It was a little trouble to maintain my slightly-sad-but-brave smile, but I managed. Thank goodness Amelia clattered down the stairs at that moment with a wrapped package in her hands, a thin, flimsy red scarf tied around it and secured with a big bow. Without looking at me, Amelia said, “Here’s a little something from Sookie and me. I hope you enjoy it.”

“Oh, you’re so sweet. I’m sorry I ever doubted your skill, Amelia. You’re one heck of a witch.”

“Octavia, it means so much to me to hear you say that!” Amelia was genuinely touched and tearful.

Thank goodness Louis and Octavia got up then. Though I liked and respected the older witch, she had provided a series of speed bumps in the smooth running of the household Amelia and I had formed.

I actually found myself breathing a profound sigh of relief when the front door shut on her and her partner. We’d all said good-bye to one another over and over, and Octavia had thanked both of us for various things repeatedly, and she’d also found ways to remind us of all sorts of mysterious things she’d done for us that we were having a hard time recalling.

“Heavens be praised,” said Amelia, collapsing on the stairs. Amelia was not a religious woman, or at least she wasn’t a conventional Christian religious woman, so this was a quite a demonstration from her.

I sat on the edge of the couch. “I hope they’re very happy,” I said.

“You don’t think we should have checked up on him somehow?”

“A witch as strong as Octavia can’t take care of herself?”

“Good point. But did you see those tattoos?”

“They were something, weren’t they? I guess he’s some kind of sorcerer.”

Amelia nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure he practices some form of African magic,” she said. “I don’t think we need to worry about the high crime rate in New Orleans affecting Octavia and Louis. I don’t think anyone’s going to be mugging them.”

“What was the present we gave her?”

“I called my dad, and he faxed me a gift certificate to his home supplies store.”

“Hey, good idea. What do I owe you?”

“Not a dime. He insisted it be on him.”

At least this happy incident took the edge off my generalized anger. I felt more companionable with Amelia, too, now that I no longer harbored a vague resentment for her bringing Octavia into my house. We sat in the kitchen and chatted for about an hour before I turned in, though I was too exhausted to try to explain the saga of what had been happening lately. We went to bed better friends than we’d been in weeks.