Cornbread & Crossroads

left alone. Both of us decided we could endure any hexes she threw our way, but we wouldn’t be able to handle if anything bad happened to her. Her two best friends, Mimsy Blackwood and Ada Atherton, added to the rotation of those who made sure my grandmother took it easy.
The blender whirred to life in the kitchen, drowning out the conversation between the two older women, and Nana fidgeted on the couch. “I don’t like people stompin’ on my territory,” she fussed.
I straightened the crocheted blanket over her lap until she slapped my hand away. “It’s not strangers in there. They’re your two best friends.”
“Hmph,” Nana grunted. “The last time I checked, I could outcook them both under the table.”
I raised my left eyebrow at her. “That’s not what you said last time Ms. Mimsy brought over some of her deviled eggs. You said, and I quote, ‘Don’t tell Mims that I prefer hers over mine. Someday, I’ll figure out her special ingredient that makes them irresistible.’”
My exaggerated imitation of my grandmother’s voice earned me a cold glare of annoyance. “First off, whipping up some deviled eggs isn’t cookin’, it’s mixin’ ingredients together, plain and simple. Second off,” she jutted her thumb in the direction of the kitchen and lowered her voice, “I will figure out what she adds one of these days. And third, I don’t sound anything like that.”
I dodged an embroidered decorative pillow flung at my head with a giggle. Picking it up from the floor where it landed, I fluffed it and slid it behind Nana’s back to help her sit up, ignoring her grousing.
A light knock on the door interrupted us, and Ada rushed out of the kitchen to answer. The screen door creaked open, and I heard an exchange of pleasantries before Doc Andrews followed Blythe’s grandmother into the living room.
“Doc, tell them they’re making too much of a brouhaha over me. That I’m perfectly fine,” Nana commanded.
“See, I told you.” Ada held up her hands in defeat and headed back to the kitchen.
The town doctor and skilled healer set his black leather bag on top of the coffee table and sat down in a nearby chair. “I would if I could, Vivi.”
A little lump formed in the back of my throat, and it took me a second to find my voice. “Did your tests show what’s wrong with her?”
Nana shoved the blanket off her lap. “Y’all actin’ like I’m about to fall over dead, and all I did was take a little nap.”
I sat on the edge of the coffee table and faced her. “Was that nap in the middle of the afternoon in your own bed?”
“No,” my grandmother replied.
“And was it not after but during a town event? You know, the kind where you’re at the center of all the activity?” I pushed.
Nana dropped her gaze from mine. “Yes.”
A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed hard, willing the tears forming in my eyes not to fall. “And did Mason and I find you all by yourself slumped against the bench the same way I found Uncle Tipper?” Despite my wishes, a fat tear rolled down my cheek.
My grandmother’s defenses crumbled, and she reached out to wipe the wetness away. “Oh, Charli Bird, I had no idea what I must have looked like to you.” She cradled my face in her wrinkled hands and spoke low. “I must have scared you half to death, didn’t I?”
I nodded once, giving into the despair I’d felt since the moment we’d found her. Nana pulled me next to her on the couch and wrapped her arms around me. She rocked me back and forth, rubbing my back and whispering comforting words until my sobs subsided.
“Okay, Doc, I’m willing to listen,” she acquiesced.
The kind healer waited until I composed myself enough to hear his prognosis as well. “I wish I had something definitive to share, but the truth is that all the tests I performed last night showed absolutely nothing. No physical or metaphysical reason for you to have fallen asleep like that, Vivi.”
“There.” Nana patted my back. “Now everyone can leave me alone and go about their business with no worries.”
Doc held up a hand. “I didn’t say that. We still don’t know why you had the reaction that you did, and it’s far from normal for you. I think we should do a full blood panel, and it might not be a bad idea for me to refer you to someone in Charleston either. My small practice does have its limitations.”
Nana refused with stubborn support. “There’s no one I trust as much as you, plus I’m not keen on returning to that city anytime soon. I know there’s a lot of change going on, and I heard that the magical council there has made a lot of progress with including a lot of non-witches into their community. But if I’m going to put my life in anybody’s hands, it’s yours, Doc.”
Mimsy entered the room carrying a tray with a pitcher of tea, some glasses filled with ice, and a plate full of fresh chocolate chip cookies. Ada followed right behind, holding a clear glass with a yellowish-gray sludge inside and a napkin.
She handed both to Nana. “Now, you know the rules. For your own good, drink it all down.”
“I’d rather have some sweet tea,” my grandmother mumbled. “And you wipe that smirk off your face, Miss Birdy.”
I pointed at my chest with feigned innocence. “I didn’t say anything.” My heart filled with vengeful glee at Nana having to drink the medicinal sludge instead of me for once.
She took a tiny sip and grimaced with a shiver. “Ugh, that is absolutely vile.”
Without an ounce of sympathy, I quipped, “But if it tasted good, how would you know it’s medicine?”
Everyone in the room except me attempted to cover up their humor at the situation.
“Don’t you dare sass me or use my own words against me, Charli Bird.” To show how tough she was, Nana