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The air around us stilled, and I lost myself in the deep, murky gray depths, seeing pain and love and manta rays and pennies and cockatiels and sparkly white butterflies.
Suddenly, I was able to pick up her scent. She smelled ofwarm pecans and cocoa, sea breezes and devotion. And seaweed. The salty scent filled the air and blew around us in a swirl of silvery sparkles.
“Perhaps,” she said evenly, “you are both correct.”
My breath caught, and my eyes filled with tears, blurring my vision. Suddenlyeverythingmade a strange sort of sense. Herknowing. The butterfly. Junebear’s sea-glass nose.
Once, she’d told me we all lived on borrowed time and that she’d borrowed more than her fair share. I hadn’t quite realized the enormity of that statement until now.
As the truth sank in, I tried to understand how it was possible she was still here but couldn’t quite. Then I realized it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that shewashere, that she’d somehow delayed her departure—and I hoped she’d continue to do so for a long time to come.
Estrelle lowered her veil, lifted her drink. “It’s probably best if we keep this conversation to ourselves. Consider it payment in full for that tab I’ve been keeping.”
I glanced at Maggie, laughing with Donovan, who’d come up behind her to give her a hug. I saw Dez, who sat on a blanket on the green, clapping for the jugglers on the stage. Norman startedquabarking as Bettina shrieked just before landing in the dunk tank with a loud splash. Somewhere in the crowd, Hannah shouted, “Somebody’s poisoned the water hole!” The church bell tolled twice, the sound echoing wide and far. In the distance the waves crashed against the beach. Stunning butterflies colored the sky orange.
It was beautiful chaos.
I reached over and hesitantly took hold of Estrelle’s cold hand. After a second, she closed her gnarled fingers over mine. It took me a moment to find my voice. Finally, I said, “To think I ever wanted a normal life.”
She laughed, that strangeotherworldlylaugh.
It turned out I hadn’t wanted normalcy at all. I’d wanted—and had found—acceptance, for being myself, flaws and all. I was the same person I’d been all along: quirky, creative, loving, curious, different,special.
Just like most everyone in this town.
This perfectly enchanting, magical town, where whims were the norm, life existed after death, and love was often in the air, caught on a salty sea breeze.
