34. ~ Char ~
CHAPTER 34
~ Char ~
T uesday and Wednesday had been a blur of work at Temporarily Yours, and the usual new-temp-job thrill had somehow worn off completely. There had been one bright spot, and that was a quick job for CM Enterprises out of Ontario. Connor MacKenzie, some big shot out east, had asked me to do research for a startup in Calgary, then one in Edmonton, which had meant jumping on the bus to head north. I was sure to wear my Flames jersey into Oilers’ territory, even though it normally wouldn’t be considered work appropriate. Although, with both of the province’s NHL teams in the playoffs, a Flames or Oilers jersey was currently everything appropriate.
Sure, it might be June, and late in the year for hockey fever to some people, but the teams had beaten out the San Antonio Dragons with their all-star Maverick Bladees to face each other head-to-head. The Battle of Alberta never rested even outside of playoffs, but this year it was extra insane with both teams vying for the Stanley Cup.
The worst part of my week, though, hadn’t been the cracks from the Oilers fans upon seeing my red and orange jersey in Edmonton, but had been catching myself feeling dreamy and hopeful, envisioning a future with James. Predictably, it was a rude slap to the face every time I recalled that my returned amorous feelings were all due to a wish.
I’d even tried going to Estelle’s office to beg for her help yesterday after getting back from Edmonton, but the witch in reception said she was off for the rest of the week.
Fairy godmothers took vacations? That seemed wholly unfair, especially while I was having a crisis.
I’d asked which day Estelle would return, but the witch had simply told me that their calendar was different than ours. And then, without even moving my feet, I’d found myself on the sidewalk outside YFGM’s front door. Naturally, the door was gone, and wouldn’t reappear, no matter what I did.
On Thursday night, determined to spend time with my roomies before baseball practice, I came home with a giant pizza and called out, “I’m home. I have pizza!”
I opened the box on the kitchen table, and Felipe chittered at me. I cut him a tiny piece of crust and handed it to him. He sat on his haunches and nibbled.
The pie was down a slice, as I’d given one away on my walk home as a good deed. But there was still plenty. I went to the fridge and found carrot sticks and Tamara’s homemade chocolate cake. I put them on the table along with plates.
The house was quiet. “Where is everyone?” I asked Felipe.
I closed the pizza box again; the pineapple reminding me of James. I loved that he hadn’t backed down about me wanting pineapple on the pizza when we’d ordered in the other night. My mom would have just shut up, and then picked it off in order to keep the peace. But James and I had stood our ground and bickered over what we each wanted, finding a perfect compromise. I liked that about us. It felt healthy.
But why weren’t my wishes wearing off on him? It was starting to freak me out.
Tamara appeared in the doorway, appearing slightly grim.
“What’s wrong?” I was up from my seat and across the room in a heartbeat.
She sucked in a deep breath then, blurted out, “I’m moving back home at the end of the month.”
“What?”
That couldn’t be right. We had to give a month’s notice, and we were already into June. We’d have to find another roommate.
She bit her bottom lip, giving me a hopeful smile.
Oh, no. Kade.
Why couldn’t she just go ahead and fall in love with Kade’s older brother Haden instead? He was the better pick. And the way Tamara and Haden seemed to avoid each other made me wonder if they were hiding a forbidden, secret attraction.
But Kade? She was moving home for him ?
I turned so she wouldn’t see my face, sat at the table and shoved a slice of pizza in my mouth to keep me quiet, to stuff my anger and disappointment down somewhere deep, stuck under gluten and cheese so it wouldn’t well up and ruin our friendship.
She crept into the room. “We’re going to give us a second chance.”
“Mmmph.” I had way too much pizza in my mouth, thankfully. I tried for a smile, but couldn’t quite get there.
Her going back to Kade felt like the end. The end of adventure. The end of Tamara’s dreams. The end of having my bestie at my side making me omelettes and chocolate cake. Maybe even the end of our friendship.
But most of all, the end of Tamara standing up for what she wanted in life.
I leaned back in my chair and tried not to cry.
“Char…”
“Nothing. It’s fine.” I shoved more pizza in my face. It was only lukewarm now, and a bit chewy. I hope that didn’t downgrade my good deed of sharing a slice with a stranger.
“Char…”
I stood and pulled back on my immaturity. I drew her into a hug and lied. “I’m happy for you.” I couldn’t look at her or she’d see how disappointed I was. “I’m sad, too, though. And I hope…I hope this time it works out, and that it’s everything…” Wait.
I gasped. Back when we’d been trying to prove that Estelle was a fraud, Tamara had made a wish for love! Estelle had said she wouldn’t grant those wishes for her and Josie, but the timeline tracked. Tamara had been happy and going out a lot more since that wish. Had Estelle snuck one by us?
I held Tamara in front of me, fearing that this second-chance business was Estelle’s doing and not reality.
“If I don’t try things with him again, then I’ll never know,” she said firmly, her speech obviously rehearsed. “We weren’t happy because we were young, and we didn’t know who we were. I know who I am now. I know I love the country and smalltown life.”
She didn’t mention love. Was that implied?
“You made a wish to Estelle.” I met her eyes.
“What? No.” Her cheeks flushed.
“When we first met her.”
“Oh.” Tamara waved the idea away. “She never granted that. She just read my mind.”
“Are you sure?”
Tamara’s eyes filled. “Can’t you be happy for me? I don’t have to live your life in order to be happy, you know.”
“I know.”
“And it’s not like you’re happy anyway! You finally found a nice guy who likes you back, and you’re acting as if he’s about to break up with you!”
“Because I made a wish that he’d love me. Like you did with Kade, only for me it was an accident! It was before I knew Estelle could meddle and change lives based on my stupid, immature, selfish whims! And now here I am with something that’s not even real. He only likes me because I wished for it. Not because of me and who I really am.”
Tamara’s anger slackened, and she pulled me into her arms. “Oh, hon.”
She was cozy and warm and like a giant pillow of sweet kindness. As much as I hated to admit it, I knew she didn’t belong here in Calgary. She belonged back home, amongst the rolling foothills with a stable full of horses.
Just maybe not with Kade.
“I hope it’s real, Tam-Tam,” I whispered, tears streaking down my cheeks.
She released me, wiping her eyes. “Well, I was missing Eagle Ridge anyway, so…” She shrugged. Her voice wobbled, and I could see the way my words had destroyed her happiness.
“I know you were. I’m sorry if you stayed here for me. And I didn’t mean to be unhappy about you and Kade.”
Tamara shook her head hard, once. “Don’t.”
The door to the stairs closed and footsteps—high heels—climbed our way. Samantha.
“What’s going on?” she asked, coming around the corner and taking in our somber faces.
“Tamara’s moving back home.”
“Oh.” Samantha’s tone was casual. Had she already known? “When?”
“End of the month,” Tamara said.
“Huh. Well, that’s um…”
“Do you know someone who’d make a good roommate?” I asked. I caught Samantha’s look and cringed. Oh no. What was coming my way now?
“Is this pizza?” Samantha opened the box, helping herself to a slice. “Wait. There’s cake!” She added a slice of cake to her plate.
“What?” I demanded. “What were you going to say?”
She carefully rearranged the placement of pineapple on her pizza so it was more evenly spaced. “Malachi asked me to move in with him.”
“He did?”
Samantha gave a sheepish smile, but the joy on her face couldn’t be masked. She was in love. And she’d said yes.
Everyone was in love.
I felt left behind. The kind of woman who could only get true love if she wished for it.