” His sister shook her head. Clearly a small boy’s standard for sneaky wasn’t all that quiet.
Elorie came out next, yawning and holding up a bag. “I have cookies. We ready to go?”
Three generations of witches sneaking off to the beach on a top-secret mission. Moira had no idea what they were up to, but she was absolutely delighted. When Mike had recruited her, she’d taken a nice, long afternoon nap to be prepared. Who said an old witch couldn’t be ready for anything?
Mike offered his arm for her to lean on, and she wasn’t too proud to take it. The walk to the beach seemed a little longer these days.
When they reached the sand, she kicked off her shoes. It was a glorious night to be barefoot in the moonlight. This close, she felt Mike call earth power. “I found the perfect spot this morning,” he said. “I left a marker so I could find it again.”
Seven-and-a-half decades of life hadn’t dimmed her curiosity any. What was the dear boy up to?
They walked a little way down the beach, just past the traditional place for full circles. Mike stopped and grinned. “This is it.”
He squatted down in front of Aervyn. “Remember, this is top secret.”
Aervyn nodded solemnly. “Just until tomorrow, right? I can do it.”
Ginia grinned. “If he can’t, I think I’ve figured out Mama’s silencing spell.”
Aervyn looked affronted. Moira nodded in approval as Mike intervened before his troops turned on each other. He would make a very good father.
Mike looked at Elorie first. “I asked you to come as an artist, as a witch who can blend spells, and as Sophie’s oldest friend.”
Then he turned to Moira. She looked in his eyes and saw love shining there. “I asked you to come as the keeper of traditions and the grandmother of Sophie’s heart.” Moira could feel her eyes misting over. She began to understand what they were about, standing here under the moon.
Aervyn grabbed Mike’s hand. “Why are Ginia and I here?”
Mike grinned. “Because I need your firepower, superdude. We’re going to make Sophie an engagement ring.”
Aervyn frowned. “A what?”
Ginia elbowed him. “It’s a ring you give somebody when you’re gonna get married.”
“Oh.” Aervyn looked at Mike. “Is that because of the baby? Uncle Jamie and Nat got married right after their baby showed up in Nat’s belly.”
Mike laughed. “That’s a good reason, but the best reason is because I love her.”
Aervyn nodded. “Okay. Does that mean you’re going to kiss her, too? Kissing’s gross.”
Elorie giggled and leaned over to Moira. “I think he’s been hanging out with Sean and Kevin a little too much.”
Moira smiled. She’d seen a lifetime of ten-year-old boys turn into young men mooning over the very girls they’d scorned for years.
Mike called his troops back to attention. “There’s a lot of earth magic needed to make a diamond, and that’s what the three of us will do,” he said, motioning to the two children. “Can you feel the big chunk of carbon down below us?”
Aervyn scrunched up his eyes for a moment. “Yup, but that’s awfully big for a ring, and it’s kinda ugly.”
“That’s cuz it’s not a diamond yet, silly.” Ginia looked at Mike. “We’re gonna squish it, right?”