MEOW: Magical Emporium of Wares - A Cozy Slice-of-Life Fantasy

My first day off. To say it excited me was an understatement.

I’d just settled into a chair on the outside deck to soak in some sun in a bathing suit, when I heard a knock on the door. I pulled my sunglasses down and concentrated to make sure I’d really heard what I’d heard. When it didn't repeat, I pushed the glasses back up my nose. I was ready for my day of rest, in the sun, reading a hot spicy romance novel to pass the time. Life was good. The patio was off of the observatory on the second floor. A stone wall surrounded the space so I couldn't see outside, but sunlight streamed down from above and the roof opened to the elements. Raised garden beds surrounded the space, and in the center was a fire pit along with lounge chairs. I couldn’t name anything in any of the beds, and two were just dirt.

Finally, it was time to relax. The bell rattled.

"Are you going to answer that?" asked the cat. I hadn't even noticed he’d joined me on the patio.

"It’s my day off," I answered. "We aren't open."

My phone vibrated next to me.

"I think it’s for you," said the Cat.

I grabbed my phone and noticed it was a text from Cyan, one of my brothers.

I read the text aloud. "I think I am at your place.... You got to be kidding me!" I knew it disappointed my parents that I wasn't moving home, but I’d thought we’d all agreed to let that settle. It was just a year. Now, Cyan was here. I set down my sunglasses and climbed to my feet. I grabbed the cover-up that was draped along the back of the lounge chair and headed back inside. Cool air hit me as I entered the shop.

"I’m coming!" My voice sounded loud in the space as I padded across the balcony and toward the stairs. It didn't take long for me to make it to the front door. The shop was in its bookstore configuration, the same one that had greeted me on my first day visiting. Just a normal shop. Through the glass door, I spotted my brother, Cyan, staring at me. I unlocked the door and swung it in. Before I could say anything he wrapped me in a hug.

"I found you, Nugget!"

I pulled away from him, rolling my eyes at the nickname. "What are you doing here?" I asked at the same time he spoke. "Why are you in a bathing suit?"

"Come in, you dork." I stepped back to let him inside the shop and I locked the door once he was inside. "Sunbathing, it’s a thing. I wasn't expecting company."

He stood in the middle of the shop, turning around slowly. "You’re lucky it’s just me. You could have had Onyx and Umber as well."

"Was Cerulean too good to be invited?" I asked with snark.

Cyan shook his head. "Nope, he’s off on another adventure."

Cerulean was the second oldest, and an adventurer at heart. He did mountain climbing for a living, and we never knew when he would take off on another climb, or quest to visit some place remote. He would be gone for a few months then be home for a few months before leaving again. Yet no one gave him grief for not being near home. I wasn’t bitter or anything; I swear.

"Well, do you want anything to drink?" I pointed to the coffee machine. "I can make you just about anything."

"Something chilly would be nice," he moved closer to the bookshelves. Cyan was a reader, and if I didn't want to lose him into a book I needed to get him upstairs.

I quickly darted over to the machine and started on an iced latte. "We can head upstairs and back into the sunlight to talk." It didn't take long for me to set a glass with a straw on the counter. "Come on, I’ll show you the patio."

He followed me quietly up the stairs, then paused looking over the bookstore from the railing. "This is a delightful view." Out of all of my brothers, the bookstore would draw him in. He was a bookworm, just like me.

I smiled at the comment. "Yeah, I love it up here. The second floor is mine, customers stay down below. I have a studio, it’s that door." The door was wide open since I didn't see a reason to close it. No one was supposed to be here but me and the cat. Speaking of, I didn't see the cat anywhere.

"That's a lot of plants, sis. How do you keep them alive?"

"I just gotta water them," I’d killed plants left and right at home. Gardening was another skill I simply was not good at. Umber was the plant guy. He grew a massive garden each year; he was also the one who’d learned how to cook from mom. To be honest, I hadn't been watering the plants, and I didn't know if I needed to. I didn’t actually know how they were still alive. That was going to need to go on the question list to ask the cat. Along with my questions about elves, demons, and Travelers, oh my.

Sunlight streamed in through the glass ceiling and wall. I opened the sliding door that led to the rooftop patio. Cyan stepped through, and I glanced around.

"Take a seat." I grabbed the spot where I’d been sitting before and picked up my sunglasses and my own iced latte. "So what brings you all the way out here?"

"Can't I want to visit my little sister?" His voice was teasing.

"I thought mom and dad were good after my call."

"They’d planned a coming home party, with a barbecue and everything."

It felt like he’d punched me. The sunglasses hid my eyes, and I was thankful. "You’ve got to be kidding me." I grabbed my drink, needing something to steady my hands.

"Nope, they really thought you would be back. There was even talk of if you were going to take over Tess's cafe."

I leaned back in the chair and took a deep drink of the caffeine. "So everyone was planning my life, like normal?" The acid in my voice was perhaps a bit thicker than Cyan deserved, but this was a sore subject. They didn’t have any problem with the boys going out and having their independence, but me?

"Nug-"

"You know it as well as I do. It’s one reason I went to college all the way out here. I need to live my life, and not the life that you all want for me."

"We just want you safe and sound."

"What about my happiness?" I asked.

"Of course we want you to be happy! Just closer, where we can visit easily," He took a deep breath. "You know Onyx doesn't fly, and it’s one heck of a drive here. It feels like you’re hiding from us!"

I tilted my head to one side. "I’m not hiding. I found a job I enjoy, and I’m living my life."

He didn't reply to that, and I noticed the cat had appeared. He jumped up on the end of my chair. "Cyan, meet the cat. Cat, meet Cyan, one of my big brothers."

"You got a cat?!" Cyan wasn't a fan of animals. He didn't hate them, but he was neutral about having them. He was not the brother on my side when I wanted to get a family pet.

"They came with the job."

"You couldn't come up with a better name besides cat?" asked Cyan under his breath.

"I heard that."

He rolled his eyes at me. "So what now?"

I took another sip of my coffee before responding. "I am here for a year. After that, who knows? I might sign on for another year."

"Woah,” He raised his hands, “don't be hasty. Don't sign any more contracts until you talk to us, okay? Please?"

He never said please. Like, ever. It was strange. Cyan stared down at the cat, his eyes wide. I realized that they both had green eyes. He caught me staring and turned to look at me. He gave me his begging look, and I sighed.

“Okay, I won't sign another contract until I talk to everyone.” A thought hit me like a brick, “They aren't in your car or anything, right?” I wouldn’t put it past my family to come on a road trip to visit with all of them without telling. I’d send Cyan in as well, if I were to pull a stunt like that. Which I wouldn’t, of course.

"No, it’s just me."

That was a positive, and my posture relaxed just a little. Now, I just needed to figure out what to do with my brother without leaving the shop. Or him discovering magic.