A flicker of surprise warmed Ellen’s expression. “Yes, thank you.”
Ava went to the sink, filled a teakettle, and pulled out a few canisters, placing them on the bar in front of Ellen. “Chamomile? Willow bark and raspberry? Honey lemon?”
“Which do you suggest?”
“Willow bark and raspberry will help your hip. Willow bark is an excellent natural painkiller.”
Ellen’s smile disappeared. “I don’t need a painkiller.”
Ava let her gaze drop to where Ellen’s hand still rested on her hip.
Ellen flushed and dropped her hand back to her side. After a long, stilted moment, she asked, “Is it safe?”
Ava had to smile. “Originally aspirin was made from the white willow, so yes, it’s safe.” She pushed the other canisters to one side. “I think I’ll join you. I’ve had a slight headache all day, and the willow bark will help.” She filled the mugs with hot water, found two infusers, and returned to the bar. She added leaves to the infusers, clicked them closed, and then dropped them into the gently steaming mugs. She slid one across the bar to Ellen. “Let it steep for five minutes.” She set a small saucer between them so they could remove the infusers without dripping tea across the bar.
Ellen peered into her mug with polite curiosity. “I saw a canister of your tea in Julie’s cupboard.”
“I’ve been meaning to come by and pick that up. I made it just for Julie. My teas are made specifically for each client, so they don’t work for anyone else.”
A flicker of disbelief crossed Ellen’s face, although she didn’t say anything.
The people of Dove Pond had come to rely on Ava’s teas, but every once in a while, someone from the outside world would give her just such a look.
She mentally shrugged. She didn’t owe anyone an explanation, not about this, anyway. She saw Ellen eyeing her mug of tea with renewed suspicion and said with a touch of impatience, “That isn’t a specialty tea. It’s from my diffusion line, which is for everyone. You can get that same tea at just about every coffeehouse in Asheville.”
Ellen bent and cautiously sniffed the tea. “It smells delicious.”
Ava pulled her mug closer, her gaze falling back on the paintings, her thoughts returning to Julie. “When did she start painting? I always meant to ask her, but the subject never came up.”
“I bought her a set of paints when she was in third grade. Little did I know what I was starting. By the time she reached high school, she was painting for hours each day, much to the detriment of her grades.” Ellen gave a self-conscious laugh. “She was good, but I didn’t think she—or anyone else, really—could make a living from it. I guess she proved me wrong.”
“Julie said she had to eat a lot of ramen early on. It took her years to get to the caviar stage.”
“Yes, well, I believed artists ate ramen their entire lives. I knew she was talented. I just didn’t think talent was enough.”
“She made it work. Art galleries from around the country were trying to get her to do shows. Once she started selling well, she refused those requests. She said she got more attention by being a hermit.”
“That was astute of her. I have to say, she left Kristen quite well cared for. I expected—” A flicker of pain crossed Ellen’s face. “It doesn’t matter what I expected. I was wrong.”
Ava wasn’t sure what to say to that. “Sarah and I were going to make a lasagna for you all, but we figured you were already sinking under the amount of food being left at your house. But if you get low, let me know.”
“Please, no more lasagnas! It’s very kind, but I’ve never seen so many casserole dishes. I’ll never remember who brought what pan.”
Ava had to laugh. “I still have a red casserole pan at my house from when Momma died. I never could figure out who it belonged to, so it’s mine now.”
“Oh dear. I didn’t know your mother had passed away. I didn’t know her well. When I lived here all those years ago, she was busy raising all of you, and our paths rarely crossed.”
“We were a handful, which is something I never appreciated until I had to raise Sarah.”
Ellen’s eyebrows rose. “You raised Sarah? How old were you when your mother died?”
“Nineteen. Sarah was fourteen. She and I were close, plus I was going to college just down the road, so it made sense that of all my sisters, I would be the one to move back home.”
“You were too young to take that on.”
“Probably,” Ava admitted. “Life doesn’t always give you choices, does it?”
“No, it doesn’t.” Ellen eyed her curiously. “Where are your other sisters? I only saw Sarah at the funeral.”
“Cara’s in New York City. After she got her degree in programming, she moved out there and developed the Make-Magic app.”
“The high-end matchmaking app? I’ve heard of that.”
“She was named one of the Thirty Tech Geniuses to Watch this year. Tay is an English professor at Harvard specializing in ancient manuscripts. She can speak and read nine languages. Ella’s a pastry chef and just opened her own patisserie in Paris.”
“Fancy! She was the plump one, wasn’t she?”
“And the one with the most boyfriends. Men love Ella. They always have.” Ava slid a bowl of sugar cubes and a bottle of honey in front of Ellen. “Alex and Madison both live in Raleigh. Madison’s a doctor, and Alex is a veterinarian.” There was a lot more Ava could say about that, but she held her tongue. Madison and Alex lived only a few houses apart but hadn’t spoken in years. Ava and Sarah weren’t sure of the details; all they knew was that the argument had been over a man.
“So only you and Sarah are left here in Dove Pond.”
Ava made a face. “A fact Sarah laments almost every day. She’s determined to get them all back home.”
Ellen removed the infuser from her mug and placed it on the saucer and then took a cautious sip. She blinked, as if surprised. “It’s quite good.”
“I thought you’d like it.” Ava fixed her own tea. “The raspberry blends nicely, doesn’t it? I hope the willow will help your hip.”
Ellen smiled politely. “It’s quite tasty, and that’s all that matters. Will you have this on the menu?”
“Oh yes. The diffusion line has forty-seven teas in it.”
“Forty-seven?” Ellen looked impressed. “I only know of a few types of tea. Earl Grey, green tea, English breakfast, chamomile, jasmine… and now willow and raspberry.”
“There are hundreds, but I’m just going to offer the most common. By the way, Kristen’s favorite is dandelion, but Julie loved peppermint.”
Ellen’s face softened. “Julie always loved peppermint. When she was little, she’d steal all the candy canes off the Christmas tree and hide them under her pillow. I tried to get her to stop so there’d be a few left for Christmas morning, but she never listened.”
Ava smiled wistfully. “She didn’t like rules.”
“She hated them.” Ellen sipped her tea, seeming far more at ease.
“How are you and Kristen holding up?”