Page 37 of Brews and Banishments
“I remember in English class one year, we had this huge project,” Ethan began, not even hesitating for a second. “And no one else in your group was helping. They were talking, messing around, not paying attention. I was in the other group, but I-I saw your frustration get louder and louder. But when the teacher came by to ask how it went, you said: ‘I’m -”
“‘- Handling it,” Daisy whispered. She lowered her fork, ignoring how it clattered against the plate. “You remember that?”
Ethan rubbed the back of his neck, a habit, it seemed, for when he got nervous. “I try to remember the important things,” he murmured. “And I remember you, Daisy.”
Daisy couldn’t count how many times that night that Ethan managed to render her speechless. She stared across the table at him, the entire world fading away all around them. He was all she could see, and there wasn’t any other way she wanted it. Immediately she needed him to know how important he was to her, in case he was still questioning it.
“How are your kids?” she asked. “Daniel and…and Vivian, right? Vivi?”
Ethan beamed. “Exactly right.” The tension left his shoulders the moment he talked about his kids. “Well, Daniel started college last year, so it’s his spring semester of freshman year. Vivi is a junior at the same school. They’ve both excelled so quickly that it’s hard to believe. Dan took a hankering to the debate team and has championships in the next few months.”
“A debater, huh?” Daisy laughed. “I remember him being a shy youngster. Not much for crowds.”
Ethan’s smile grew wistful. “He’s grown so much since then,” he murmured. “You know, I…” His words grew quiet and trailed off.
Daisy reached, not even thinking when she grabbed onto his hand. “You’re okay,” she said. “Don’t talk about things you aren’t comfortable sharing. You won’t hurt my feelings, if that’s what bothers you.”
Ethan’s eyes trailed over Daisy’s face, the smile returning to his lips. “I always thought Dan would be that small, reclusive kid,” he said. “After his mom left, I didn’t think he was capable of change, or that I would be the one to bring it along. But…pain comes, and pain goes. All we can do is keep marching forward. Once the pain makes us stop, that’s when hope is lost.” Ethan chuckled, his cheeks growing flushed as he became embarrassed. “You know?”
“I can’t imagine a better father for Dan and Vivi.”
Ethan met her gaze, lips parted. “What?”
“You should give yourself more credit,” she said quietly. “Not once did anyone in Willowbrook question the upbringing of those kids. You became the father they needed overnight. No matter what your wife left you with, no matter what way she left you. I never saw you crumble.” Daisy intertwined her fingers around his, giving him a tight squeeze. “It is beyond admirable, Ethan.”
Their laced hands sent chills through Daisy’s spine. He ran his thumb across her hand, his gaze following the movement with a gentle smile pulling across his lips. Daisy was caught in a trance, entirely engrossed by him and unable to pull away. She didn’t even want to try. The wonderful food and delectable wine mattered little when it came to the true gift sitting across the table from her.
As a comfortable silence settled over them, Daisy looked down to her food, her hand humming with energy as Ethan’shold remained tight around her. The longer she concentrated on the feeling, the quicker her mind began to imagine how it would be when it disappeared. The emptiness, the hollowness, was that something she could endure another time? Already she’d fallen heavily into Ethan, just from the fledgling interaction, and she couldn’t fathom what it would be like when the spell’s effects were washed away.
What would remain of this?
Daisy slowly pulled her hand out of his. “Ethan,” she began in a small voice, “have you ever…used magic to get something that you really wanted?”
“Something I really wanted,” he repeated, setting his fork down against his plate. If he was confused by the question, he worked hard not to show it. Ethan pressed his lips together. “Well, how honest are we being?”
“Entirely,” Daisy murmured.
Ethan smiled mischievously. “Imayhave used an illusionary spell to hide my wrinkles for an hour or two,” he confessed sheepishly. He sighed before waving a hand across his face a few times, as if he was shaking the magic away.
When he lowered his hand, Daisy barely noticed the difference. If anything, something felt more homey about his face. Simple lines creased around his lips, signs of a lifetime full of smiles. Short wrinkles curled around his eyes, but Daisy only recognized it as moments of laughter permanently etched onto one’s face. He only looked more like himself, and Daisy was so glad to see every bit of it.
“Perfect,” she cooed, barely even realizing the word left her mouth.
Ethan grinned, his eyes finding her lips for a moment, pulling the very breath from the back of her throat. “If a spell isn’t hurting anyone, Daisy, it’s harmless,” he said. “That’s what you were asking, right?”
She nodded.
“Then that’s my honest opinion.” He grasped his wine glass and held it up for a toast. “But, in the meantime: to our perfect selves,” he said.
“To our perfect selves,” Daisy agreed, raising her glass and tapping the rim against his own. The shortdingrang through the rowdy restaurant, and Daisy beamed, unable to hide the happiness rushing through her.
The rest of the dinner continued on in a pleasurable way. They finished their meals and scooped their way through a desert they could hardly stomach. And when Ethan paid the bill, Daisy eyed the tip he entered when he turned away, and held back her immense pleasure at his kind self. There wasn’t a doubt she had about the man who was sweetly walking her home. Somehow, after all that time, Gary had been waiting for her to find Ethan, and he had been more patient than she had ever been.
The evening air was warm that night. It smelt of faraway rain and leftover heat from the blistering afternoon. Daisy was woozy from the dinner and the feeling of Ethan’s hand wrapped around her own. He kept her close to his side, walking entirely in time with her, never once changing their pace. The quiet around them was more than comfortable, as if each other’s presence was all they could’ve asked for.
“You know,” Ethan finally said, “I feel as though I’ve been waiting for this moment since elementary school.”
Daisy laughed. “Don’t tease.”
