“Did you propose to someone I should I know about?”
“Hilarious. And no. You’re the only one for me. But the school board said yes to Carrie!” she squealed. “I had to sign an agreement swearing I’d personally clean the blood off the stage, but it’s totally worth it.”
Sadie laughed. Raquel was the local high school music teacher and always directed the musicals. Sadie had been cornered into her fair share of sitting through hours of long auditions and backstage teenage meltdowns.
“What do you need me for?” she asked with resignation.
“You’re an angel, you know that? I was wondering if you and Gigi could help with the gym costumes. You know, the toga-like ones?”
“Your parents own literally the only costume store in town! They don’t have anything?”
“Um, excuse me. The Mad Hatter is a costume and tux rental store. We also do prom dresses. And no, they don’t have what I need. I was also thinking maybe you’d want to host a bake sale or something to raise funds?” Raquel smiled obscenely.
“Okay, okay,” Sadie said, laughing. “Done.”
“Now I just need someone to help me with the lighting. It needs some strong design. Know of anyone who could help?”
Before Sadie could answer, the air in the kitchen suddenly pulsed with an energy that felt like endless summer nights where anything was possible, or of first frost on Christmas morning. It was anticipation, pure and clean.
Sadie nervously wiped her hands on her apron again, her stomach dropping to her feet. The “Traditions” and “Protection” hadn’t had time to bake through yet.
“No, no, no,” Sadie moaned with a hand over her mouth. The noise of the world faded to a hum. It buzzed in her chest like a painful memory. The kitchen went eerily quiet, even the popping and creaking of the hot oven gone silent.
Beyond the double doors, something pulled her. Something warm that smelled like sweet summer peaches.
Pushing the door open a sliver, she peered out the front window. The hum turned into a roar, and her ears burned hot as she saw him.
The omens. The flooded river. That quiet voice in her head snickering and whispering.
Jacob McNealy.
He stood on the sidewalk like a living, walking daydream. Her mouth went desert dry, and it was like she’d been thirsty for years and hadn’t realized it. Looking at him was like stretching your limbs after a long nap.
The first heartbreak that had sparked her curse to life.
And seeing old sorrow before noon was the seventh bad omen. A nightmare was on its way.
Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
These will humble the eater and remind them of their roots, where they came from—you know. Carrots help you understand that to find fulfillment, you have to seek answers from your past, no matter how gritty it is. The salt and cinnamon ensure that those traditions and memories will be protected. Focus on positivity while baking, or they’ll turn out bitter. I adapted this recipe from my Uncle Sun, who brought back a bag of lunar white carrot seeds from his tour in Vietnam.
Ingredients
For the cookies
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
? tsp. salt
1? tsp. ground cinnamon
? tsp. ground nutmeg
? tsp. ginger
? c. coconut oil melted and cooled to room temperature
? c. dark brown sugar
? c. granulated sugar
1 large egg
? c. peach puree (can use baby food or just puree canned peaches)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. shredded carrots
1 c. old-fashioned oats
? c. sweetened coconut flakes
? c. raisins
For the frosting
1 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
1 c. powdered sugar
1 T. milk
? tsp. pure almond or vanilla extract
Directions
1.?Preheat the oven to 350?F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper, and set aside.
2.?In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3.?In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine coconut oil and sugars, mix until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract, and beat until well combined. Next, add the shredded carrots and peach puree. Mix until combined.
4.?Slowly add flour mixture until just combined. Stir in oats, coconut, and raisins.
5.?Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10–12 minutes or until cookies are slightly golden around the edges and set. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
6.?While the cookies are cooling, make the cream cheese glaze. Mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and extract in a medium bowl. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies. Let cookies sit until glaze hardens up. Serve!
??2??
“WHAT THE HELL?” RAQUEL cried just as the smoke alarm went off.
After a moment of sheer panic, Sadie grabbed a dishtowel and jumped on a chair to fan away the sudden onslaught of smoke, the acrid scent making both their eyes water. Raquel snatched another and windmilled her arms like the force of nature she was. A second later Gigi came rushing through the door just as the shrill beeping cut off, leaving them in an echoing silence.
“You trying to give the customers a heart attack?” Gigi demanded, and then stopped short when she saw the look of horror on Sadie’s face. “Okay, toot. You’re done for the day.”
“Dios mío, I saw her put those cookies in,” Raquel said, making the sign of the cross. “How did they burn that fast?”
“I’ll call Gail for backup,” Gigi said, her voice going soft as she patted Sadie on the arm. Gail, Gigi’s oldest friend and part-time employee at the café, would be there in under ten minutes with ready hands and a smile on her face. “You need to get out of here before you blow this place to bits. What’s rule number twenty-one?”
“‘Don’t mess with Revelare magic.’” Sadie groaned, her heart beating hummingbird fast. It wasn’t even noon, and her world was crumbling. Her chest tightened, her lower back seizing up. The kitchen, which had been stifling before, was strangely cold now. It was all smoke and ice and heavy silence, like everything had been blanketed in snow.
“That’s right. Some things you can change, but those you can’t are best left well respected. Take this with you,” she added, pushing a small vial of salt and angelica into Sadie’s hands before shooing her out of the kitchen.
Sadie washed her hands and slid all her rings back on like a soldier strapping on battle armor. Then, she silently followed Raquel out the kitchen door after making sure Jake was nowhere to be seen. Several customers called warm greetings to her as she passed, and complimented the orange essence croissants. She smiled absentmindedly while a burning heat climbed stickily up her neck.
The air was brisk as ginger snaps as the sun made its daily commute into the sky, but it only served to make her skin clammier. Though it was still early, Sadie could see Cutsie’s Diner, across the way, filled with breakfasters. Standing there on the sidewalk, it felt like looking in on a dream she couldn’t quite touch.
“So that went well,” Raquel said, breaking into Sadie’s thoughts. Her brown skin seemed to give off a glow in the early light. She linked Sadie’s arm through hers and pulled her across the street. When Raquel took charge, there was really nothing to be done, so Sadie let herself be pulled. For someone who was always in control, it was a foreign feeling.
“Ten years,” was all Sadie said.
“I know.” Raquel sighed.
“He was my first heartbreak. He’s the one who started my curse,” Sadie said with such force that her face flushed with the heat of memory.
“You’re so dramatic,” Raquel said with pursed lips. “I told you, curses are only real if you believe in them.”
“That’s what you think! Do you remember what happened to my, my—you know what,” she whispered, eyes scanning the sidewalk, “after he left?”
“I’m extremely terrified of what you’re referring to.” Raquel raised her eyebrows.