Summer Sun's Arc

Chapter 15 of 15

Summer Sun woke early with a memory tugging at her. Somewhere in the back of her closet was a hat she had bought years ago at a village fair and never worn out of the house. She dug through a box of old scarves and pulled it out. A giant sunflower spread across the brim in bright yellow petals, with a fat brown center that looked like a real seedhead. She held it in front of the mirror and put it on. It swallowed her forehead. She laughed once, alone, and knew where she was going. She walked to the bramble cottage with the hat on her head. The vines around the door were still wet with dew. She knocked. Matilda opened the door in her polka-dot hat, blinked once at the sunflower, and did not speak for a long moment. Summer Sun waited. She had not planned a joke. She had only worn the hat. Then Matilda's mouth twitched. She pressed her lips flat, failed, and let out a short, rough laugh. Summer Sun laughed back. Matilda leaned on the doorframe and laughed again, harder this time, one hand at her ribs. The sunflower brim bounced on Summer Sun's head. The polka dots tilted further over Matilda's eye. Neither of them tried to stop. When they finally quieted, Matilda wiped her cheek with the back of her wrist and said, "We look like fools." "We do," Summer Sun said. "Good," Matilda said. Matilda stepped back and let her in. The kettle was not on this time. Matilda filled it herself while Summer Sun sat at the table with the sunflower still on her head. They did not talk much. Matilda mentioned that the raven had come close to the snare last night and slipped it again. Summer Sun said the sunflowers in the meadow had opened all at once yesterday morning. When the tea was gone, Summer Sun stood up. Matilda walked her to the door and stopped there. "Bring the hat again," she said. It was not a joke and not quite a request. Summer Sun nodded and went home in the bright morning. Something between them had matched. She did not know yet what it would cost, or what Matilda would ask for next.