Page 44 of Kiss and Spell

“I like it,” he repeated, warmth bleeding into his voice.

She smiled to herself. Yes, it was small, but it was hers. She worked hard to make this place into a home, and she liked climbing those stairs every day to her private space. Mama had helped her out by letting her rent the apartment, but she didn’t want to take advantage of her generosity, so Ursula made sure to be the best tenant. No loud noises. No parties. No overnight guests. Until now.

She pushed that thought out of her head. “What’s in the box?”

Xavier placed it on the table. “It’s for you.”

Ursula went over to the stovetop, quelling the curiosity inside her. No, she wasn’t going to give in so easily. He wasn’t going to win her over with some fancy gift. He probably got her a brass statue or handmade sculpture. She’d had enough of that from her old relationship. Lincoln didn’t do plants but loved buying her lifeless objects. He thought plants were too messy, not worth the trouble and cleaning. She wanted to be surrounded by life.

Ursula turned on the burner to low, put the kettle on the stove, then faced Xavier.

His eyes kept darting nervously to the box. “You might want to open it soon.”

“Why? Is there a troll in there?”

Ursula knew trolls loved to gift wrap themselves and pop out of boxes to scare people.

“I don’t know how much soil shifted,” he said.

Her senses tingled. Soil? Ursula went over to the gift in question and yanked at the bow. The box fell apart, revealing a flower held in a teal green flowerpot. The apartment immediately filled with the spicy, fragrant scent of hyacinth. She pressed a hand to her mouth to hide her smile. Purple hyacinths. In times of sorrow, these flowers offered mourners empathy and well wishes. But after a disagreement, they symbolized a real desire for forgiveness.

Xavier stood off to the side. “The florist in town didn’t have it, so I had to go to a nursery in Meadowdale. They didn’t have an aquamarine pot, so I thought teal would work.”

Ursula touched the pot. It was love at first sight. She fought desperately to hold on to the anger, but it started to slip away in the face of his gift.

“If you don’t like it, I can take it back,” he said.

She shook her head. He wasn’t taking her plant—Raspberry Beret—anywhere.

Ursula took a step toward Xavier and stared at him. “Why are you here?”

He didn’t look away. “I’m sorry. I said thoughtless things to you, and I wanted to apologize. You didn’t deserve my anger. It was uncalled for.”

Her chest swelled when she heard the sincerity in his words. She took a cleansing breath.

“I accept, and I offer my own apology. I shouldn’t have pushed you. It’s none of my business why you feel the way you do,” Ursula said.

Xavier gave her an accepting nod. She retreated into the kitchenette. He’d lived a whole life in the Realm before she met him and she had no right to inquire about his past. Besides, she hadn’t told him about her experience and how she really gained her nomination.

Xavier went over to the windowsill. In a fit of passion, Ursula had bought a trio of herb plants—mint, rosemary, and basil—from Home and Hearth so she’d have something else to care for in her loneliness. She’d also been drawn to the Swiss plant, which she loved and named after the Stevie Wonder song “Sir Duke.” Their earthy presence gave her much needed comfort in her self-imposed solitude and gave the apartment a little life.

He examined Sir Duke with an interested glance. “Hello, there.”

Xavier looked to Ursula, his hand hovering over the plant. “May I?”

She got a mug and put a chamomile tea bag inside it. “Please. Sir Duke’s been under the weather.”

Xavier caressed the leaves with a light touch. He waved a hand over Sir Duke, which perked up as if seeking attention from his palm. Small green sparks trickled from his hand and landed in the soil.

She smiled. “Thank you.”

“I gave him a little boost,” he said. “You’ve done a great job caring for them. The Swiss plant—Sir Duke—doesn’t need so much water, but he loves it when you talk to him.”

“I thought he was annoyed with me.”

Xavier grinned a little. “No, he enjoys hearing you talk, but he misses the singing.”

A flicker of sadness went through her, but she let it pass. Ursula hadn’t gone to karaoke in months, but she missed the music and performing. One day she’d find her song again.

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