Magic All Around

Marcy L. Peska

Copyright © 2013 Marcy L. Peska

All rights reserved.

ISBN-13: 978-1490384443

ISBN-10: 1490384448

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments i

1 Chapter One 3

2 Chapter Two 34

3 Chapter Three 63

4 Chapter Four 92

5 Chapter Five 134

6 Chapter Six 151

7 Chapter Seven 190

8 Chapter Eight 222

9 Chapter Nine 236

10

11

12

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

287

256

299

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To the family and close friends who have been my brilliant beta readers: I love you! Garrey & Karen Peska, Georgia Kaye, Barbara Morgan, Debbie Maas, Sandy Fleming and Patricia Wherry, thank you for reading this story and providing encouragement, feedback and editing assistance.

Babs, you are my favorite brainstorming partner. Mom, you have always been my most enthusiastic fan. Debbie, I’m so glad to have a friend who lives in the same canine reality as I do. Dad, I simply couldn’t have handled the webpage without you and you’ve always supported and encouraged my writing aspirations.

L. Darby Gibbs: Elldee, thank you for your help and support; we’ll cure me of this comma habit yet. Alisia Nelson and Hannah Fleming, thank you for helping me create L.J. and for inspiring me to write about friendship between a teenager and an adult. I am very proud of the young women you are becoming. I owe an enormous thank you to my husband. Dale, before you came along I believed “true love” was as silly an idea as the moon being made of cheese. These days I know better, and if that’s not magic, I don’t know what is!

1

SOME THINGS SHIFT

Juneau, Alaska. It’s my home. It’s the place I was born

and raised, the place I choose to live; but that’s not what

I’m telling you.

Some things shift. Even words can shift. At first, you

think they convey simple concepts; ideas that everyone

can agree on. Once you start to think about a shifty

word, though, it begins to wiggle and change shape.

Pretty soon, you realize the word doesn’t mean what

you thought it did. Or, it means six additional things.

Home is a shifty word. I used to think that it meant the

house someone lives in, or where someone sleeps at

night.

Reverse it, however, and you’ll see things in a different

way. Try it. Homeless. See how slippery it gets? How

difficult to pin down? Are you homeless if you don’t live

in a house? I know plenty of people, right here in

Juneau, that live in trailers, campers and boats. Are they

homeless? What about people who sleep in tents, caves

or cardboard boxes? Are they homeless?

That first morning, as I shivered in the cold March

Magic All Around

2

drizzle, standing on a stranger’s porch, I was not

homeless. I was right here in Juneau. Juneau is my

home. Nor was I without a place to sleep. I’d been

sleeping in my car for two weeks.

What was I, then? Kitchen-less. Shower-less. Hot and

cold running water-less. Bathtub-less. Toilet-less.

These were the absences that troubled me. That is why

I stood in the rain, behind Penny, playing along with her

half-cooked plan to get me into an apartment I couldn’t

afford.

3

Chapter One

***

Our universe is a giant stew of magic.

—Penny Sweeney

I stood on a strangers’ porch and shivered in the cold

March drizzle. My winter coat hung over the back of a

chair at Penny and Roanan’s house, less than a block

away and I knew that my decision to leave it there for

this short outing was a classic example of seasonal

denial. Seasonal denial is common among Alaskans,

particularly during times when other states (like

Washington and Oregon) are experiencing warmer

temperatures and sunshine.

I shivered again and wrapped my arms across my chest.

Seattle might be experiencing temperatures in the low

to mid 50’s with partly sunny skies and blooming

daffodils, but Juneau was not. Today, the expected high

was 37 degrees and I hadn’t seen blue sky since the cold

snap last month when temperatures were in the teens. I

love Juneau, but sometimes I wish spring would come a

few weeks earlier.

Penny rang the doorbell and I heard a raucous explosion

Magic All Around

4

of barking, then a man’s deep voice, from within the

house. I grimaced. Having a neighboring landlord with a

dog would not be ideal for me. A dog bit me when I was

four. I still have nightmares about it; visions of gleaming

white fangs snapping at my face. The bite wasn’t

serious, only a nip really. One tooth broke the surface of

my skin alongside my nose. I didn’t need stitches and I

don’t even have a scar to show for it. Nonetheless, I’ve

been cautious of dogs ever since.

The first thing I noticed when the door opened was that

there wasn’t one, but three big dogs. Luckily for me,

they all seemed intent on the man in the doorway, or

more accurately, on the small blue can of Vienna

Sausages he held in one hand. I focused on his face,

trying to ignore the dogs. It was a nice face and had a

warm, lived-in look to it. I liked the crinkling smile lines

bracketing green eyes. Did you know you can learn a lot

about a person by how they wear their face? It gets

easier the older people grow; their most frequent

expressions carve tracks across their skin the way

generations of animals beat down a game path through

the forest.

Penny snatched the canned sausages away from the guy

in the doorway and I lowered my gaze. Sometimes I

stare at people and I didn’t want to do that today. I

needed to make a good first impression.

Magic All Around

5

“This is the perfect example of what I’ve been talking

about. You are the worst bachelor I’ve ever seen and

you’ll die of malnutrition if you keep up like this. How

can you eat this garbage for breakfast? And cold from a

can no less.” I didn’t have to look at the man to know

that Penny’s outrage delighted him. He laughed. He

had a deep voice, a resonant chuckle.

Penny is about a decade older than my mom, and she’s a

classic Earth Mother with an emphasis on mother. She

and her husband, Roanan, never had kids of their own

but about half the population of Juneau thinks of them

as surrogate parents. At twenty-seven I usually consider

myself too grown-up to need parenting, even from my

own mom. But the past two weeks of living in my car

had left me smelling mildewy and feeling more insecure

than I had in a long time. I’d been visiting the Sweeney’s

this morning, hoping Penny would offer to let me take a

shower and do a load of laundry. Instead, she’d

announced that she’d found me an apartment and

hustled me out the door and down the street.

My last apartment went up in flames. Literally. If I’d

had renters’ insurance or even something more than a

handshake agreement with the landlord, I might have

been in a new apartment or even a hotel room at that

moment. Instead, I was focusing on the baritone laugh

of a potential landlord while trying to ignore the

Magic All Around

6

presence of his three large dogs and my self-

consciousness about projecting the body odor of a hobo.

Penny pushed her way into the house, past the mass of

wiggling, wagging dogs and I steeled myself and

followed. The dogs seemed well enough behaved but I

could hear my pulse thumping in my ears. Okay, I admit

that a little of my pulse-thumping response was to that

wonderful, rich laugh but most of it was fear.

The potential landlord’s name was Norm and when he

shook my hand and met my eyes I felt a hot, prickling,

blush spill across my cheeks. I could almost feel my

pupils dilating. Guys with deep voices always give me

butterflies, but Norm gave me butterflies, goose bumps

and a tingly feeling in the pit of my stomach. He was far

above average on the attractiveness spectrum, with his

long-lashed green eyes. He was dressed like a real

Alaskan too, in Carhartt pants and Southeast sneakers

(the famous XtraTuf boots). He wore his long brown hair

in a ponytail held in place with a white twisty. You

know…the kind you use on garbage bags. He was quirky

and sexy and so far out of my league (even when I

wasn’t grubby from living in my car) that I knew he’d

make the perfect secret crush. I immediately felt less

self-conscious. The advantage of a secret crush is that

the object of the crush is so unattainable that

attempting to impress him is futile.

Magic All Around

7

Norm invited us to sit. I did, but Penny bustled into his

kitchen while scolding him about his nutrition and

rummaging through the fridge with as much ease as she

would have in her own kitchen. Two of the dogs

followed Penny and stood, wagging expectantly, while

the third dog began snorting and snuffling at my

Southeast sneakers. The dog’s short brown coat was

variegated, like irregular lines of paprika and brown

sugar spilled across a chocolate cake.

I’ll tell you something about Alaskan women. We take

pride in being independent and tough. Many of us hike,

camp, hunt, trap, fish, build houses and operate our own

power tools. It should come as no surprise to you then

that I loathe this business about being afraid of dogs and

that I do my best to avoid being a wimp. Over the years,

I’ve found ways to mask the signs of my discomfort and

to minimize my direct interaction with dogs. Even when

I’m in a room with a dog, I can usually manage to keep

my anxiety under control by breathing deeply and

avoiding physical contact. The latter is typically simple;

don’t make eye contact, don’t acknowledge the dog,

converse in a calm voice and use body language to claim

my personal space.

This dog, though, did not cooperate with my coping

methods and continued the interrogatory sniffing of my

footgear, ears folded forward and bouncing with each

Magic All Around

8

enthusiastic inhalation. I angled my torso forward, put

my hands on my knees and cocked my elbows outwards.

It’s not ladylike. It’s a stereotypically masculine pose

meant to make me look bigger and more dominant. I

clenched my jaw and imagined filling the space around

my body with confident energy.

Oblivious to my signals, the dog worked its’ way up my

calf, past my knees, and began sniffing the outside of my

thigh so hard that I could see the denim of my pant leg

move from the nose suction. The tip of the dogs’

upward arching tail wagged in a steady metronomic

beat. I guess my unwashed hobo smell must have been

more inviting than my body language was uninviting.

I looked up from the dog, right into Norm’s emerald gaze

and felt my heart begin a calisthenics routine in my

chest.

“Her name’s Teak,” he said. “She’s a Staffordshire

terrier. I inherited her about two months ago from a

friend who had to go down below to take care of her

sick sister’s kids. She’s three years old and one of the

smartest dogs I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.”

“Hmmm” I replied. Dog lovers always want to do this.

They talk dog the way some people talk shop. Maybe if I

stayed calm enough, I could bluff my way through.

Magic All Around

9

“Teak’s usually real reserved. She never approaches

strangers, so she must be taking a shine to you.”

Penny bustled out of the kitchen with two omelet-laden

plates. The woman’s like a short-order cook. I swear

she can prepare food faster than a drive-through

restaurant. The omelet wouldn’t help matters with the

dog, but when I tried to decline the food, Penny gave me

a sharp look. Before we’d left her house, she’d made

me promise I’d follow her lead and wouldn’t argue

about anything. I’d been miffed at the implication that

I’m usually argumentative, but I’d made the promise.

Eating breakfast at Norm’s house, I concluded as I

reluctantly accepted the plate, must be part of Penny’s

grand plan for helping me procure an apartment that I

couldn’t afford to pay the rent for.

I took a bite of the omelet and savored the thyme and

melted pepper-jack cheese. I’ve always loved the taste

of thyme. It’s my favorite seasoning. My mom thinks

this carries some special symbolism; says something

about my personality. She likes to say, ‘thyme is for the

warrior: cleansing, protection and courage’. So far,

eating thyme hadn’t turned me into a courageous

warrior. It probably wouldn’t even help me deal with

this nosy dog. I swallowed another delicious bite of

breakfast and Teak stopped Hoovering my leg and laid

her blocky brown head in my lap. I gasped. It was a

Magic All Around

10

teeny tiny little gasp, but Norm heard it.

“Just push her away if she bothers you. Teak, come here

and lay down.”

I’ll give him credit; the dog seemed to understand him.

She raised her head from my lap, walked over to Norm,

looked him right in the eye for about three seconds,

then turned around and ambled back to me, where she

collapsed dramatically to the floor, heaved a sigh and

dropped her head onto my booted feet. I froze and

tried not to blink or twitch.

“Teak!” Norm sounded half amused, half outraged.

“I’m sorry Vivian, she’s usually more obedient. I’ll put

her outside. These two beasts, as well,” he added as he

glanced at the other two dogs who were watching Penny

with long strands of saliva hanging from their jowls.

Norm had to grasp Teak by the collar to persuade her to

leave me. I shot him a grateful smile and nodded as he

escorted the dogs to the door.

Penny sat down with a plate of her own and I took

another bite of my eggs. Hot food tasted fantastic. I’d

done a little cooking on my engine block the last couple

of weeks but it was primitive, at best.

Norm returned to the living room, sat, picked up his

plate and began shoveling food into his mouth. I turned

Magic All Around

11

my head away, unnerved, but I couldn’t help sneaking a

glance at him every few seconds. He hardly chewed

before swallowing and, while he kept his mouth closed

between bites those bites were so enormous I was sure

he’d choke to death if he tried to breathe. I set my plate

in my lap, appetite lost.

Penny looked at my unfinished omelet and turned to

Norm. “Slow down dear. It’s not a horse race.”

“Mmmmmm,” Norm said and loaded his fork with

another enormous bite. Penny’s hand swept in a

graceful arc, her fork flashing as she moved, and then

she held Norms’ fork pinned to his plate with her own

fork. Fork Kung Fu. I was impressed by her restraint. In

her place, I’d have been tempted to stab his hand and

call it an accident. His table manners (not that we were

sitting at a table), were atrocious.

Norm slumped and pulled his lips downward into an

expression of woe. “Was I doing it again?” He was a

ham, this one.

“Yes, dear, and now I’m afraid Vivian thinks you were

raised by wolves.”

From my peripheral vision, I saw Norm sit up straight,

look at me and look at my cooling omelet. “Helluva way

to make a good first impression, huh?” He tilted his

Magic All Around

12

head to the side and I got the sense he was trying to

initiate eye contact with me. I glanced at his face and

saw his lips twitch. “Please accept my apology, Vivian.”

I thought he would say something else, make some

excuse or joke, but he didn’t so I shrugged and

mumbled, “Sure” before refocusing on my breakfast. It

was delicious and there was no sense letting an

awkward moment upset me so much that I let good

food go to waste.

Norm was the first to finish eating but I noticed he had

adequate manners once his attention had been brought

to the matter. He took reasonably sized bites, chewed

thoroughly and even paused between bites. I kept my

eyes mostly on my plate and wondered if this

discomfiting situation was part of Penny’s stratagem to

get me the apartment at a discounted rental rate. I

hoped not, it didn’t seem worth it.

Norm cleared his throat. “That was a treat, Penny.

Thank you for coming over and making breakfast.” He

crossed his left ankle over his right knee and leaned back

in his chair. “Now, what’s your ulterior motive?”

I swallowed wrong. A bit of omelet tickled my windpipe

and I coughed then cleared my throat several times

before regaining my composure.

Magic All Around

13

Norm uncrossed is leg and leaned towards me, looking

ready to spring to my aid, as I sputtered.

“Vivian needs an apartment and you need to rent the

other side of this duplex.” Penny seemed oblivious to

my near choking and took Norm’s plate, then mine,

raised her voice and kept talking as she delivered the

dishes to the kitchen.

“You’re asking way too much money and Vivian simply

can’t afford that much. She was living in a lovely little

efficiency before and only paying $600 a month. So,

what I want you to do is charge her the same amount as

she was paying for her last apartment and in exchange

for the rest she’ll come over here for an hour or two,

four days a week and teach you how to cook. For four

months. At the end of four months, the lessons are

over, but you can’t raise the rent for at least a year. Oh,

and I want you to give her all the furniture you have in

that storage unit you’re paying too much for and that’ll

save you some money.”

Penny returned from the kitchen with three mugs of

peppermint tea balanced on a platter. See? How did

she have time to even heat the water? Norm accepted

his mug of tea with a nod and scratched at the bristly

stubble on his chin.

The mug I took sported the silhouette of a wolf in profile

Magic All Around

14

and read, ‘I heart werewolves’. I ran my finger along the

lip of the cup while I waited for Norm to respond. The

quiet made me edgy and I shifted in my seat. My throat

still tickled and I coughed a few times. Finally, Norm

grunted and looked back at Penny.

“On two conditions. First, the lessons are only three

times a week.” Norm tossed me a sly wink then turned

back to Penny. “Second, Teak moves in with Vivian.”

I jumped out of my chair, sloshing tea down the front of

my shirt. “What? No! I mean, that’s impossible. I can’t

do that. Penny, I appreciate your help and all, but no. I

cannot live with a dog. Thanks but no thanks.”

Penny gave me a dark look and pointed her finger at me.

“Sit down, young lady. You promised you wouldn’t

argue and this conversation is not over.”

"I know, but—” I began. Penny shook her pointing

finger and I snapped my mouth closed and sat down.

Under ordinary circumstances, I would have stormed out

the door before I’d let anyone, even Penny, treat me like

a child. I wondered, again, if all of this folderol was

worth it. Then again, I really missed taking hot baths

before bed.

“Cooking three days a week and she goes with you to

walk the dog once a week but the dog doesn’t move in

Magic All Around

15

with her. Honestly, Norm. Didn’t you notice she’s

frightened of dogs? Shame on you for trying to unload

your responsibilities on Vivian.”

Norm said something in a near whisper. It sounded like,

“There’s a prophesy to consider”, which didn’t make any

sense to me.

“Oh, drat! My batteries are dying again,” Penny said and

fussed with her hearing aid for a few seconds. “All right,

Norm. Come again? Louder this time.”

Norm lowered his brows. “I said, do you remember

what I told you about my Granny?”

“I don’t think this is a good time to discuss Amelia, do

you dear?”

“Teak moves in with Vivian or we don’t have a deal.”

Norm’s expression had hardened and he met Penny’s

puzzled gaze without blinking. I saw a muscle in his jaw

twitch.

“She needs a place to live, Norm. She’s afraid of dogs.

Don’t make this impossible.”

“There’s a five day forecast, Penny. Think about it. It’s a

matter of safety.”

“What do you mean, there’s a five day…Oh!” Penny

looked at me with an expression of surprise, then back

Magic All Around

16

to Norm. “Really? Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

“It’s so soon. I wasn’t expecting…” Penny trailed off and

turned to me.

“Vivian, dear, maybe—” She stopped when Norm held

up his hand.

He turned in his seat so that he faced me head on,

leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. It

crossed my mind then, that I should get up and leave.

Walk away. Or run. I didn’t understand what Penny and

Norm were talking about, but I hate it when people act

like they know things about you that you don’t.

Whatever they were discussing so obscurely, I wanted

no part of it.

Norm gazed steadily at me and there was something

compelling in his stare. My feet and legs felt heavy, like

they were encased in cement. My urge to run

evaporated. I relaxed into my chair.

“Vivian. I’ve just met you and we’re practically

strangers. I do know dogs though. Teak is a good dog

and she loved my friend. They had a powerful bond.

She’s pining for that woman but there’s no way they can

be together and that’s not going to change. Teak isn’t

happy living with me. Some days she won’t eat. She

Magic All Around

17

isn’t as playful as she used to be. She’s not thriving. I

understand that you’re leery of dogs but there’s a

difference, Vivian, between being afraid of dogs and

disliking dogs. I don’t think you dislike dogs. In fact, I

think that being loved by a dog like Teak might help you

get over your fear and I think you might find then, that

you like dogs quite a lot.

Dogs are the best judges of character I’ve known and

Teak is drawn to you. If you took her in, you’d be giving

her a chance at a happier life. Dogs need to love and

she doesn’t love me the way I can see she would love

you.”

I stared back at Norm with a lump in my throat,

struggling to breathe and swallow. I’m not heartless and

I felt sad for Teak; she’d lost the person she was devoted

to, the person she loved most. Norm was persuasive

and I felt peculiarly charmed by his plea. Maybe I would

adopt Teak, rescue her from loneliness and become a

dog person.

I broke eye contact and rubbed my hands over my face.

I was having trouble thinking; having trouble responding

to this situation. I needed an apartment. Not a dog. If

the dog needed a new owner, Norm could put an ad in

the paper or enlist the help of the Humane Society.

After all, I’d heard we have a well run shelter in Juneau.

Magic All Around

18

Norm leaned even closer to me, reached over and put

his hand on my knee. His hand felt warm and

comforting and the touch, so intimate, sent an electric

shiver from the pit of my stomach up to the crown of my

head.

“I just can’t do it,” I whispered, longing to do what he

asked and knowing I could not. “I’m sorry.”

Norm let go of my knee and took both my hands in his.

“Look at me, Vivian,” he said. I lifted my chin and looked

into his eyes, feeling my breath hitch in my chest.

“You are strong-willed.” How would he know such a

thing? Was this his version of flattery? A compliment?

It didn’t matter, my qualms faded. I was enthralled by

his voice, his touch, his eyes.

“A compromise. A trial period. Would you like that,

Vivian?” I nodded, hearing him speak my name but not

really listening to what he said. “Let’s say two or three

days, huh? If, after that, you don’t want to keep Teak,

I’ll take her back.”

I nodded again and Norm released my hands.

What? What had I just agreed to? How could I live with

a great big dog that I was afraid of? For two entire days?

What was wrong with me?

Magic All Around

19

I stood up. I needed some fresh air. Norm rose and,

before I could side step him, enveloped me in a hug too

tight to wiggle free from and too blissful for me to want

to. He smelled musky and woody like fresh cut red

cedar. When he let me go and stepped back, I think I

saw tears in his eyes.

“Thank you, Vivian. I know this doesn’t make much

sense to you, but it’s all for the best.” He seemed like

such a nice guy.

“C’mon, Vivian, let’s go check out your new apartment,”

Penny said. Once again, she hustled me out the door.

Five hours later, I stood in front of the bay window in my

new apartment. It was a terrific place. It had a kitchen.

It had a bathroom with a shower and it had a deep

bathtub. The bay window overlooked Gastineau

Channel. On the opposite side of the channel, Mt.

Juneau and Mt. Roberts were hidden by thick fingers of

heavy fog and drizzle, but I knew that when the clouds

lifted, the view would be spectacular. I’d buy binoculars

before summer so that I could sit by this window and

watch the mountain goats and occasional bear foraging

on the steep slopes.

The water of Gastineau Channel was glassy smooth and

as grey as pewter in the flat, afternoon light. There was

still snow in the front lawn and the weatherman was

Magic All Around

20

predicting freezing rain tonight. Brrr. March in Juneau

could be bitter cold. I thought of the bed we’d hauled

upstairs and felt lucky. Tonight, I wouldn’t have to wake

up every couple of hours and start the car to warm my

cold-numbed fingers and toes.

I looked around the comfortably furnished apartment. It

was enormous. What was I going to do with a two-

bedroom place all to myself? Never mind, I’d adjust.

Every time my mind strayed to thoughts of how

generous Norm was being with free furniture, (I couldn’t

stop ogling the green velveteen couch) and low rent, I’d

squirm in embarrassment. Then I’d look at Teak and feel

my embarrassment swoosh away and be replaced by a

wave of anxiety. Currently, she was sprawled, belly up,

four paws in the air, on that sumptuous green couch. I

wanted to snuggle into those soft verdant cushions, but I

wasn’t about to squeeze in next to her, nor was I

prepared to make her move. My heart palpitated at the

mere thought. The prolonged proximity to Teak was

making me feel sick in the same way that caffeine does,

with that jittery and sweaty-palmed nausea.

Penny bustled in the front door (my front door, yay!)

with her husband, Roanan, carrying two large cardboard

boxes. I’d have to start locking my door. Penny and

Roanan are dear to me, but I didn’t want them walking

in without knocking. I like privacy. Lots of privacy.

Magic All Around

21

“Hi Vivian! We’ve got a bunch of food for the party. I

made some of my smoked salmon spread and there’re

chips and dip and Brie cheese and several kinds of pop

and some other goodies here, too.” Penny hurried

toward the kitchen with Roanan trailing in her wake.

“Penny? What party?” It had been a hectic day; had I

forgotten something important? Were Penny and

Roanan going to have dinner with me in my new

apartment?

“Oh. Didn’t I tell you? Well, it’s a surprise party, then.”

Penny swept through my kitchen and emerged with a

bottle of root beer that she handed me as she steered

me towards the dining room table and urged me to sit,

which I did with a shocked plunk.

“Surprise party?”

“You’re having a house warming party tonight. Let’s

see, in about thirty minutes. Oh, don’t look so alarmed.

You don’t have to do a thing. I just figured you could use

a lot of household items and it’s always nice to celebrate

a big move like this.”

“Just put everything but the chips and crackers in the

refrigerator, would you Love?” She called to Roanan

over her shoulder.

“Sure thing.” Roanan stuck his head out of the kitchen

Magic All Around

22

and shook a finger at me. “As for you, Lassie, don’t get

yer britches in a twist. You’ll have a rollickin’ good time,

see if you don’t.”

“Ha!” I said and stuck my tongue out at Roanan before

he ducked back into the kitchen. Although he’d been

born in Ireland, he’d lived in Alaska since he was a boy

and only brought out his accent for effect, usually when

he was teasing someone.

“Have you eaten anything since breakfast? You do look

a little pale, Vivian.” I shook my head at Penny and

flapped my hand dismissively.

“I’m always pale. I’m a redhead, see?” I pulled the

purple bandana off my head and shook my blunt-cut

bob forward. “Doesn’t matter what I eat, or even how

much sunshine I get. I’m permanently pale. So, tell me

about this party. Who’s been invited? What’s the

plan?”

Penny smoothed my tussled hair back. “It’s a potluck

and I’ve told everyone to bring gifts. Opening presents

should be the main entertainment. Roanan and I will be

here, and of course, Norm and Lawrence.”

Lawrence had helped move all the furniture from

storage to my new home and I had gathered he was

Norm’s nephew and lived with Norm. There was

Magic All Around

23

something unusual about him that I couldn’t pin down

and I opened my mouth to ask Penny about it, but she

steamrolled over me.

“I invited a few of the folks from the neighborhood;

you’ll like getting to know them. You’ll fit into this

neighborhood just fine. I also invited your mother and

her coven sisters, of course.”

My mothers’ coven sisters meant her twelve

roommates. I guess my mom was going through her

mid-life crisis or her spiritual phase, or something,

because she was living in an immense house with a

crowd of women and they considered themselves to be

a coven of witches. You know, thirteen? A coven?

When my apartment burned down, Mom had invited me

to stay with them instead of in my car, but I’d declined.

No way was I staying in that house! The whole

arrangement gave me the heebie-jeebies. Mom and her

roommates talked about casting spells and worshipping

Goddesses and all sorts of freaky stuff. They had a giant

pentagram painted on their living room floor. They even

had a black cat that lived with them. Well, black with

white paws.

It wouldn’t be so bad, except that it was my mom.

Moms are supposed to be stable and unchanging.

Rational. They’re not supposed to give up a lifetime of

Magic All Around

24

atheism to become neo-pagan hippy chicks who read

auras and believe in magic.

“Don’t roll your eyes, dear, you’re not a teenager and

your mother is happy.” “Mom say she’d come?”

“Your mom will be here.” Penny patted my arm. "She’s

been worried sick about you living in that car. You’re so

stubborn. The day she phoned and said that you

refused to stay with them, I told her that the mule must

be your animal totem. Ha! She said you’re the only

person she’s ever met who was born under the sign of

the ass. You lucky girl! A whole new zodiac sign just for

you.”

Penny tittered and I offered up the most exaggerated

eye roll I could muster. My mom had been joking about

that since I was in high school but it must have been the

first time Penny’d heard it.

“I don’t know how many of her sisters will be here, but

you have plenty of room for a big party. Besides, the

more people that come, the more gifts you’ll get,”

Penny added as she playfully swatted at the arm she’d

just been patting. “Now go take a quick shower and

clean up; you’re the guest of honor. Or, the hostess. Or

something like that.”

It turned out that every person Penny had invited came

Magic All Around

25

to my house warming party. All forty-seven of them.

My new apartment was crowded and noisy and all the

commotion set me on edge. My idea of a party is three

or four close friends. I guess that makes me an

introvert. Add to that my short stature and dread of

being trampled and you have a woman who does not

like going to craft fairs, parades or big cities. You never

know when a crowd might turn into a mob. I did my

best to be gracious and warm and to thank everyone for

the housewarming gifts, but I kept catching myself

hyperventilating.

The plethora of gifts was overwhelming and I muttered

to Penny, as I opened another box, that I’d need to hold

a garage sale next weekend at the rate things were

going. Penny either didn’t hear me, or chose to pretend

that she didn’t. I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to

have hearing aids and could use that tactic.

My mom and her coven sisters had hit all the second-

hand stores in town and scored every type of pot, pan,

plate, bowl, glass, mug, silverware or kitchen doodad

that I could possibly want. They’d even managed to find

a lovely old-fashioned glass blender, a crock-pot and a

rice cooker.

The coven also brought along enough dried sage,

essential oils, crystals, prisms and assorted other new

age paraphernalia to open up a head shop in my new

Magic All Around

26

living room. Every nook and cranny in my apartment

was getting cleansed, smudged and blessed. I made a

brief escape to the bathroom (hoping for a few

moments of solitary time) and discovered three of the

coven-sisters painting the bathroom walls an earthy

brick red. The youngest of the coven-sisters, Janice, was

a self-proclaimed Feng Shui expert and she assured me

that the flow of chi in my bathroom was going to be

“abso-freaking-lutely perfect.”

I retreated towards my bedroom with Teak glued to my

left leg as she had been all evening, and contemplated

locking myself in the walk-in closet. It was not to be,

however, as I discovered a larger group of coven-sisters

in my bedroom chanting prayers and burning incense.

I returned to the living room, jumpy from having Teak in

such close proximity and feeling a frantic desire to

escape. I aimed for the front door, but only made it a

few feet before my mom and the founding coven-sister,

Cecillia, ambushed Teak and me and proceeded to back

us into a corner with smudge sticks. Teak sneezed and

snapped at the acrid smoke, making Cecillia take a swift

step backwards.

“Enough, you two, stop it!” I said, fanning the air in

front of my nose.

“Pshaw. Don’t belly-ache Vivian, we’re almost done.”

Magic All Around

27

My mom said, wearing an expression of serene

concentration. Mom was wearing her favorite beige

pantsuit with a pair of huge gold hoop earrings, a gold

pentagram necklace, gold bangles on both her wrists

and at least five gold rings on each hand. She was also

wearing the stained glass monarch butterfly lapel pin I’d

given her last Mother’s Day and a gaudy sunburst stud

through her left nostril. My mom. With a nose piercing.

Cecillia still held her smudge stick, but she didn’t look as

serene as my mother; she looked confused. Maybe

because she wasn’t wearing her tri-focals tonight. Mom

had threatened to attach a GPS device to the wire

frames of Cecillia’s frequently misplaced glasses.

Perpetually absent-minded, Cecillia always struck me as

being rather dim, though my mother assured me this

wasn’t so. She wore her short, thinning hair in tight

curls against her scalp and dressed primly in cardigans

and skirts. She’d spent her career teaching in the bush

but I couldn’t imagine her coping with outhouses, much

less cultural barriers. She looked like an uptight, middle

American grandmother.

Teak snapped, again, at the smudging smoke and Cecillia

took another step back.

“This dog may be quite vicious,” she said in her soft

voice. I was surprised I could hear her over the din of

the other partiers.

Magic All Around

28

“Don’t think so, I think she just doesn’t like the smoke.

Sure looks terrifying though, doesn’t she?” I knuckled

my itching eyes and coughed into my elbow.

“She’s a muscular dog but attractive” my mother said,

stroking Teak’s broad head with her empty hand and

arching an eyebrow at me. “How you came to have a

dog will be a story you’ll have to tell me privately.

Perhaps tomorrow. Congratulations on starting your

journey, Vivian.”

Yup, that’s my mother: cryptic. Before I could be cross

with her, though, the Feng Shui expert bounced down

the stairs and whisked her away to go appreciate the

amazing chi of my bathroom. I watched her ascend the

stairs, her curly red hair beginning to work itself loose

from the severe twist she pinned it up in on work days.

Cecillia wandered towards the kitchen and I returned to

Penny’s side to continue opening gifts.

Penny kept detailed notes of who brought what gift,

which I was grateful for since I was inundated. Folks

brought me everything that I would need in my new

home, from bath towels, to a radio. From bed linens to

books. In addition to several second-hand novels, I

received a paperback copy of The Joy of Dogs by Nigel

Maas and a hard cover book entitled The Breed

Temperament Encyclopedia. There were even dog toys.

Magic All Around

29

Yes, Teak got her share of presents and one neighbor

even brought two gift-wrapped beef-basted rawhide

bones that Teak delicately unwrapped with her teeth.

She must have thought the bones were from me

because she licked my hand right after unwrapping

them, as though thanking me, and my eyes started to

leak.

I pulled a crumpled paper towel from my pocket to wipe

away the damn water works. I hate crying in front of

people. Before I could finish blowing my nose, Mom

was there with a tall glass of water and her Grandpa’s

fancy monogrammed hanky. The former I accepted

gratefully and the latter I waved away with a tremulous

smile. I just can’t blow my nose on that beautiful thing.

When had she come back downstairs? How had she

known I was thirsty? My mom says she’s always had a

sixth sense when it comes to me. I can’t count the

number of times she’s shown up right when I needed

her most. She calls it her ‘Momma Magic’. It’s just one

of the many things I love about her.

Someone seized my shoulders and I went rigid. I don’t

usually cope well with being grabbed from behind, but

Norm’s earthy, cedar musk registered before I had a

proper chance to get worked up. His hands felt warm

and heavy and I couldn’t help relaxing.

“Ms. Marshall, I’m Norm, Vivian’s new landlord.”

Magic All Around

30

Mom arched her eyebrow. It’s her favorite expression.

“How, ah… interesting… to meet you, Norm.” Norm

didn’t offer his hand and kept massaging my shoulders.

“It’s my pleasure, entirely, Ms. Marshall.”

“Please, call me Maeve.”

I felt like I should be fidgeting in embarrassment, but

Norm kept kneading, easing away the knots in my neck

and shoulders and I felt calmer than I had since the party

began. Teak pressed firmly against my thigh and I

wondered if it were for her own comfort, or for mine. I

handed my empty glass back to my mom. My eyelids

felt swollen and my face was probably splotchy and

flushed, but the need to cry had passed and I felt lighter

somehow; floaty, like if I took a few steps, I’d bounce

like an astronaut in low gravity.

Roanan was gathering the crowd around him; telling

some tale, half joke, half story. He pulled his fiddle out

of its case and played a lively tune for a short interval

before lowering it and continuing to weave his tale.

Norm gave my shoulders a final squeeze and leaned

down to murmur in my ear.

“Enough gifts for now, folks can just pile them up on the

table and you can get to them in the morning after

you’ve rested. It’s better now for you to sit, enjoy your

Magic All Around

31

party and eat some of Penny’s salmon spread before it’s

gone. She makes the best.”

Keeping his hands on my shoulders, Norm steered me to

the couch where I sank gratefully into its’ mossy green

embrace. Teak climbed up beside me and settled her

rear end on my left thigh. I giggled into my hand. Teak

had to weigh at least a hundred pounds and she

resembled a gargoyle with her bulging muscles, short

sleek coat and long teeth, but she thought she was a lap

dog.

“Teak, get your bony ass off Vivian.” Norm gave her an

affectionate slap on the thigh and Teak shifted so that

instead of sitting on me, she was sitting next to me,

albeit, close enough that I could count the individual

whiskers on her muzzle. Norm sat down on the other

side of Teak and Mom handed me a plate she’d filled

with crackers and salmon spread.

As I ate (the salmon spread was as delicious as Norm

had promised) and listened to Roanan’s rambling yarn, I

tried to watch Norm from the corner of my eye. I

estimated he was in his mid-thirties but he carried

himself with the same nonchalant confidence that I

admired in Roanan, who was probably twice Norm’s age.

He didn’t posture and swagger the way I’d seen so many

guys do. He sure seemed awfully touchy-feely with me

and there was something about that; maybe the fact

Magic All Around

32

that he didn’t seem that way with everyone, that

puzzled me. Not that I was complaining, precisely. I

enjoyed it, but it definitely wasn’t the sort of thing I was

accustomed to. Was it his way of flirting or was he just

being friendly? I have plain features and I’m a little on

the plump side. That, combined with how disheveled I’d

been earlier today when we’d first met, made me think

it was doubtful he was flirting. I wouldn’t mind if he was

flirting and that was the other thing that made me

uneasy. I liked him entirely too much for having just met

him this morning. Physical attraction can happen fast,

but being the introvert I am, I’m slow to like people;

slow to warm up to their personalities. Norm already

felt like a friend. Someone I could rely on.

I was so engrossed in thought that I forgot entirely about

being afraid of the massive dog snuggled against me. It

wasn’t until Teak gingerly licked my earlobe and then

slumped over to rest her muzzle on my shoulder that I

came back to myself. Her breath was warm and moist

puffing against my cheek. Maybe it was exhaustion or

maybe I was simply getting used to her; I smiled instead

of tensing up or jerking away. Without moving my head,

I glanced at Norm. He was watching me with an intent

green gaze. He nodded, perhaps in approval, before

turning to focus on Roanan.

Slowly, and with the utmost caution, I wrapped my arm

Magic All Around

33

around Teak’s body in a side-ways hug. I rested my palm

on her ribcage, feeling it expand and contract with each

deep breath. I fell asleep.

Magic All Around

34

Chapter Two

***

There is much magic and mystery in this world, but none more marvelous than the

human brain.

—Penny Sweeney

When I awoke, it was light outside. I blinked, trying to get my bearings. I was on

the couch. I stroked one of the velveteen cushions. I was covered with a crimson

and lavender crocheted blanket, another housewarming gift… and a dog. Teak

was stretched across my entire lower body. I blinked bleary eyes and carefully

extracted my legs and sat up. Teak opened one eye and wagged a greeting. I

wondered what it was about me that made her want to be near me. Teak: my

own canine groupie.

“I slept through the rest of the party? It’s morning?” Teak opened her other eye,

lifted her head and wagged again.

“I don’t know, Teak. I’m not a morning person and you look darn perky for just

waking up. Do you really think you want to live with me? Doesn’t it bother you

that I’m such a wuss about dogs?” Teak cocked her ears foreword and tilted her

head to one side reminding me of the classic gramophone dog.

“Yeah, I might be able to get over it. It’s not like I ever thought I’d be able to

sleep with a dog on top of me.” I yawned and slowly reached over and touched

her front paw.

“I must’ve been tired, huh? Sleeping in a car isn’t very restful.” I felt brave and

ran a finger over one of Teak’s bony knuckles and down to the tip of a long, white

toenail. Her feet looked almost prehensile; up close, her nails looked sharp. I

pulled my hand back.

Teak stretched, extending her front legs towards me and flexing her toes so that

Magic All Around

35

they splayed wide then curled back in. Those things were like talons! I’d always

worried about getting bitten, but I realized now, I was probably at just as much

risk of being clawed. I scooted to the far end of the couch and worked to

unclench my jaw.

It was as though my fear switch had been flipped into the off position by my

weariness last night, but now that my brain was waking up I could feel my usual

responses returning. My guts churned uncomfortably. I held my hands out and

saw a fine tremor.

My fight, flight or freeze instincts were definitely revving up. I’d read that

desensitization can be an effective strategy for overcoming a phobia and now I

wondered how long you were supposed to desensitize in small doses before

actually living with a dog. I clasped my shaking hands in my lap and tried to

distract myself. I started counting backwards from one hundred by sevens.

100...93…86…79…72…65…58…51. That’s as far as I made it. With sour bile rising

in the back of my throat, I shot to my feet and high-tailed it to the other side of

the room, putting the coffee table and distance between the seemingly friendly

predator and myself. Teak stayed put, but turned her head to watch me.

My head swam and I leaned against the wall. “Then again, maybe I won’t be able

to get over it that easily.” I whispered, disappointed in myself. I waited for my

vision to steady then retreated upstairs to the shower.

Hot running water must be one of the most under-appreciated luxuries on the

planet. I lathered up with the homemade cottonwood scented shampoo and

body wash Penny had given me as a housewarming gift. The aroma of early

spring filled my nostrils and the hot water soothed away my fear. Afterwards, I

sat on the edge of the tub and admired my redecorated bathroom. Not only had

Janice and her cronies painted the walls, they’d also added oak shelving above the

commode, placed a clear vase filled with brown pebbles by the sink and mounted

more than a dozen small, decorative mirrors on the walls.

A half hour later, I finally dragged myself out of that steamy paradise, having

made a personal vow to take a bubble bath every night for a week. Maybe it was

Magic All Around

36

the special flow of chi in my bathroom, maybe it was the safety of the closed door

between the dog and me, or maybe it was the after-effects of using public

bathrooms and friends’ showers for two weeks; I loved being in that bathroom.

When I returned downstairs, Teak was gone. I decided she’d used the dog door

to let herself into the fenced back yard and felt another layer of tension lift. I

began putting housewarming gifts in various cupboards, humming as I puttered. I

started a small load of laundry and thought about Norm’s nephew, Lawrence, a

high-energy kid with an off-beat sense of humor. While taking a break from

moving furniture yesterday, Lawrence had taken me on what he termed “the

dogs’ tour of the property”.

“There’s a humongous dog door, here, see, in your back door. It’s, like, big

enough for a Saint Bernard, and dude, Teak’s brilliant and she learned how to use

our dog door the first day she moved in with us. She’ll totally let herself in and

out whenever she wants to so you don’t have to worry about that. Awesome,

right?”

Lawrence was a high school junior with a bright disposition and a shock of

shoulder-length golden-blond hair to match it. Isn’t there some kind of law that

says teenagers are supposed to be sullen and moody? Anyway, at a lanky 6’5,

you’d think the kid would be self-conscious about his height, but Lawrence had

practically bragged about it and even laughingly suggested that I call him if I ever

needed help reaching the top cupboards in the kitchen. Lawrence had opened

what looked like a pantry door and pointed out the washer and dryer within.

“You’ll use these babies a whole lot more than before if you keep Teak; she may

have short hair but she sheds like a Samoyed. You’ll have brindled Teak hairs on

your clothes and your bedding and, like, everywhere.” He led me through the

kitchen and into the back yard.

“This is off the hook, though. Check it out. We have, like, a whole agility course

for the dogs back here.”

Lawrence had bounded over to a large culvert pipe about fifteen feet long,

thrown himself onto his belly and actually crawled through the cylinder to

Magic All Around

37

demonstrate just how fun it was for the dogs to play in. He emerged wetter and

muddier than he’d been before, but without any dampening of his enthusiasm.

As Lawrence demonstrated each of the obstacles in the back yard as though he

were an overgrown dog himself, I wondered what made him tick. The average

teenage boy doesn’t put himself through the paces on a dog agility course.

Finally, he’d led me to the dogs’ sandbox, “for digging in, not for pooping in like a

litter box,” he said and then pointed out a variety of dog toys. There were three

heavily chewed truck tires, several lengths of ships’ mooring line with knots in the

ends and a half dozen yellow rubber ducks. Lawrence picked up one of them and

squeezed it playfully.

“It squeaks, see. Teak doesn’t like these. Maybe she doesn’t like how they taste

or somethin’, but Uncle Norm’s other dogs, you met Marmot and Yukon I’ll bet,

they really dig these. Give ‘em a rubber ducky and they’ll play with it for an eon.”

“So, if they don’t use the sandbox for a litter box, where do they go to the

bathroom?’’ I’d noticed that in spite of the clutter of toys, the yard was clean.

“Oh, they poop here in the yard but I clean it twice a day. There’s a funky shovel

and scoop thing I use. It’s specially made for the job. Norm says I only have one

chore and I better do a good job of it or he’ll give me a ton more. But he’s only

joking ‘cause he knows I always do whatever he says. You just can’t help it with

him, you know?”

Lawrence was an odd kid, but an affable one. I rummaged through the potluck

leftovers in my refrigerator, looking for something that would make a suitable

breakfast and decided on the last four devilled eggs and a glass of water. I’d have

to start a grocery list today, both for myself and for the cooking lessons with

Norm.

As I settled in at the dining room table, I noticed a cardboard box there that I

hadn’t seen earlier. It looked like it had arrived in the mail and I wondered if

Norm or Lawrence had brought it in while I was upstairs. I’d have to talk to them

about using the doorbell. Boundaries, people, boundaries!

Magic All Around

38

The package had my name on it and it had my brand new address on it. I liked

seeing that and grinned.

It was from Amelia Wolfe in Boston, Massachusetts. Strange, I thought, I don’t

know anyone named Amelia Wolfe; in fact, I don’t know anyone in Boston. It was

about eighteen inches square. I picked it up and gingerly shook it. Whatever was

in it was lightweight and must have been packed tightly because nothing shifted.

I took another puzzled look at the return address. That’s when I noticed the date

stamp was from last month.

What? I did the math in my head and calculated that it was stamped just over

three weeks ago. Had this package actually been mailed nine days before my last

apartment had caught on fire? That seemed creepy. How could it even be

possible? In fact, how could this package have come to me at this address, at all?

I’d only moved in the day before. So I checked again to make sure it was

addressed to me. It was. Both addresses had been neatly printed in marker

directly on the box. The postage and date stamp didn’t look phony…not that I

was an expert on these things.

I put the box down and sat back with my arms crossed. A part of me was spooked

but another part was puzzled and intrigued. My mind raced, proposing and

discarding possible explanations. It even crossed my mind that something

dangerous might be inside the mystery box, maybe anthrax or an explosive. I just

couldn’t imagine something like that happening in Juneau, much less to me

personally, and the idea seemed so outlandish that I dismissed it entirely.

Could the post office have somehow used the wrong date stamp? The

ordinariness of this theory appealed to me but the flaw in it was that the box

couldn’t have gotten here from Boston in less than 24 hours; even if it’d been

sent Express Mail, which it hadn’t.

And then, I remembered that April 1st was soon approaching. That must be it. It

was eleven days early, but this was clearly some kind of April Fools’ Day joke. I

uncrossed my arms and sat forward, relieved to have solved my little puzzle. It

was probably from Bev, my best friend from high school. She’d always loved

Magic All Around

39

pranks (I remembered one notorious episode involving water balloons filled with

cherry Kool-Aid) and she was living in Pennsylvania which was on the East Coast.

It couldn’t be that far from Boston.

The next question, of course, was what was in the box? It would have to be

something either startling or gross; probably some kind of fake pop-up snake or

plastic barf or something like that. Should I go ahead and open it?

I fetched a butcher knife from the kitchen and cut through the tape at the top

seams of the box, then stood at arms’ length while I slowly flipped the cardboard

flaps back. Nothing jumped out so I drew closer and peered in. It was stuffed

with crumpled newspapers, one of which I carefully extracted and unfolded. It

was the fifth page of the February 2 issue of the Boston Phoenix.

Too wary to stick my hand in and just root around, I took out several more pieces

of newspaper until I uncovered a white business sized envelope. I picked up the

envelope and beneath it was a gift-wrapped package. I placed both the envelope

and the wrapped package on the table in front of me and pushed the newspaper

and cardboard box back. I examined the gift closely. The wrapping paper was in

my favorite colors; the background a rich cherry red with veins of metallic purple

running through. There was no bow. Instead, it was topped with an elaborately

folded, dark purple, origami iris. It was gorgeous; the actual flower was about the

size of a grape and the attached paper stem and leaves were no more than three

inches long. It lay elegantly across the top of the gift and appeared to be held in

place by a series of strategically placed dollops of clear glue. This didn’t look the

way I expected an April Fools’ prank to look.

I turned the envelope over in my hands several times before slitting it open with

the knife. There was a letter within.

Dear Vivian,

Magic All Around

40

I anticipate that the timing of this gift will strike you as rather peculiar. I

cannot provide a full explanation at this juncture; suffice it to say that had I sent

this to you sooner it would likely have been destroyed in the unfortunate fire that

demolished your previous home. I shall not, however, continue to hold this item in

trust for you as I foresee that it will be indispensible to you in the days and weeks

ahead.

I planned, of course, to present this gift to you in person, however

circumstances have veered somewhat off course and I must attend to other

matters before I have the pleasure of your company.

You should not be alarmed if this gift behaves rather unpredictably and I

urge you not to dismiss it nor misplace it. In fact, you may be well advised to

keep it about your person at all times; day and night, perhaps in a small rucksack

or purse.

Blessings,

Amelia Wolfe

I felt goose bumps rush up the back of my neck and down the length of my arms

as I read the letter. If this was a prank, it was an annoying one. It was all so

mysterious that I felt spooked all over again, which raised my ire.

I slapped the letter on the table and tore open the gift. I was too irritated to take

much care with the pretty wrapping paper, though I did manage to get it all off

without mangling the origami flower. Beneath the wrapping paper was another

cardboard box, which I opened without hesitation and from which I withdrew a

delicate glass sphere. My breath caught at its beauty as I held it up to the light.

Perfectly round and with subtle iridescent rainbows playing across its surface, the

sphere resembled a soap bubble blown from a child’s plastic wand. When I

looked closely, however, I could see tiny, cleverly made hinges and a barely

discernible seam around the circumference.

I heard the dog door clatter open and the brief sound of toenails scrabbling on

linoleum, then Teak streaked past. I jerked in surprise and uttered an alarmed

Magic All Around

41

“Eep” then jerked again, almost dropping the glass box, as a dog I’d never seen

before thundered past me in pursuit of Teak. I knew I’d never seen the dog

before because I would definitely have remembered it. This dog was enormous

and made Teak, as well as Norm’s other two big dogs, look small. I’d seen a Great

Dane once and I thought this dog was about the same size, though much hairier. I

didn’t get a close look at the new dogs features but, in the blur of motion as Teak

led it on a mad chase round the living room, I got the impression of long, tawny

fur.

“No! No, get out! No!” I screeched, terrified that I was about to witness a brutal

dogfight in the middle of my new home.

Neither dog responded to my panicked yelling. They flew around the living room

in wild circles. I tried to think. I needed to call Norm for help. Maybe even 911.

Then, like a well-choreographed dance routine, both dogs came to a simultaneous

halt, facing each other in the middle of the room. They panted heavily and I

waited, holding my breath.

As though she hadn’t been running away from it just moments ago, Teak wagged

her tail at the bigger dog, ambled across the room and jumped onto the couch

where she lay down and closed her eyes, still panting. The big golden dog shook,

as though to dry itself, then flopped to the floor.

Without realizing it, I’d set the glass globe down on the table at some point during

the tumult and now I glanced at it. It looked intact and undamaged, but

somehow different. I didn’t bother to sort that impression out, instead I hot-

footed it across the room for my cell phone, which I’d left on the end table by the

couch.

My hands were slippery with sweat when I snatched up the phone and hit speed

dial. I was afraid one of the dogs, most likely the big one, would attack me like a

lion taking down a baby wildebeest, but neither dog moved. I was still alive and

unharmed. When Norm’s phone rang, I heard it through our adjoining wall.

Norm picked up and I didn’t wait for him to say ‘hello’.

Magic All Around

42

“Please help. I need your help. There’s been a…just…please come here. Now.”

I hung up and listened to Norm’s pounding footsteps as he rushed through his

house, out his front door and in through my front door. Now I was glad it wasn’t

locked. Norm slid to a stop in my living room and looked around, perhaps

expecting a more visible emergency.

I was panting and my chest muscles cramped until I had to bend forward to

breath. My legs trembled and I sat down on the floor.

“They just…they were running,” I gasped.

“They were running so fast. Teak was outside. Then, they were both in here.

Running. I thought it was a dog fight. I thought this one,” I pointed at the big

dog, “would attack me or…”

I looked at both dogs and they seemed so calm; so placid. I felt like an idiot and

wondered if Norm was going to think I was making the whole incident up.

“They were running incredibly fast and that one was chasing Teak and I just

thought something horrible was going to happen.”

I pushed my damp hair back off my forehead and groaned.

“Are you hurt?” Norm knelt by my side and the concern in his voice made me

wince in embarrassment.

“No. I’m not hurt. I guess I was just, I mean, they look so calm now, right? Jeez.

I’m sorry, Norm. You must think I’m, I don’t know, off my rocker, I guess.”

Norm patted my shoulder and I wished he would hug me like he had yesterday.

“There’s no need for you to apologize. You absolutely did the right thing to call

me and,” his eyes glinted and his smile lines deepened, “I don’t think you’re off

your rocker.”

Norm stood and helped me to my feet. His expression turned stern. “These two,

though, should be grounded,” he said pointing, first at Teak and then at the bigger

Magic All Around

43

dog. “Especially you, Lawrence. You know better and I told you Vivian’s afraid of

dogs.”

I thought Norm was joking to put me at ease, talking about grounding, calling the

big dog by his nephews’ name and talking as though the dog would understand

every word he said.

“What the Hell were you thinking?” Norm’s voice turned fierce and his

expression grim. His hands clenched and the big dog broke eye contact with

Norm, turning its head away, flattening its ears against its head.

I realized Norm wasn’t joking. Not at all. When he turned back to me, however,

his expression gentled.

“Vivian.” He paused, as though gathering his thoughts, then started again.

“Vivian, the dogs were only playing.” He held one hand up to forestall anything I

might say.

“You had no way of knowing it. They know better. That kind of wild play and

roughhousing shouldn’t happen inside. Lawrence, especially, knows better. I’ll

find some way for him to make it up to you.”

The big blond dog sighed and laid his head between his paws.

I felt my face scrunch up in confusion. Did Norm really think a dog was capable of

reasoning like a human? Was he pulling my leg?

“So, is this dog yours, too? The one you’re calling Lawrence? And he has the

same name as, well, as your nephew?” I tried to imagine how awkward and

confusing that would be. It sounded like the premise of a TV. sit-com. They could

call it Lawrence & Lawrence.

Norm looked at me, mute and blank-faced, for several long heartbeats.

“Ah, Hell. What have I done?” he said and clapped a hand over his eyes. It struck

me as a melodramatic gesture and I snorted. Norm lowered his hand and

squinted at me.

Magic All Around

44

“Vivian, I need to explain some things. I need to…” He looked down and

scratched his head at the base of his ponytail. He was using a different twisty,

today, to hold his hair back. This twisty was dark green like a lawn and leaf bag

twisty.

“Can I borrow your cell phone?”

I handed Norm my phone, feeling a twist in my gut as his fingers brushed against

mine.

“Do you want me to go in the other room; give you some privacy?” I started to

turn towards the stairs but Norm shook his head.

“Don’t go anywhere. Please. I just have to make a quick call. Can you wait right

here?”

I shrugged and stuffed my hands in my jean pockets.

It had been a mistake to move into this apartment. There were too many things

that confused me; too many mysteries and too many feelings. I like simple and

tidy. Life shouldn’t be this complicated.

“Penny; it’s Norm.” A brief pause, then Norm nodded. “Yeah, it’s her phone.”

Another pause.

It’s always awkward to listen to one side of a phone call and, even though Norm

had asked me to stay, I had the unsettling feeling that I was eavesdropping. I

shuffled my feet, pulled my hands out of my pockets, sighed and stuffed my

hands back in my pockets.

“No, she’s right here; she’s okay.” Norm glanced at me as if to double check that I

was, indeed, okay. I tried to smile reassuringly. My legs had lost that jiggly as Jell-

O sensation they’d gotten from the dog chase, but I was worried about other

things, now.

“Listen, do you think you can come over?” Norm’s eyes widened. “Wait, you’re

where? Is he okay?” A pause. “Oh. I’d forgotten about that; what time did he go

in?”

Magic All Around

45

“Oh. That’s good.”

“Okay.”

This was agony! I couldn’t think of a time that I’d felt more awkward or more like

running away. Two dogs, a guy that gave me the jitters and eavesdropping on

one side of the most baffling phone conversation in the history of telephones!

“Well, yeah. Here’s the thing; I kind of let the…dog out of the bag.”

I took a deep breath and tried to relax my clenched jaw.

“No, not all of it. That’s why I’m calling you. I thought maybe you and Roanan

could help out.”

“No, I didn’t mean to!”

“Very funny, Penny. Seriously, though, I was just thinking we could all sit down

and talk. I don’t think I have much credibility on my own yet.”

Why did I get the sense that Norm was communicating in code? What on Earth

did he need to say to me that required help from Penny and Roanan?

“Fantastic! Thank you. What time?”

“Okay, that would be great. And, Penny? Thank you for saving my ass on this

one. You’re the best.”

“Okay, see you then.”

Norm handed my phone back and I was careful to avoid the brush of his fingers. I

wished he would take his dogs and leave. Or, stay and hug me. Instead, he

offered a lopsided smile.

“Roanan, poor sucker, just had a colonoscopy. He’s still doped up and Penny says

they’ll be at the hospital for a while yet.” Norm rubbed his freshly shaven chin.

“Getting old’s a son-of-a…gun. Too damn much poking and prodding.”

Teak and the big dog were still calm and, in fact, seemed to be napping. I decided

Magic All Around

46

my canine crisis was over. It was time to wrap things up. Get this show on the

road. I couldn’t take the tension, anymore.

“Look, Norm, I didn’t mean to bring up an awkward topic. If you’ll take Lawrence

and Teak back home,” I nodded toward the dogs, “I’ll just forget about the whole

situation. Deal?”

Norm didn’t answer right away and I watched him watch me, his green eyes

narrowed and searching; his fingers twitching at his sides.

“Come on. Don’t go all inscrutable and Clint Eastwood on me. I’m sorry I made

such a fuss, but now I just want to get on with my day.”

The corner of Norm’s lip twitched and he crossed his arms. “Some things still

have to be explained,” he said, then smiled outright. “You’re cute trying to pull a

fast one on me. Teak is home. We’ll talk about everything tonight. Penny said

she’d bring dinner. She’ll be able to explain better than I can.”

I groaned inwardly but kept a smile on my face. “I’d prefer to have a quiet

evening settling into my new digs; can’t you just tell me whatever it is, right

now?” I’d had enough company the night before to last me for a decade. I

wanted to close the curtains, lock the doors and enjoy my new apartment in

solitude. Maybe I’d even splurge and buy a new book today. I thought, longingly,

of reading in the bathtub then crawling into my new bed and falling asleep early.

Bliss.

Norm uncrossed his arms, twitched his fingers again for a few moments and then

fisted his hands at his sides. Why was he so nervous?

“No. I can’t just tell you right now. You wouldn’t believe me. It’s better if we

have Penny and Roanan here.”

“I wouldn’t believe you? Come on, Norm, you’re starting to freak me out. What

in the world could be so bad? I’m sure I can handle it. It’s something about the

dogs, right?”

“Let’s leave it alone. We can talk about it later, Vivian.” Norm started to back

Magic All Around

47

away from me, angling towards the door. I followed.

“It’s not like you’re mistreating them or something. I mean, look at them.

They’re just fine; they’re healthy. Besides, you’re a dog person; you love them.

You’re not hurting them; are you?”

We’d reached the door and Norm put one hand on the doorknob, hesitated, then

let go of the knob and turned to put both hands on my shoulders. My stomach

did cartwheels.

“Stop, Vivian. It’s nothing like that. I’m not hurting the dogs. Now, quit trying to

guess. I promise you; you can’t.” We were close enough that I could smell his red

cedar musk and it took all my self-control to not lean in and wrap my arms around

him in a hug. I drew back and his hands fell from my shoulders. I was

simultaneously disappointed and relieved. Phew! My hormones were way out of

control!

“I’m going to take Lawrence and go about my day and let you go about yours.

Penny said dinner will be ready at five.”

I pushed some hair behind my ear but it fell forward again. I pushed the hair back

again and kept my hand up, holding the hair away from my face.

Norm winked. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

He opened the door and snapped his fingers. Both dogs trotted over but Teak

halted when she drew alongside me. Lawrence followed Norm out the door and I

was struck again by the dogs’ bulk.

As I closed my front door, I heard Norm say something in a scolding tone. It

sounded like, “Since when are you a truant?”

I dug a small notebook out of my purse and started a grocery list, trying to distract

myself. It took all of two minutes for me to lose interest in the list and start

pacing the living room. What was it that Norm needed to tell me? What was the

big mystery? While I paced I heard Norm start up his truck and pull out of the

driveway.

Magic All Around

48

I couldn’t begin to imagine a sensible explanation so, instead, I began concocting

a story in my head about Norm and Lawrence being undercover CIA agents. I

imagined several fancy spy gadgets would be involved. Maybe Norm’s pony tail

disguised a recording device. I snickered to myself and began making a mental list

of good code names. They could be agents Ptarmigan and Scoter Duck. No

conspiracy in Juneau could be very action-packed, so I decided they were working

on Operation Porcupine Waddle. Cute, but slow-moving.

I was entertaining myself but I certainly wasn’t coming any closer to guessing

what Norm wanted to tell me so I decided I needed a more effective distraction.

It was a good time to go to work.

In the past two weeks, I’d been profoundly grateful for the tiny rented studio

space that I shared with two other artists. It certainly had its’ drawbacks,

including ancient overhead florescent lights and a floor that tilted so heavily you

couldn’t sit in a wheeled desk chair without rolling across the room. On the other

hand, if I’d had my paints and supplies, not to mention my finished work, in my

apartment, I would have lost it all in the fire. I used to grumble about the studios’

shortcomings and complain about the lack of nighttime access. Now, I was just

relieved that I hadn’t lost my source of income. It was hard enough for me to give

up my paintings for sale; it would have devastated me, both emotionally and

financially, if they’d burned.

During college, I’d painted scenery on gold pans and they’d sold well enough to

the summer tourists that I’d experimented with other canvases, too. I’d managed

to put myself through school that way. I’d painted Alaskan scenery on hundreds

of umbrellas, glass canning jars, rocks, driftwood, tee-shirts and wooden boxes.

My great passion, though, was for collecting, drying and painting on bear bread,

the ubiquitous bracket fungus that grows on dead and rotting trees all over

Southeast Alaska.

Yes, work was what I needed. I slipped my boots on and left the front door open

behind me while I went to start my car. A lacy coating of frost lay across the

windshield and it would need to warm up. I’d use that time to finish my grocery

list. Inside. In the warmth.

Magic All Around

49

I turned the key in the ignition and set the defrost on high, then pivoted to get out

and stand back up. Teak stood wagging just beyond the open driver’s side door.

“Ahhhh. I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” I shook my head and Teak wagged

faster. “Nope, no riding in my car. Let’s go back inside.” I gestured for Teak to

move aside but she didn’t.

“Go home.” It came out sounding properly authoritative which I knew was

important. I’d used that phrase many times, over the years, when encountering

unaccompanied dogs on my strolls around Juneau. I’d found it to be highly

effective.

It wasn’t effective this time, though. Teak wagged so hard, the tip of her tail

tapped her ribs at the end of each swing. I crossed my fingers and got out of the

car, hoping she would follow me back to the house. I was moving cautiously and,

perhaps, a bit slowly. Before I could swing the door closed, Teak slid past me and

hurdled into the car.

“No, no. Get out of the car.” I said this in a reasonable but firm tone. Teak

ignored me and jumped into the back seat. She sniffed the threadbare upholstery

and investigated every nook and cranny. I opened the door wider. “Come on, get

out of the car,” I insisted. Teak looked up at me, wagged and then bent back to

her sniffing.

“Hey!” I tried in a louder voice. “Out. Get out.” She didn’t even acknowledge my

change in volume. I wondered if one of my new dog books would contain any

suggestions but it didn’t seem like the time for reading. I looked around, hoping

to spot someone in the neighborhood who knew Teak. Someone who could help

me. There wasn’t another person in sight.

“Come on Teak; get out of the car. Please? Come on, be a good doggy.” The

authority was leaking out of my voice, replaced by something that sounded like

begging. I took a deep breath, straightened my shoulders and re-commenced in a

severe tone. “No. Bad dog. Go home!” I pushed the words from my diaphragm,

projecting like I was giving a speech without a microphone.

Magic All Around

50

Teak jumped back into the front of the car and I stepped back, expecting her to

hop out. She didn’t. She made three tight circles in the passenger seat and then

sat down facing the front windshield and looking, for all the world, like she was

ready for her chauffer.

“Come on,” I whined. “Don’t do this to me.” Teak continued to gaze out the front

window.

I walked to the passenger side of the car and opened that door. Now, I thought,

she had her choice. She could exit from the driver’s side of the car, or she could

exit from the passenger’s side. Teak looked up at me and panted in my face. Her

breath was warm and sweet. Isn’t dog breath supposed to be rank? Putrid?

Fresh breath or not, I backed away.

Teak returned to gazing out the front window and after a minute of

contemplation, I went inside, leaving the both car doors and the front duplex

door, open. Maybe the dog would follow me inside. I added a few items to my

grocery list and peeked out the bay window. No progress. Teak was still planted

in the passenger seat.

Why? Why did Norm insist on giving me a dog that I’m afraid of? Idiocy! Here I

am, stuck with an animal that scares the daylights out of me and over which I

have absolutely no control. And he’s not here to help. Nor does he have a cell

phone so I can’t even call for advice. Argh!

I stomped into the kitchen and sifted through various cupboards until I found

Norm’s housewarming gift to me; six cans of Vienna sausages. Maybe they would

come in handy after all.

I had my heart set on going to the studio. I needed to paint. I knew it would help

me find my equilibrium. The past twenty-four hours had been too unsettling. I

needed to lose myself in the timeless, wordless flow of painting. I did not need to

be dealing with this foolishness and I certainly couldn’t drive to the studio with a

dog in the car. Simply not happening. No. Nope. Not. Happening.

So, there I stood with a dripping sausage in one hand and the can in the other

Magic All Around

51

hand, trying to lure, bribe, or somehow reason with a dog determined to go for a

car ride. Good grief.

Without leaving the passenger seat, Teak leaned towards the morsel I offered.

Her nostrils worked and a droplet of saliva began to form on one of her jet-black

lips.

I broke several of the sausages into smaller chunks and created a trail of sausage

pieces leading from the car into the duplex. I envisioned Teak following the trail

and ending up back inside the house. She didn’t fall for my ruse, though.

She did eat the three pieces of sausage that I’d placed inside the car, at that end

of the trail. She eyed the rest of the trail and scented the air, but she didn’t set

paw outside my car.

I went inside and waited for another fifteen minutes. Impasse. Finally, I stomped

back out to the car. “Dammit, Teak. Get out of the car NOW.” As my voice rose,

Teak tilted her head to the side, apparently fascinated, but not persuaded, by

what I had to say…and the volume at which I said it.

“I just want to go paint a pretty picture on a dried up old mushroom. You have an

entire house and backyard to play in. You don’t need to go with me. Give me a

break; would you? Get out of the car.”

I hovered over the piece of sausage just beyond the open car door, pretending

interest in it. “Mmmmm! It’s so yummy Teak. Don’t you want this?” I pointed at

the morsel and Teak tilted her head the other direction.

I looked at my watch. We’d been having this conversation for almost forty

minutes. I slammed the passenger side door closed, stomped around the car and

plopped into the driver’s seat in defeat. Teak sat next to me and panted. She

looked happy.

I sighed and capitulated. I was going to the studio, by golly, and not even a dog

would stand in my way.