“This is a complicated one. You know I’m not as good at potions as Celeste was, right?”

I nodded. “You told me. But maybe between the two of us, we can figure it out.”

“All right. The directions have to be followed exactly. You read, and I’ll measure and pour.”

Faith got the water boiling, then added the ingredients one at a time in their exact order. The potion simmered, a burgundy-colored steam rising from the cauldron, exactly as the instructions said it should.

After a few minutes, though, the potion started to reek. Faith and I both began to cough. I looked back at the ingredients and realized that we hadn’t set a timer. It was only supposed to simmer for two minutes.

“Take it off the heat, quick!”

With a strange, burp-like sound, the liquid in the cauldron fizzled, then evaporated. Faith sighed as she leaned against the countertop.

“Oh, dear. Maybe we should have started with something simpler.”

I looked over the jars. “We didn’t use the entire bottle on any of these. We could try again.”

Faith tapped her chin, considering. “Okay. But we really should try something simpler first.”

“What do you think we should do?”

She laughed. “A truth potion!”

Faith rushed around the kitchen, pulling bottles out of the back of one of her cupboards. I picked up one of the bottles and read the label.

“Babbling Juice?”

I started cracking up, which got Faith laughing too.

“It makes a person unable to lie. My sisters and I made this potion all the time. It’s a hoot, you’ll see.”

The potion didn’t take long. Faith grabbed a ladle and scooped some up, offering it to me. It tasted like super sweet cake frosting.

“I might have overdone the Babbling Juice. It’s too sweet, isn’t it?”

I swallowed. “It’s okay.”

“Okay, now tell me your most embarrassing moment.”

I started to shake my head, then blurted out, “I farted really loud while giving a presentation in my English class in high school.”

Faith doubled over, and I even heard Jade’s laughter from the other room.

“Just like the old days!” Faith cackled.

Chapter Twenty-One

“What are you talking about?”

My cheeks burned. I hadn’t meant to tell her about my moment of literary flatulence, but it came out all the same. It took several minutes for Faith to stop laughing.

“When we were girls, my sisters and I would brew this up and then ask each other silly questions. We would laugh and laugh. Oh, I miss those days.”

I found myself laughing along with her.

“What was Grandma’s most embarrassing moment?”

Faith began to laugh even harder.

“The very first time she met your grandpa, Celeste was wearing these really cute, tight pants that were stylish at the time. She didn’t realize that she’d ripped the seam on the back when she bent over to get something. She talked to him for twenty minutes like that! He went all red when he noticed. I thought Willa and I would die laughing.”

We doubled over in fits of giggles.

“I bet she wanted to kill you both!”

Faith nodded, laughing too hard to speak. When we finally settled down, she turned to the cauldron with a sigh.

“All right, my turn. Prepare your question.”

She sipped the potion and coughed. “You lied, Sage. That is not okay. You don’t have to spare my feelings. I’ll never be as good as Celeste at potions.”

“You’re still better than I am,” I replied with a shrug. I tapped my chin, thinking.

“Okay, what’s the weirdest spell you ever cast?”

Faith blushed. “Sterling and I got into an argument once. He just wouldn’t stop talking, so I did a lip sealing spell on him to get him to listen.”

My mouth fell open. “Did he get mad when you unsealed his lips?”

“Yes, for a little while. But then he realized that he had been talking over me, and tried not to do that again. For years afterward, we laughed about it.”

Faith’s eyes once more grew distant, seeing a past I couldn’t see. I reached out and put my arm around her, pulling her into a side hug.

“I’d have given anything to have Celeste here teaching you about potions. I’m afraid I’m a poor substitute.”

I straightened up and put my hands on her shoulders, turning her towards me. Tears were glittering in her eyes.

“You’re not a poor substitute. I’m glad I have you. We both have an affinity for spells, so you’re the best teacher for me.”

Her lip trembled, and I fought back tears of my own. Our tears broke loose when she pulled me into a hug. We held onto each other for several minutes before pulling apart.

“You know, in a way I do know Grandma. I know her through you. I’d never have known all these stories about her if it weren’t for you.”

Faith gave a trembly smile, drying her eyes with a lace hankie she’d pulled from her pocket.

“Thanks, honey. And I’m so glad I have you. You remind me so much of Celeste, in looks and personality.”

I smiled at the thought.