Mind magic, Aervyn said. Lauren can do it too, once the babies get a little bigger. She can see Nat’s baby now. Can you see them?
Marcus didn’t bother to try. He knew when he was hopelessly outclassed. Not at all, my boy. I wait until they show up on the outside to take a look. That might not be entirely true, but he surely wasn’t going to peer into a pregnant woman to find out. He began walking toward the flowerbed that hid the two schemers. Time for them to stop invading everyone’s privacy as well.
Aervyn grinned as he arrived. “Let’s go tell Elorie about her babies. They’re kinda ugly, but don’t tell her that. Mama says that makes girls cry, so I gotta use good manners and skip that part.”
Marcus was pretty certain that eliminated any comparisons to shrimp as well. He sighed. “Let’s go fetch Aaron first, shall we? I imagine he’ll want to know too.”
~ ~ ~
Elorie grinned at Sophie. “You think Gran’s ever going to put her knitting needles down?”
“Are you kidding?” Sophie leaned over for another treat. “With three babies on the way, she’s threatening to teach Lizzie how to knit too. Here, have a brownie. Chocolate’s good for babies.”
Elorie quirked an eyebrow. “Is that the healer witch talking, or the pregnant mama?”
“Does it matter?” Nell sat down beside Sophie, grabbing a brownie on the way. “Although I swear I craved chocolate more when I was pregnant with the girls than with my boys. Boys just don’t have the chocolate gene.”
Elorie giggled and pointed at Aervyn, currently running around the inn’s back yard with a face smeared in chocolate. She wasn’t convinced.
Nell laughed. “So it’s not a perfect theory.”
Mike walked out into the yard and snagged Aervyn, deftly avoiding the chocolate smears. “I need your help, kiddo. Can you be a witch megaphone?”
“Sure. What’s that?”
“I need you to call everyone back now. It’s time for presents, and some people went down to the beach and into the village. Can you mindspeak a call that far?”
PRESENTS! COME BACK FAST!
Elorie clapped her hands to the side of her head as Aervyn’s very loud mental call rang out. Well, that ought to bring every able-bodied person in a hundred miles.
Mike, standing at ground zero, pretended to fall over dead on the ground, grabbing Aervyn on his way down. The tickles would have been funnier if Aervyn wasn’t still mind connected with everyone. As a lot of people around Elorie discovered, covering your ears just wasn’t that helpful when someone was mind giggling at top volume.
Aervyn! Lauren’s mind voice was a lot quieter, but very insistent. You’re hurting our heads, Super Boy.
The giggles shut off abruptly, followed by a much more quietly broadcast apology. Sorry. I think I got a little excited. I’m a’posed to be working on that. But you should all come, because there’s some really cool presents. Not for me, cuz it’s not my birthday. But there’s chocolate cake, even if it’s not your birthday.
Moira beckoned Aervyn. “You did a lovely job, sweet boy. Come sit by me. I’ll share my chocolate cake with you. Ginia, love, would you run inside and get my bag?”
Elorie looked around. Witches had literally come out of the woodwork. There were almost a hundred people finding places to sit on the porch, the steps, or a spare patch of grass.
A hundred faces she knew and loved. She touched a hand to her belly. These were the people who would know her children and love them well. In Nova Scotia, villages still raised children—and in the witching community, they always had.
Aaron’s hand reached down to cover hers. “Getting used to the idea yet?”
Elorie reached up for a kiss. Used to it? She was already figuring out how to squeeze two bassinets in her studio. Not that sleeping babies in Fisher’s Cove ever seemed to make it to a bassinet. There were lots of arms willing to rock a baby, and they’d have to get past Gran to do it.
Ginia was back with Moira’s bag, and a hush settled on the waiting crowd. Gran’s presents were legendary. She pulled out two boxes, handing the larger one to Lauren, and the other to Elorie.
You first, Lauren sent.
Elorie shook her head. She knew what Lauren’s box contained, and how very special a moment this was for Gran. You first, my new sister.
Lauren slipped the lid off her box and looked at the contents in mystified silence. Then she looked up at Moira, confusion