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“I did, but my pain meds made me sleepy. I got woken up by the smoke alarm and two charred muffin pans. All my hard work, binned.” She returned to the pot and gave it a churn. “Sun, can you arrange the baking on the table outside? We’ll need labels, too. You know, the usual contains nuts, eggs, wheat…”

Sunita dipped into a playful curtsey. “Already done, my lady. Wrote them up on the ferry.” She collected several serving trays and shared a smile with Fiona.

“Guess I better join the extras.”

“Fi, our very own star!” Sunita joked.

“Wanna bet Nick leaves us on the cutting room floor?” Fiona waved farewell and followed Sunita out of the truck.

While Sunita manned the tables outside, Evie got to work scooping oatmeal into bowls and serving the breakfast onslaught. Three days in and most of the faces waiting outside the window were now familiar, but the one she knew best didn’t appear. With only two crew left to feed, she looked up, spotting Jamie galloping toward the truck.

“Eeevie!” he hollered, waving furiously.

If Jamie was jonesing for another smoke break, she was the last person he should hound for a light.

Ducking inside, his chest rose and fell, scrambling for breath. “Someone’s having an allergic reaction!”

Evie’s stomach flipped. “You serious?!”

Chewing his thumb, Jamie nodded anxiously. “I called 999, but…”

She yanked open a drawer and grabbed an epinephrine pen. “Let’s go.”

Running through the maze of tables, they cut through a huddle of concerned crew. Sunita was sat on a picnic table bench with Nick, her arm draped around his quaking shoulders. Lips swelling, he clutched at his throat.

“Muffins…” His was voice raspy, his gaze fixed. “Raisins…”

Oh my god! Shaking, Evie held the EpiPen straight up in her good hand, its blue cap pointing toward the sky. “Jamie, I need you to remove the safety cap for me. Pull upward, like straight up.”

Snapping it free, Jamie stuffed his fists into his hoodie’s pockets. “Oh man.” Her young cousin gulped. “He’s blue.”

Without hesitation, Evie positioned the autoinjector parallel to the ground and swung its orange end toward Nick’s outer thigh, plunging hard into muscle.

ELEVEN

“When you take the time

to think of one you love

It makes you wise and strong

Love makes us wise and strong”

‘Smile When We Whisper’,

Torquil Campbell

EVIE

Then, Wednesday, August 8, sixteen years ago

Was last night for real? Or is my brain making stuff up again? Morning rain pelted the windows as Evie lowered herself gingerly onto the sofa, her splayed fingers rubbing her bloated belly.

Deflating into the cushions and a handknit throw, she loosely retied the drawstring on her pajama bottoms. I helped with his panic attack. He felt grateful—that’s all! He’s not into you. Stop torturing yourself thinking otherwise.

A blood-curdling shriek exploded across the room.

“Sprout?” Calling out over his shoulder, Sam clicked the mouse of the family’s computer, blasting a snarling pack of rampaging zombies into oblivion. “What was that? Loo trip number four?”