Jacinth nodded in agreement. “Like a steam valve, you mean. Yes.”
A thought suddenly struck Mandy. She thrust her palm up to halt their conversation. "Hold on a second! Earlier you mentioned Christy's, where someone could claim they had a Djinn vessel and were selling it after getting their wishes. I realize we were speaking in theory, but... what's stopping that exact scenario from occurring for real?"
Jacinth made an elegant gesture, sweeping her fingers through the air. "That is not possible," she explained. "After the final wish is fulfilled and completed, all enchantment vanishes from the Wish vessel. The power drains away completely, and the vessel automatically goes back to its rightful Djinn owner, who alone chooses when to release it again for someone new to discover."
She scowled suddenly, her pretty face looking fierce, and her eyes flashed with remembered outrage. "I know someone who went through this - his Sahib schemed to keep his vessel andtransfer it to her sibling in exchange for an extra wish. The plan was for the sister to then hand it off to another family member."
Mandy drew in a sharp breath, appalled. "That's horrible! And talk about ingratitude! I mean... they already got three wishes! And pure greed made her grasp for extra ones. That's just… just… it's despicable."
“She was malevolent.” Jacinth declared, apparently still furiously indignant over the incident. “We had to get Kieran to remove her memories of the Djinn - there’s no saying what damage she might have done. But thankfully, situations like that are pretty rare."
Mandy couldn't suppress the yawn that crept up on her, trying to hide it behind her hand. The afternoon's adventures and emotional conversations had caught up with her.
Jacinth's dark eyes sparkled with understanding. "And that's my cue to leave." She rose gracefully from the bed, her movements fluid as smoke. "Get some rest. You've had quite an eventful day."
"Thank you for coming by," Mandy said, stifling another yawn. "And for the tea. It was perfect."
"Of course it was perfect." Jacinth's musical laugh filled the room. "I'm a Djinn - we don't do imperfect tea."
Mozart stretched and repositioned himself against Mandy's legs while Bach watched from his perch on the pillow, both cats seemingly unfazed by Jacinth's imminent departure.
"Sleep well," Jacinth said softly. Her form began to dissolve into wisps of smoke that sparkled like stardust before vanishing completely.
Mandy settled back against her pillows. A feeling of well-being pervaded her, making her wonderfully relaxed. It should have lulled her straight to sleep, but her mind refused to quiet.
Imagesfrom the day kept cycling through her thoughts - Kieran's strong hand holding hers as they walked around Reid Park, the way his blue eyes had softened as they talked. The magnificent textiles at Uncommon Threads. The majestic statue of Lincoln, the towering National Monument, shining white against the blue summer sky.
"Just sleep," she groaned, pulling the light blanket higher. But her brain had other ideas, spinning through possibilities and consequences like a hamster on a wheel.
Mozart's purring intensified as if trying to soothe her racing thoughts. She scratched behind his ears, grateful for his steady presence. "At least you two don't have to worry about life-changing decisions," she told her cats. Bach responded with a quiet chirp, completely unconcerned with her dilemma.
Mandy groaned and pressed her face into the pillow. Sleep felt impossibly far away despite her physical exhaustion. The wishes loomed in her mind, demanding attention even as her mind begged for rest.
A restore point. Kieran's words echoed in her mind, carrying implications she hadn't considered in the rush of excitement about being pain-free.
What if... what if, that reset point wasn't just to when she began to experience the stenosis, but even earlier, when her body was younger and lithe with slender curves? Doubt assailed her, along with guilt. She wasn't being greedy, was she? And yet... Kieran had said a restore point was a restore point, hadn't he?
The incredible benefit of having ADHD, Mandy reflected, was its superpower - the ability to hyperfocus on solutions. And that mental engine was revving up right now, firing on all cylinders. So, let's assume, she told herself, that she was going to do this. That the wish would fix her body. What issues did she need to address?
First, and obviously, she'd need to explain her transformation. She couldn't just appear one day, thinner and walking without her cane - she'd have to vanish first. The solution hit her: she'd tell everyone she had finally agreed to the VA doctors' long-recommended back surgery. Though the operation was quick, living alone meant she'd need extended inpatient care for PT and rehab - the perfect cover story.
She pondered potential locations for a three- or four-week stay. Maybe she could find an Airbnb... especially if she could find one with a swimming pool.
Then panic set in as another practical consideration surfaced. Clothes. Her current wardrobe wouldn't fit if she dropped nearly a hundred pounds. The idea of shopping for an entire new wardrobe felt presumptuous, like she might jinx the whole thing by getting ahead of herself.
"No," she murmured, scratching behind Mozart's ears as he resettled. "Better to wait until after the... um... after it happens."
But that brought to mind another, fabulous aspect to consider. Oh, my god! Mandy hugged herself ecstatically. Finally, she could fit into those beautiful garments purchased during her college days in Egypt. The flowing galabiyyas from the bazaars would fit her once more. Not that she'd venture outside in such elaborate pieces, but around the house - what a treat that would be, to finally be able to wear them again after four decades!
Okay, maybe she was letting her imagination run wild. Still, she couldn't help wondering what her initial steps would be after returning to her home. What would she do differently, now that she'd been given this fresh start?
Immediately panic began to set in again, and she cut that line of thinking short as hyperventilation threatened. Okay, so she wasn’t quite ready to start thinking about that just yet. That was okay. She'd focus on the short-term objectives she'dalready mapped out and handle everything else gradually. That approach made complete sense!
An enormous yawn erupted from somewhere deep inside, stretching her jaw to its limits, and exhaustion suddenly washed over her. She shifted position, nestling her face against the plush cushion, and drifted off into slumber, her dreams filled with images of magical tents and shimmering textiles.
Chapter
Eighteen
