“Has he called?”
“Not since last week,” I whispered, not that I’d answered.
I had been surprised to see his name pop up on the phone at all and hated how my heart ran a marathon at the sight.
I still hadn’t given in to answer. We both needed time, I figured.
“But I am, okay,” I repeated. “It’s what was expected, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know. I just thought … when I finally saw the two of you together and how he treated you …” Lu’s eyes widened with clarity as she inhaled. It looked like I wasn’t the only one who had held out a bit of hope this time. “Oh, Ana.”
“It’s fine.”
“We’re talking more about this.”
“Okay. But not today. Today is about you and the shop,” I said, assuring her I wasn’t going to collapse into pieces. “I know I just saw it the other day, but the shop looks absolutely amazing.”
“Fine. I’ll let it go. For now.” She turned around to look at the place and led me farther inside with her hands on her hips.
As well as shop ready, Lu was dressed in her best skirt and loose tank top. The perfect folk witch was in her finest clothes. Crystals were looped around her neck and scattered across her fingers.
“And thanks. It’s everything I imagined it to be.”
“So, what can I do? Where should I set up Madam Ana’s tarot and palmistry?” I asked, nudging her, as if it was still as hilarious as when she had asked me.
“About that.” Lu reached behind the counter, producing a wrapped gift.
“It’s your opening day,” I said. “I should be the one giving you something.”
Lu only shrugged. “Consider it a belated birthday gift. You deserve a little something. Plus, you are the one doing me the favor.”
I narrowed my eyes, reaching out to take the gift.
“I saw them and thought of you. Plus, there is room if you want to add your paint or notations, like I saw you try to do on your first cards. I know those are yours, but these …”
Carefully, I unwrapped the small gift, already knowing exactly what was inside. I didn’t know, however, just how stunning they were going to be. Tarot cards were best gifted to a reader, but these … they stole my breath away.
The sleek black cards sparkled with glittery reds and golds. I shuffled the cards once in my hands, taking a deep breath as I felt them. “These are beautiful, Lu.”
“Like I said, I thought of you when I saw them. I couldn’t think of anything better for you. Plus, you need to help me open the shop in style.”
I reached out and gripped her hand.
“Goddess,” I whispered. I lifted my fingers up toward my eyes, careful not to touch. I managed to pull myself together for today. I put on makeup and planned my clothes so by the end when I looked into the mirror before heading out, I almost looked like myself again. “If you make me cry and ruin my eyeliner, Lu, I’ll never forgive you.”
“Then, hold it in.”
I snorted a laugh.
“Much better. So, you’ll read tonight?” she asked.
Like that was much of a question. “Course. I already planned to, but now … well, like you said, I’ll need to break this deck in.”
“You’re amazing.”
“We already knew this,” I teased her.
Rolling her eyes, Lu turned back toward where she was finishing setting up a small table draped in a starry cloth. “A given.”
