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André wiped down the counter, humming a melody from his favorite opera. The afternoon was just beginning to wane into evening, and that meant his shift was nearly over. André loved the slow, golden hour before dusk and the sweet, blue hour that followed it best of all. The shop was often empty of customers at this time of day, giving him time to dream up new ice cream flavors. Best of all, the approach of dusk heralded the arrival of the night shift.
Soon, the love of André’s life would fly home to him on silver-grey wings.
The bell over the door tinkled, and André straightened up. It seemed that Paris had brought him one last customer.
“Hello?” called someone. If André had to guess, the voice belonged to a young girl around Marinette’s age.
“I’m back here, dear,” André replied, giving the counter one final wipe and straightening his apron. If he was lucky, the customer would ask for ice cream. His divinations were especially potent near dawn and dusk, and he itched to use some of the power that tingled near his fingertips.
His customer, a short Asian girl with an undercut and several facial piercings, appeared at the end of the spellbook aisle. She was frowning slightly. “Are you André Glacier, the famous heart-reader?”
André spread his arms in welcome. “The one and only!” he declared. “You’ve come at the perfect hour. Shall I read what is in your heart?”
The girl hesitated. “How does it work?” she asked, crossing her arms defensively.
Up close, André could see that the girl was younger than he had first realized. Despite the bold hair and jewelry choices, she was no older than Marinette. She seemed almost frightened of him.
André did his best to speak gently. “I can only see what you allow me to see,” he began. “The ice cream serves as a conduit between you and your heart. I select the flavors, but you do the rest.”
The girl bit her lip, seeming to come to a decision. She held out her hand for André to shake. “My name is Kagami Tsurugi. I am not interested in romantic love.” She blew a piece of hair off her forehead. “I grew up in an unkind home,” she continued. “I would like to know whether I will always be alone, or whether—” She trailed off, looking embarrassed.
“You desire human connection without romance,” said André, smiling at her relieved expression. “Love comes in many forms, dear. If you are ready, I will scoop the ice cream and give you a glimpse into your heart’s future.”
Kagami’s eyes burned with a new hope. “I’m ready.”
“Good.” André drew back. “Now, will that be cash, credit, or memories?”
“Credit,” said Kagami, removing a blood red credit card from a black leather wallet. André had to admire her dedication to her chosen aesthetic. In the realm of magic, appearances were powerful.
“Perfect,” said André.
He swiped Kagami’s card, returned it to her, and unsheathed his ice cream scoop from its place of honor beside the freezer. He closed his eyes, letting a trickle of his stored power, the power of the uncertain place between day and night, flow into the scoop.
“Guide me,” he whispered. With the ice cream scoop burning in his hand like a magic sword, André stepped forward, opening the freezer. “Cinnamon for wisdom,” he began. “Blackberry for adventure and mystery. And orange for the person you are choosing to become.” He presented the finished cone to Kagami. “It’s good news, I believe. Take a bite and see for yourself.”
Kagami did as she was told, closing her eyes and letting the flavors mingle on her tongue. André cleaned his ice cream scoop, watching her carefully.
“I understand,” said Kagami, sounding dreamy and far away.
André smiled. “No romance is in the cards for you, if the ice cream has spoken true.” He winked. “It has never lied to me. Your future is bright and full of love, Kagami. Love yourself first, and the rest will follow.”
Kagami took a deep breath. There was something bright and vulnerable in her eyes that reminded André of how Xavier had been when they first met. The fear and pain were the same, and the hope, too. “I can heal,” she said softly. “That is what it tells me. I will not be afraid forever.”
André took her hand, squeezing it comfortingly. “There is always time to heal from the pain of the past,” he told her. “My… a close friend of mine was well into his thirties before he truly began.”
Kagami smiled. “That is good to hear. Can I—”
She broke off as the bell over the door jangled, signaling the arrival of half of the night shift.
“I’m here!” Marinette called. There was a vibrancy to her voice that was very different from the tired, frightened girl Xavier had taken pity upon so many months ago. Kagami was not the only one on a healing track. “Is it okay if Zoé sits with me in the back for a while? My work comes first, I promise!”
“That’s fine,” André called back. “I have a guest of my own, as it happens. Would you open the back door for Xavier?”
“Of course,” said Marinette. Exchanging shy smiles with Kagami, she and Zoé made for the back room.
André returned his full attention to Kagami. “The orange and blackberry tell me that you are standing on a precipice, and the cinnamon says that you value advice. You came here with a dilemma, no?”
“I did,” said Kagami. Her eyes flashed. “I need to heal, it’s true. But I cannot do that in my mother’s house. I need to leave. I think I need help, and something told me to come here.”
“You need somewhere to go,” said André, understanding. “One moment.” He poked his head into the back room. “Are you still apartment hunting, Marinette?”
“Unfortunately,” said Marinette. “Zoé thinks I’d have better luck if I looked for a roommate.” She shrugged. “But if I have friends in the city, I don’t remember them.”
André turned to wink at Kagami. “I believe that I have a solution.”