Page 83 of A Dream of Stars and Curses

Only two days after Kate and I left our offerings, it’s clear just how much influence the boggart had not just on my life, but on everyone around me, too.

Bonnie and I are getting ready for a movie night, with her ordering the pizza and me preparing the cocktails. Things aren’t all back to normal between us, but we’ve both apologised again and vowed to communicate better. Chiara kidnapping me taught us both a valuable lesson: We can’t know what will happen tomorrow, but our last words to each other won’t be hateful.

‘Double pepperoni okay?’ Bonnie shouts from the sofa.

‘Yes, please! Tell them to murder it with cheese!’

‘Got it. One death-by-pepperoni-and-cheese feast coming right up.’

I’m so, so grateful for this normality, and I’m even more grateful that Bonnie is embracing it with me. We both need this, especially after our last two failed movie nights.

Lady fusses around my legs as I mix our drinks. She was very busy stuffing her face with not only her own food, but Kate’s dogs’ servings as well when we went back to hers. She’s good as new. I don’t know if it was definitely the boggart’s influence or all the stress getting to her, but we’re beyond relieved that she’s okay.

Although, it is a little difficult to take the drinks to the sofa with her winding herself around my feet. I don’t think the brownie fancies repairing another glass so soon.

We know the brownie decided to stay because Bonnie accidentally dropped a mug yesterday, we remembered that we still don’t have any super glue, and it was fixed by the time we were back home from the shop. Both of us see this as the ultimate peace offering—the brownie came out during the day to repair it.

Bonnie giggles and takes the glasses from me.

‘Did I tell you I found my necklace?’

My heart squeezes with mixed emotions as I sit next to her. I’m so happy she found it, but I accused Sunitha of stealing it. I was angry and hurt when I said it, but I suspected her before that. The boggart was likely to blame for it spilling out like it did, and I could have said it better, but the thought was my own.

‘Where was it?’ I sheepishly ask.

‘You won’t believe it—behind my nightstand. I don’t even know how it got there. This morning I suddenly thought of it and checked, and there it was.’

A guilty smile twists my lips. ‘That’s great.’ And then, because we promised complete honesty: ‘I’m sorry I ever suspected Sunitha.’

Bonnie shakes her head. ‘It did look suspicious. But it doesn’t matter now since I found it, right?’

My smile grows a little wider. ‘Right.’

It felt so nice to sleep in my own bed again last night, and it feels even nicer to sink into this sofa with my sister next to me, an easy smile on my face and pizza on the way. Apart from the door, Kate’s friends worked on replacing the carpets and general structural integrity of the staircase and ceiling while I took Lady for a long walk yesterday and Bonnie was at her internship. Kate had the whole thing arranged as a surprise, so by the time I got back they had already worked their literal magic. I especially love the door. Instead of the weird stained-glass boat we inherited from the last people who lived here, we now have a gorgeous triple moon greeting us home. There’s a white full moon flanked by a crescent moon on each side, set against black glass. The door itself is a rich blue. Bonnie loves it all as much as I do.

Sadly, Kate’s friends were gone by the time we got back, but she promised we could meet them if we wanted. They’re simply busy people and couldn’t hang out that day. Kate did ask them to do all this on short notice, so I’m not surprised.

‘Since we’re apologising...’ Bonnie clears her throat. ‘I’m really sorry I said that Leverett could never love you. That was stupid. If he doesn’t want to be with you, he’s an idiot.’

I lean my head against her shoulder, and she leans her head against mine. ‘And I’m sorry I said that it could never work out with Sunitha. Obviously she doesn’t live underwater. You could have moved in together.’

We give each other an awkward sideways hug. We did apologise before this, several times, but always in generic terms. It feels good to be specific.

‘Drink to our forever friendship and sisterhood?’

Bonnie grabs the glasses and hands me one. ‘Gladly.’

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