Was it her, or did Koyana get cuter the longer they knew each other? Of course she did. She was already beautiful and kind. It only seemed to grow when they all sat around the table with their little strips of paper, and there she was—thoughtfully considering what she might write, before laughing and declaring, “You know? I can’t think of a single thing I want to wish for this year. I’ve gotten everything I wanted.”

  Almost against her own will, Evelina had hidden her own paper and its writing from view. She could’ve even fooled herself when she managed a smile and lied, “Neither can I.”

  That afternoon, they joined the rest of the town in tying all their paper strips to the large oak that had, for as long as anyone remembered, held this burden of wishes. Two days later Evelina was watching all those wishes sway in the breeze from the kitchen window. Tonight, they’d all go up to the heavens, where the gods would decide if the wishes would come true or not.

  Now, it wasn’t that she didn’t believe in divine timing and intervention. It was just that her life had taught her that, sometimes, things call for a little more than a hope and a prayer.

  Not like she was doing anything but sitting here, glaring at that oak like it had the answer yet refused to give it.

  “Something bothering you?” Olle’s voice startled her, but the question was only meant as general conversation. He gave her an almost worried look before continuing to start preparing dinner.

  Evelina let out a bit of nervous laughter. “Is it that obvious..?”

  “To an average person? Probably not. But you know there’s not a lot that’ll get past me.”

  “Right…”

  “Want to tell me what it is? Maybe I’ll be able to help.”

  “I doubt there’s a lot you can do.” Yet, despite knowing that, she—for the first time in likely an hour—turned her attention away from that oak to face him. “What would you do if… you realized you liked someone, but you don’t know how to tell that to her, or what to do to show her that, or even if she’d be interested in you…” She trailed off, realizing exactly what she was up against, and sighed. “This is hopeless…”

  “Well, if I were you in this totally-hypothetical situation,” Olle began casually, “I’d ask Demery.”

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  “Wh-who said it was—“

  “Your face, just now. Don’t worry, my lips are sealed.”

  Fighting back down her brief panic, she mumbled, “How’s he going to help anything?”

  “Well, he’s her brother. I’d say if anyone would have the kind of knowledge that will help you out, if not just answer a couple of your questions, it’s going to be him.”

  “What if he can’t help?” It was a substitute for what she really didn’t want to ask out loud: What if he tells me what I’m afraid of?

  “Then at least you’ll know for sure.”

  …

  She woke up the next morning to see that, as per tradition, the paper strips were no longer there. But she didn’t spend more time wistfully considering which wishes the gods might fulfill. She worked up the courage to talk with Demery and, when he offered to get groceries, she elected herself as his helper.

  They took two steps outside the house before he asked, “I’m assuming there’s something you want to talk to me about?”

  She beat down her first instinct to deny it, then nodded. “I… wanted to ask you some questions about Koyana. I think she’s… really great, and I want her to know that, but I—“

  “She wouldn’t think of you the same.” Those were the exact words she dreaded.

  She wished she could merge into the shadows and never come out. “I—I assumed as much, after what she said about—“

  “She didn’t think that about Vero either.”

  “What?”

  He seemed amused at how utterly confused she was. “She’s practically told me herself that she doesn’t think of anyone like that. I’ve seen it myself—Vero wasn’t the only guy who flirted with her, he was just the only one she wasn’t oblivious to. And even that had its limits.” He shrugged. “If you want to try to talk with her, then go for it. It won’t hurt to ask if she’d like to walk around town with you or admit how you feel about her. But you’ve got to pay attention to where she draws the line, and make sure you stand well away from it.”

  …

  She was going to ask, she really was. Now that both Olle and Demery knew, they must’ve constructed some elaborate excuse to allow the two of them time together. Evelina felt that she was on the verge of saying it, of showing Koyana the little trinket Demery had helped her pick out, of bracing herself for whatever the response would be. But whenever she opened her mouth, Koyana did or said something that made her words disappear, and she had to build them up all over again. Eventually she’d attempted casual conversation, though there never came a time to mention it then. They spent all that time without a single mention of deeper feelings or gifts given.

  So… maybe Evelina had been wrong in her first guess. There were some situations that she could handle on her own. But she had a feeling her hopes and prayers were the only thing she could offer; if she couldn’t find the words herself, perhaps Talmi would help her…