Page 30 of Love, Magic and Misfortune
“Jasper, I’m sorry if I offended you—”
“You didn’t, I… I just need to rest. Thanks for understanding.”
Jasper turned and walked through the room and toward the hallway. In the doorframe he paused, waiting for her there to escort her out of his home. Stunned, Violet quickly moved to the coffee table, closed her laptop, picked it up and stuffed it into her bag. She followed behind Jasper without a word, the two of them walking in mutual silence.
At the front of the house, Jasper pulled the door open for her. He smiled. The gesture was genuine, without any discernible malice. “Thank you for today—and for the groceries. I appreciate it.”
“Sure, of course…” She crossed the threshold and walked into the wintery afternoon. She half expected him to immediately slam the door behind her, but he didn’t.
“Goodbye, Violet.”
She turned, glancing over her shoulder, her mind a mess of confusion and embarrassment. “Bye. See you next week?”
He simply smiled. A sad gesture without warmth. When she was at her car and about to sit down in the driver seat, he closed the front door.
Inside the quiet vacuum of the cold vehicle, Violet swallowed hard. She watched as very fine snowflakes drifted down in the sunlight like glitter all around her.
What’s wrong with you? Why won’t you just tell me…
14
Then
“Jasper… have you ever kissed anybody?”
Violet stared at her friend as she sat on the floor of Gram’s front room, the fireplace crackling loudly as she waited, a large box of Christmas tree baubles just beside her. The glass orbs shone in every color, like a fancy arrangement of oversized hard candies.
Jasper was standing in front of the tall fir tree, frozen with a single iridescent-pink bauble in his hand. He was staring at her like she had snot on her face. “I’meight.” He frowned.
“So?”
“Eight-year-olds don’t kiss—we’re too young!”
“I don’t know…”
“WellIknow,” he assured her. “We’re too young.” He turned, skillfully placing the looped ribbon on a branch as he cupped the glass sphere with his other hand. Violet decided a gold one should be next, so she lifted it out of the box, placed it in the concave of her folded legs and started tying the ribbon.
“Well, Rosie kisses all the time,” Violet said, making a small bow at the top as a finishing touch. “Boysandgirls.”
“She’s eighteen. She’s way older than us so she can kiss whoever she wants.”
“Hm. I guess.”
Jasper stepped toward her. Violet raised her arm and transferred the gold ornament over to him. When he turned and walked away, she lifted from the ground slightly in the opposite direction, stretching her arm over to the coffee table beside her and grabbing another gingersnap. Gram’s gingersnaps were the best because she always frosted them with a lemony drizzle.
“Why are you thinking about kissing?” Jasper stood on tiptoe, placing the bauble on a high branch. Dad and Rosie had already strung the tree with white lights, so they twinkled like starlight all throughout the thick brush.
Violet took a big bite of her cookie and spoke around it. “I don’t know. I was just… Rosie left earlier with Art to go to the movies. When she came downstairs, she kissed him, like it was no big deal.”
“She’s eighteen. What color is next?”
“Mm… how about blue?” Violet quickly shoved the last bite of the cookie in her mouth, picked up a dark blue bauble and tied the ribbon. As she secured the bow for good measure, Jasper’s voice was low.
“Do youwantto kiss someone?”
“Yeah, maybe?” Violet lifted her arm again, handing him the orb. He took it, then turned toward the tree.
“Who do you want to kiss?” he asked.
