Page 23 of Witchful Thinking
“I’m feeling a little overwhelmed,” Lucy admitted.
“Your wish came true.”
“That’s the problem. I don’t know how to control it.” Lucy kept searching for the book. She stopped on a book spine. Caring for Your Familiar. She owed Shadow some prime cuddle and treat time. Lucy dropped the book on top of the steady pile of items she was buying from the shop.
Callie looked up from her phone. “It’s a wish, not a hot air balloon. Just go with it.”
“Are you just going with it? You’ve said that before—you know, about school,” Lucy asked carefully. Callie looked back down at her phone, her brow furrowed in thought. A strained silence stretched between them.
Whenever the family brought up the topic of college or going back to school, they treaded carefully around Callie. It was a bit of a sore subject since both Mom and Dad had been full-time professors at both Meadowdale College and Pennbrook University. She, for an unknown reason, had dropped out of college at twenty and instead started her event-planning business. Lucy trusted that Callie, with her prophetic dreams and cryptic statements alluding the future, knew the path before her and stood by her sister’s decision.
Just then, Callie’s eyes snapped up from the screen. An excited light entered her eyes.
“Well, good news. My credits transferred over to Meadowdale College,” Callie said. “I have a nontraditional student meeting next Tuesday.”
Lucy clapped her hands together in surprise. “I’m so proud of you.”
Callie squirmed uncomfortably under her praise, then, with a shy smile, snapped her head back to her phone. “I’m just checking my phone for any updates.”
“That’s great.”
“It’s nothing. I figured I needed to help the wish along,” Callie said. “Wishes don’t work unless you do. That’s why I’m repeating to myself—just go with it.”
“I can’t go with it if I don’t know what it can do.” Lucy glanced around. “It’s been three days. So far, I got asked to run in a 10K, bake for the cakewalk, and sing in the karaoke contest.”
Callie gave her a surprised look. “Wow, that sounds exciting.”
Lucy’s shoulders slumped. It sounded exhausting. She hadn’t run in over a year. She only designed houses in Dream Home phone games, and she sang mostly in the shower. Each exciting opportunity was a chance to fall flat on her face and fail with the entire Grove watching her. If she could make the wish give her less excitement, then maybe she could get a handle on it. Lucy scanned the books again.
“Tell me what you’re looking for.” Callie came over to the bookshelf, phone in hand.
“It’s a blue and gold book called Wishcraft Made Simple.”
“You want to call off the wish.”
“I’d rather slow it down—at least for me,” Lucy clarified.
Callie opened a new browser on her phone and began typing. She hummed to herself before clicking her back teeth. “Well, it’s out of print online. There are a few copies being sold, but they’re super expensive.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Lucy said. “This store always has copies on hand.”
“I’ll ask up front,” Callie volunteered. She left Lucy and went up front to the counter, speaking to the store employee. The front doorbell chimed, and Ursula came in, wearing her typical pink pastel outfit, her designer bag nestled in the crook of her arm. She joined Lucy by the books, pressing a hand to her slicked-up hairdo.
“Sorry I’m late. I just got your text,” Ursula said.
“No problem. I wanted to know which herbs and flowers you wanted for your bridal comb.”
Ursula wrinkled her nose. “Oh, I didn’t know we’re still doing that tradition.”
“Absolutely. Nana would haunt me if I didn’t,” Lucy said with a firm shake of her head. Since the first Caraway wedding, it was tradition for the bride to wear a hair comb or fastener with protective flowers and herbs to bless her marriage. Lucy had already gone to the farmers’ market, prepping for this event. She’d gotten a great deal on lavender and sunflowers. Ursula would look lovely with a crown of flowers.
“I’ll let you know,” Ursula said. “I’ll see which herbs go with the dress. We just had the fitting.”
“Today?” Lucy peered at Ursula. “Um—I thought we were going on Saturday.”
“Mrs. Walker thought it would be better if we just got it done now. We’re on such a tight deadline that we couldn’t push it back. We did have to tweak the color scheme a bit, so your dress color might change. Schedule your own fitting appointment when you can. Today’s super busy.” Ursula flashed her a stressed grin.
“I will. I don’t think you want me wearing a bedsheet at the altar,” Lucy quipped.