The bell over the café door jingled like a tiny spell.
Mimi Brewster looked up from the counter, her fingers dusted with flour and cinnamon. A gust of warm vanilla drifted through the air, wrapping itself around the newcomer like a welcoming hug. Her café, The Brew & Bloom, wasn’t the biggest in the neighborhood, but it was certainly the most enchanted.
“Morning!” she chirped, flipping her witchy braid over one shoulder. The silver bell on the end of it jingled softly, responding to her mood like it always did—perky today, just how she liked it.
The man who stepped inside didn’t match the café’s usual charm. Tall, soaked from the rain, with dark circles under his eyes and a coat that looked like it hadn’t been dry in days. He eyed the display case, where fresh raspberry thumbprints and honey-glazed croissants shimmered subtly—just subtly enough that mortals would chalk it up to good lighting.
Mimi could feel it right away: a heavy aura, sadness clinging to his shoulders like wet laundry.
He pointed at the chalkboard. “I’ll have the ‘Memory Tart.’”
Mimi froze. Just for a moment. Her smile didn’t waver, but her heartbeat stuttered.
That tart wasn’t on the menu anymore.
“Are you sure?” she asked, stirring her voice with extra honey. “That one’s… special.”
“I know,” he said quietly. “That’s why I want it.”
Behind her back, the enchanted mixing bowl gave a low hum. Even it was nervous.
Mimi turned, took a deep breath, and gathered the ingredients. A whisper of rosewater. Crushed almonds. A single tear-shaped berry from the jar marked “Do Not Use Unless Absolutely Necessary.”
She slid the tart into the oven, and the café seemed to hold its breath. The scent that rose wasn’t just fruity and sweet—it was nostalgic. Like the echo of a hug from someone long gone. Like a song you can’t remember, but still hum in your sleep.
When she placed it in front of him, he didn’t touch it right away.
“Thank you,” he said, voice rough. “It’s for someone I lost.”
Mimi nodded, her smile softer now. “Tread gently. The past is a place, not a home.”
As he took the first bite, the rain outside slowed. Then stopped.
And Mimi knew: the magic was beginning.
