Elva glanced up at Veronica and her laughter stifled. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
Veronica startled a little, then tried to smile again. It wasn’t as big as before. It barely twitched her lip, and certainly did not meet her eyes.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Veronica said. “I’m glad you liked the trick.”
“How long does it last?” I asked, though as soon as the words left my mouth Elva’s purple glow began to fade.
“Aww,” Elva said, looking at her hands. “Do it again!”
“Elva, honey,” I scolded lightly. “We don’t demand things from people.”
“I’m tired now,” Veronica said. “Maybe another time.”
Elva tucked her chin down, disappointed. But she said, “Okay.”
“Thank Veronica for the magic trick,” I reminded Elva.
Elva kicked her feet on the ground. “Thank you…” she mumbled.
“You’re welcome,” Veron
