September 25, Wednesday

THE KITCHEN was warm and fragrant, filled with the comforting aroma of freshly baked brownies. I watched in fascination as Kelly expertly mixed flour, water, and a mysterious blob she called a "starter" in a large glass jar.

"And that's how you make a sourdough starter," Kelly explained, her eyes twinkling. "It's like having a pet, really. You have to feed it every day."

I laughed. "A pet that eventually turns into bread? Sign me up."

As Kelly set the jar aside, the oven timer dinged. She slipped on oven mitts decorated with cheerful sunflowers and pulled out a pan of decadent-looking brownies.

"Those smell incredible," I said, inhaling deeply.

Kelly beamed. "Wait till you taste them. Grab the ice cream from the freezer, would you?"

We settled at the kitchen table, steaming brownies topped with slowly melting vanilla ice cream in front of us. I took a bite and nearly swooned.

"Oh my God, Kelly. You missed your calling. These are amazing!"

Kelly blushed, ducking her head. "Thanks. Actually, I've always dreamed of owning my own bakery."

"Really?" I leaned forward, intrigued. "You should go for it! You'd be fantastic."

Her smile faltered. "Oh, I don't know. With taking care of my uncle, I just don't have the time. And I definitely don't have the money."

I nodded sympathetically, thinking of my own financial woes. "I get that. But don't give up on the dream, okay? You never know what might happen."

Kelly's smile returned, shy but genuine. "Thanks. That means a lot." She hesitated, then added, "You know, I've read all your books."

"Oh?" I said, feeling a mix of pride and embarrassment.

"They're wonderful," Kelly gushed. "I can't wait for the next one. How's it coming along?"

I sighed, pushing a brownie crumb around my plate. "Not as fast as I'd like, to be honest."

Kelly laughed, a warm, infectious sound. "Well, hurry up! Some of us are dying to know what happens next!"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "I'll do my best."

A mischievous glint appeared in Kelly's eye. "So... speaking of romance, what's going on with you and Sawyer? Are you two a 'thing' yet?"

I nearly choked on my ice cream. "What? No. We're just friends."

Kelly raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Uh-huh."

"Really," I protested, feeling my cheeks heat up. "It's not like that."

"Sure it's not," Kelly said, her tone teasing. "That's why you both light up like Christmas trees whenever you're around each other."

I opened my mouth to argue, then closed it again. Did we really? I thought back to our interactions, the easy banter, the lingering glances. Maybe there was something there...

"It's complicated," I said finally.

Kelly nodded sagely. "Isn't it always? But take it from someone who's read her fair share of romance novels—complicated can be worth it."

I smiled, touched by her encouragement. "We'll see. For now, I think I'll stick to uncomplicated pleasures. Like these brownies."

"Good call," Kelly laughed, sliding the pan closer. "There's plenty more where that came from."

As we continued to chat and indulge, I found myself relaxing for the first time in days. The curse, Curtis, my stalled novel—it all seemed far away in the warm cocoon of Kelly's company and baked goods.

For a moment, I let myself imagine a different life. One where I ran a cozy bookstore, and Kelly had her bakery next door. Where Sawyer would stop by for lunch, and we'd steal kisses between customers. Where the biggest mystery was who bought the last blueberry muffin.

It was a nice fantasy. But as I glanced out the window towards the graveyard, reality came rushing back. This was Irving, after all. And in Irving, nothing was ever that simple.

Still, as Kelly launched into a story about her uncle's latest misadventure, I allowed myself to hope. Maybe, just maybe, there was room in this strange, magical town for a little bit of normal happiness too.

And if not? Well, at least there were always brownies.