Page 14 of The Seven Miracles of Beatrix Holland
“Mom—” Cordelia’s voice was a warning.
Beatrice didn’t need protecting, though. “He never told me. Though he should have.”
Minna said brightly, “It’s all coincidental, Gran, can you believe it? She’s here so her husband can golf.”
“Coincidences are for lazy atheists. As I am neither, I reject this outright.” Astrid looked like the type who had never believed anything she didn’t want to, including the fact that she had two daughters, not one.
“Dad said you were dead. And apparently you told my twin that I was? Seems like you and Dad both intended to keep the fuckery permanent.”
The door of the shop opened with a bang, and a man tumbled inside, his eyes huge, his shirt buttoned wrong.
Reno was already moving toward the back room. “I’ll get your bag.”
Cordelia nodded, moving to a wall of small bottles that Beatrice hadn’t noticed before. She took down five or six of the bottles, slipping them into a brown lunch bag.
The man barreled directly at Beatrice. “She—it’s all happening so fast, this can’t be normal.”
Crap.“Sorry, I’m the wrong one. Not me!”
“Tim.” Cordelia’s voice was calm. “That’s my sister. I’m over here.”
Tim’s gaze traveled from me to Cordelia and back again. All he said was a simple “Oh.”
“Who’s with her, Tim?”
“Her aunt.”
“Good. Why didn’t you just call my cell?”
“Shit! I didn’t think of it. I just ran.”
“Well, we’re so close, that makes sense. I’m sure I would have done the same thing.” Cordelia threw an unruffled smile over her shoulder as she reached up high for one last small bottle. “It’s going to be okay.”
“It’snot,” he gasped.
Cordelia was a midwife? What else didn’t Beatrice know about her?
Astrid spoke then. “Tim, there’s no one better at this than Cordelia. It will happen just right.”
Her mother’s voice was hypnotic, a slow swirl of smoke that released something tight in Beatrice’s chest.
Tim took a deep breath and nodded. “All right. Yes.”
Reno came back with a black case that looked like an old doctor’s bag. Cordelia put the paper sack into it, her movements swift and easy.
“Okay, Tim, let’s go.” As they left, Cordelia said, “Minna, darling, will you get Beatrice’s number and text it to me?”
“Yeah.”
Then Cordelia focused on Beatrice. “Beatrice, you are the best birthday present I’ve ever received in my whole life. I wish I had time to prove that to you now, but I’ll call you tomorrow. And then, we’lltalk. Oh, my sister, we’ll talk.”
It actually ached to feel so much warmth, as if Beatrice’s body had been ice, and the thaw was agony. She tried not to gasp aloud.
The door closed.
Astrid, Minna, Reno, and Beatrice stood in awkward silence until Minna broke it and asked for Beatrice’s number.
She tapped it into her phone. “I’m texting you now, so you’ll have my number, too. You can text me anytime. Or call me. I’d love that.”
