right?"
"Yup, I do know what vegetarian means, Cath."
She ordered them two coconut waters. Tom hadn't known they had such a thing in New York City. These weren't as good as at home. It was winter after all; he wondered where they were imported from.
A waiter came and reeled off a stack of weird-sounding specials. Tom ordered his burger and Cath one of the specials, which was when he realised he'd forgotten to bring any American money.
"Um, Cath?"
"Yeah?"
"You know how I said this was on me?"
She groaned. "Don't worry about it, Tom, I can cover it. I think."
"You know, I could pop back and get the money. It's in my sock drawer. I just don't wanna get busted. Esmeralda doesn't exactly know I came through."
"Came through?"
A waiter refilled their waterglasses. Tom said thank you, wishing he would go away. He resolved to drink slowly.
"Through the door. Esmeralda's back door. That's how I got here so fast."
"Well, of course," Cath said, as if he'd gone mad.
Another waiter went by. Cath beckoned him over. "Could I have a glass of the Malbec, please?" She turned back to Tom, who was wondering what Malbec was— probably wine. "I need it, okay? You were talking about a door?"
"Esmeralda's door. Yeah."
"I know," Cath said. "You didn't go home, did you? You've just been pretending to be back in Sydney, but you've been here the whole time."
"Cath, you called me."
"That was some kind of phone number routing thing. To make me think you were at home when really— "
"I'm magic. So's Mum."
"Magic," Cath said, as if she had no idea what that word meant.
Their food arrived, along with Cath's wine. Tom was pleased that his burger looked like a real burger. He had a bite. Not bad at all. Pretty good even. Cath started hoeing into her food, which came in a big bowl and wobbled. Only the fancy lettuce on the sides was recognisable. Rather her than him.
"I came here by opening the back door in Esmeralda's kitchen. When you step through, you're in New York City."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
Tom told her about meeting Esmeralda, about madness. He told her about dying. He told her everything. She said she didn't believe him, but he could see that she did.
"Show me," she said, after she'd ordered a third glass of wine. Her cheeks were pink.
"Didn't you hear the part about not using too much magic? The part about me dying?"
"Just a little, then."
Tom sighed. "Just this once, right?"
She nodded, her cheeks flushed.
"See the candle?"
"Yup, I might not be magically abled, but I ain't blind." She took a long gulp of her wine. "Yet."
Tom thought about the candle going out. It went out. He thought about it being lit. It came back to life.
"Oh," Cath said. "Right, then."
"Yeah. It's like that. You should've seen Da after Esmeralda told him. Not happy. He's still not happy. He's not wild about talking about it. Ever."
"I can see why not. It's not exactly comfortable, is it?"
"Comfortable? No, not really."
"What about Mum, then?"
"She's mad because she won't use her magic. I mean, she doesn't know she's magic and so she doesn't use it. Same thing in the end."
"Didn't you tell her?"
Tom nodded. "She's nuts, Cath. She didn't believe me. And when I tried to show her, she totally lost it."
"Lost it?"
"She lunged at me. They had to— "
"That's okay. I get it." Their mother had once cut Cath with a knife, screaming that she was going to kill her. They'd never talked about it. Tom had been there, but he was too young to remember. "So you're…" She trailed off, but Tom could see her struggling with what he was telling her. "Why aren't I magic, then?"
Tom shrugged. "Dunno? Why am I an albino?"
"You're not
"Yup, I do know what vegetarian means, Cath."
She ordered them two coconut waters. Tom hadn't known they had such a thing in New York City. These weren't as good as at home. It was winter after all; he wondered where they were imported from.
A waiter came and reeled off a stack of weird-sounding specials. Tom ordered his burger and Cath one of the specials, which was when he realised he'd forgotten to bring any American money.
"Um, Cath?"
"Yeah?"
"You know how I said this was on me?"
She groaned. "Don't worry about it, Tom, I can cover it. I think."
"You know, I could pop back and get the money. It's in my sock drawer. I just don't wanna get busted. Esmeralda doesn't exactly know I came through."
"Came through?"
A waiter refilled their waterglasses. Tom said thank you, wishing he would go away. He resolved to drink slowly.
"Through the door. Esmeralda's back door. That's how I got here so fast."
"Well, of course," Cath said, as if he'd gone mad.
Another waiter went by. Cath beckoned him over. "Could I have a glass of the Malbec, please?" She turned back to Tom, who was wondering what Malbec was— probably wine. "I need it, okay? You were talking about a door?"
"Esmeralda's door. Yeah."
"I know," Cath said. "You didn't go home, did you? You've just been pretending to be back in Sydney, but you've been here the whole time."
"Cath, you called me."
"That was some kind of phone number routing thing. To make me think you were at home when really— "
"I'm magic. So's Mum."
"Magic," Cath said, as if she had no idea what that word meant.
Their food arrived, along with Cath's wine. Tom was pleased that his burger looked like a real burger. He had a bite. Not bad at all. Pretty good even. Cath started hoeing into her food, which came in a big bowl and wobbled. Only the fancy lettuce on the sides was recognisable. Rather her than him.
"I came here by opening the back door in Esmeralda's kitchen. When you step through, you're in New York City."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
Tom told her about meeting Esmeralda, about madness. He told her about dying. He told her everything. She said she didn't believe him, but he could see that she did.
"Show me," she said, after she'd ordered a third glass of wine. Her cheeks were pink.
"Didn't you hear the part about not using too much magic? The part about me dying?"
"Just a little, then."
Tom sighed. "Just this once, right?"
She nodded, her cheeks flushed.
"See the candle?"
"Yup, I might not be magically abled, but I ain't blind." She took a long gulp of her wine. "Yet."
Tom thought about the candle going out. It went out. He thought about it being lit. It came back to life.
"Oh," Cath said. "Right, then."
"Yeah. It's like that. You should've seen Da after Esmeralda told him. Not happy. He's still not happy. He's not wild about talking about it. Ever."
"I can see why not. It's not exactly comfortable, is it?"
"Comfortable? No, not really."
"What about Mum, then?"
"She's mad because she won't use her magic. I mean, she doesn't know she's magic and so she doesn't use it. Same thing in the end."
"Didn't you tell her?"
Tom nodded. "She's nuts, Cath. She didn't believe me. And when I tried to show her, she totally lost it."
"Lost it?"
"She lunged at me. They had to— "
"That's okay. I get it." Their mother had once cut Cath with a knife, screaming that she was going to kill her. They'd never talked about it. Tom had been there, but he was too young to remember. "So you're…" She trailed off, but Tom could see her struggling with what he was telling her. "Why aren't I magic, then?"
Tom shrugged. "Dunno? Why am I an albino?"
"You're not
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