Page 16 of Pushing Daisy
“Wonderful. Are you available next weekend? September ninth?”
Daisy runs the upcoming week through her mind quickly and can’t think of any conflicts. “That sounds perfect.”
“Wonderful. I have you booked in for Friday, September ninth, until Sunday, September eleventh, in one of our deluxe suites. Check-in will be at three p.m., and checkout at noon. Do you need directions?”
“That all sounds great, and no, I am familiar with the location,” Daisy responds, holding back the squeal of excitement building inside her.
“We look forward to receiving you and your guest next weekend. Have a splendid day.”
“Thank you, you too,” Daisy replies and hangs up.
Her arms rise above her head as she lets out the excited squeal she’s been holding in and runs in place. She bounces from one leg to the other, punching the air as she sings, “I’m staying at The Dandelion, I’m staying at The Dandelion. And it’s all free,” before collapsing onto her sofa with her legs kicking excitedly in the air.
“So, how have you been doing?” Petra asks, handing Daisy a drink and curling beside her on the couch.
“I’ve been great!”
“Really?” Petra responds, sounding unsure.
“Really. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Petra looks down at the drink in her hand, pausing to find her words. “Well, given everything with your parents, I figured you might be having a rough time. I’ve wanted to call and check in but thought you may want some space.”
“Ah. That,” Daisy says, reaching for a handful of pretzels from the bowl on the coffee table. “Yeah, I’ve decided to shove all those feelings in a tiny box and bury them in the lake.”
Petra chokes on her drink, spraying liquid all over the couch. “That seems…healthy,” she says, wiping her chin before waving a hand and making the mess disappear.
“Meh. They deserted me and didn’t seem to care about the consequences of their actions, so I don’t need to care about them. If I don’t have any feelings about them, I don’t need to worry about them continuing to cause me harm,” Daisy responds. She can tell by the look on Petra’s face that she has failed miserably to hide the pain that still weaves its web under the surface.
“I see.”
“Yep. Here’s to being an orphan!” Daisy replies sarcastically, raising her drink to cheers the air.
“You’re not an orphan,” Petra says softly. “You have me. And Lach. You have a family. It may be unconventional, but we are here.”
Daisy chugs the rest of her drink. “I know. And I love that you guys are here for me. But it’s not the same.” She looks down at her hands, rolling the string from her sweatpants between her fingers. When she speaks again, her voice is thick with unspoken emotion. “You know what they’ve put me through. I appreciate everything you and Lach have done for me, but it’s time for me to move on from them. I would rather talk about something else and continue to pretend my parents don’t exist because, for all intents and purposes, they don’t. The council made sure of that.” She doesn’t mean for the last bit to come out as bitter as it does, and from the corner of her eye, she notices Petra flinch as she says it. “Shit. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Petra responds reassuringly. She pulls herself upright into her Premier Witch stance. “I know what the council… what we decided was not an easy decision, and you are the one most impacted by the decision to wipe your parents’ memories. I hope you know I never wanted to do that. I had to vote in favor based on protocols and for the community’s greater good and safety. I love you, Daisy. You are my best friend, my witchy sister, and I would do anything to protect you, even if that means having to vote to rid our community of your parents.” Petra’s words are filled with love and care, but that doesn’t mean they sting any less.
Daisy wipes a stray tear from the corner of her eye. Since the day they met in kindergarten, Petra has been a constant in her life. Petra has always been the one who would jump into a bubbling cauldron for her. Deep down, she knows that this decision was not made lightly, and it was not one that Petra would have wanted to make. But knowing that doesn’t make it less painful. “I know.”
Petra leans forward and places her hand on Daisy’s. “I’m sorry. I truly am. But I am here for you anytime you need me.”
“Thanks,” Daisy replies before standing abruptly and moving toward the kitchen. “Do you need a refill?”
“No, I’m still good, thanks.”
Daisy nods and then continues into the kitchen. Pausing next to the sink, she lets out a slow breath, attempting to calm the thrumming mix of frustration, anger, sadness, and grief from losing her parents again that flows through her blood, fighting to break through. Violet tendrils pool at her feet as her emotions start to take over, controlling her already chaotic magic. She thought she was doing pretty well. She had been feeling good these last few days with the grimoire and her increased power, but it doesn’t want to respond to her calls for control in this heightened state. She really didn’t want to talk about her parents tonight. She spends so much of her day doing her best to forget them that she was hoping tonight would be a bit of a reprieve. Some girl time with her best friend. She should have known better than to think that Petra wouldn’t try to push her.
Realizing she’s been gone for longer than it takes to make a drink, Daisy quickly tosses some random syrups and liquids into her glass and mixes them all together. She takes a swig and grimaces. A little tart, but it will have to do. She takes a deep breath and sends a final plea to her power for it to calm down. Thankfully, it agrees and retreats back inside as if nothing ever happened. She looks over her shoulder, checking nothing has been accidentally set on fire, then enters the living room again and purposely changes the subject. “So, I’ve been invited to stay at The Dandelion next weekend.”
Petra’s eyes widen in surprise. “The Dandelion? Really? Why?”
“Well, I called them to arrange a consultation for the council event, and they ended up calling back and asking if I’d like to come and stay for the weekend. They want to let me experience some of the amenities,” Daisy shares, her smile emerging brightly. She’s proud of this potential collaboration. She knows The Dandelion would be a fantastic venue and can see the approval written all over Petra’s face.
“I’m happy things are going so well with the planning. I wasn’t sure how it would go with you and Sloan together. You’re getting along, I assume?”
“Yep. Sloan has been a wonderful partner,” Daisy responds, being as vague as possible, hoping that Petra doesn’t press for details.
