“You can’t go downnow,” Julia said.
“They don’t appear until midnight,” Aurelia explained.
Antonia laughed.
“They have a fictional schedule to keep?”
“That’s just how it works,” Aurelia said patiently. “They come at midnight and they leave at dawn.”
“Alright, so if I go down to the shop atmidnight, I’ll hear them?”
“No. I mean, you can try it, but if you go in just after midnight, they’ll disappear when you walk into the shop. And if you go in before midnight, then they won’t appear at all.”
Antonia opened her mouth to speak, but Aurelia cut her off.
“It’s just the way it works.”
“I can’t believe I’m still having this conversation… but how am I supposed to hear them if I can’t go into the shop?”
“Oliver could hear them from up here, so I think if you stood in the stairwell, near the door, that could work. I mean, I don’t know—I’ve never tried it—but we could see if it does.”
“We might as well try it,” Julia added hopefully.
“So, you two are going to go into the shop, have a chat with some characters, and I’m going to stand in the stairwell and try to eavesdrop,” Antonia said flatly. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t take you both in to be evaluated right now.”
“Because you love us both, we’re telling you the truth, and you should at least try to find a way to believe us.” Julia and her mother stared intently at each other before Julia added, “That’s three reasons.”
Julia’s tone was so earnest and her expression so sincere that Antonia started crying softly.
“You’re both really scaring me, you know that?”
“I’m sorry, Mum,” Julia said, moving to hug Antonia. “I didn’t think it would scare you, but we’re alright. Really. This is exciting! It’s wonderful! Just give us a chance?”
Antonia wiped her eyes and looked at them both, then nodded.
“Well, if we’re going to stay up past midnight, we might as well eat,” she said, and then she gave Julia another hug.
30
AlthoughdinnerbeganwithAntonia trying to maintain a stony silence toward Aurelia, she eventually let her guard down. Whether that was just out of habit or due to a purposeful pause in hostilities, Aurelia couldn’t be sure, but she was grateful for it either way.
Julia seemed to recognize the need to give Antonia a break from any mention of the characters, so instead she told her about the show she’d seen with David and James, how she might like to learn more about art history because she’d liked touring the National Gallery with Kali, and about the hairstyle she thought Aurelia should try for the wedding. The one break in her constant flow of chatter came when Aurelia’s phone rang.
“That’s probably Oliver,” Aurelia said, not moving to answer it.
“Do you want me to get it?” Julia asked, starting to stand.
“No, that’s alright. I… I think it might be better to save it for tomorrow.”
Julia looked confused.
“He’ll wonder why your mum is here, and I’d rather not get into it tonight.”
Aurelia hated not to answer his call but felt as though she had to get through one crisis at a time, and with Antonia and Julia sitting in front of her, this one had to take precedence.
By eleven thirty, they were all tired after the heightened emotions of the day. Even so, they were determined to see their experiment through. Julia disappeared into her room, emerging in a different outfit. Now, in place of her halter top and shorts, she was wearing a pair of dark jeans with a short-sleeved shirt. When Aurelia, too, changed into a longer dress than the one she’d been wearing, Antonia registered that something was going on.
“What is this?” she asked, pointing at them. “Why the wardrobe change?”
