Sage laughed and released Leelo. “You know that’s impossible, Aunt Fiona.” She skipped out of the room, but Leelo stayed with her mother.

“And how are we now, Mama?” she asked.

Her mother looked wistful when she spoke. “A little harder around the edges, perhaps, but still soft enough to be hopeful.”

“Hopeful about what?”

Her mother sighed. “Everything, my darling.”

Something about Mama’s tone worried Leelo. “You’re coming, aren’t you? Are you feeling well enough?”

“Of course I’m coming. I’ll change, and we can go.” She kissed Leelo’s forehead, now nearly even with hers.

Together, they left the cottage, falling silent as they passed by Isola’s house. Her family wasn’t allowed to attend such a celebratory occasion. Still, by the time they’d reached the meadow where the festival was held, they were nearly twenty people in all, the majority of the families Aunt Ketty oversaw as council member. Despite how small Endla was, it wasn’t often that everyone gathered on the island. It was a time to catch up with people they rarely saw, for the adults to comment on how big the children had grown, for friends to share gossip and elderberry wine, and for the young people to dance until their feet ached.

Leelo’s thoughts turned to Jaren once again when she saw the sheer number of people who had gathered, but she knew the songs they sang tonight would be harmless, mostly. Even her mother seemed pleased to be there, and she avoided most of Endla’s ceremonies. She said they took too much out of her, which Leelo had always chalked up to her mother’s introverted, quiet manner.

But as the sun went down, Fiona seemed quite satisfied with the elderberry wine and various dishes Aunt Ketty continued to bring to her, where she sat in the shade of an oak tree. Content that her mother was being well looked after, Leelo chatted with some of the people she hadn’t seen since the ceremony. Vance admired Leelo’s dress, just as she had last time. Sage stood with Hollis, talking animatedly about saints knew what, but certainly not looking for Leelo. She passed a table full of perfect miniature cupcakes dusted with icing sugar and topped with fresh strawberries. She only meant to take one for herself, but then she took a second.

She knew Jaren would love it.

She knew she would love watching him eat it.