It was Dad!
“Dani, I can’t sleep,” he said. “I’m so terribly sorry!”
“Me too,” whispered Dani.
“Everything went wrong today. It didn’t turn out at all as I thought it would.”
“I know,” said Dani.
“But you can sleep better tonight. I’ve talked to Sadie…”
Dad cleared his throat and Dani pressed the phone harder to her ear.
“I’ve told her that it’s just too soon for me to have a new relationship.”
“Rela…what?”
“Too soon to have…a girlfriend, I mean. I’ll never do anything you’re not happy with! The main thing is that you’re happy again… Can you hear me, Dani? Are you there?”
“Yes, the main thing is that I’m happy again,” Dani repeated.
And so it was. The main thing was that she would be happy again.
Dad paused for a moment. Then he said: “Of course Sadie is sad…”
“She can probably find someone else to be a girlfriend to,” suggested Dani.
“I’m sure she can,” Dad agreed. “But she’d thought up lots of fun things you could do together while I still have to be in the hospital.”
“Like what?”
“Like a little trip to her sister Lisette who has Iceland ponies.”
“In Iceland?”
“No, in Risinge.”
“Is that close to Iceland?” asked Dani.
“No, it’s close to Northbrook.”
“Oh, Northbrook,” Dani exclaimed.
Ella lives in Northbrook when she isn’t on the island.
“You could choose for yourself which horse you wanted to ride,” Dad continued.
“I’m scared of horses,” Dani reminded him.
“I know, but Iceland ponies are very nice and gentle.”
“Ella says that too,” said Dani. “Wait, Dad!”
She turned to Ella, who had followed her and was sitting close by.
“Do you want to ride Iceland ponies?” Dani asked. “Except not in Iceland.”
“Where then?”
“Close to Northbrook!”
Ella nodded eagerly.
“That’s all right,” Dani said to her dad. “But only if Ella can come too.”
“I’m sure that will be fine,” said Dad. “Sadie will do anything to be able to meet you again!”
“It’s fine for her to meet me,” said Dani. “Just not you!”
“I’ll tell her that,” Dad promised.
“Don’t forget, Ella has to be allowed to choose her own horse too!”
“Absolutely. What do you think about next weekend? Sadie could come and get you.”
Ella nodded even more eagerly.
“Yes,” said Dani, “but tell Sadie that Ella is just as nice as me. In fact, nicer even!”
“Yes, I know…”
Dad cleared his throat again.
“Then maybe Sadie could come and visit us sometime,” he suggested carefully. “When I’m better, I mean.”
“In that case she could only meet me,” said Dani.
“Where would I go then?”
“You can go and see Grandma and Grandpa and help Sven with his homework.”
“Or go in the garage,” whispered Ella.
“Or be in the kitchen making dinner,” suggested Dad. “And now we’ll say goodnight!”
The phone call ended and Ella tickled Dani on the nose with the crow’s feather.
“It worked,” she said happily.
“What did?” asked Dani.
“The spell!”
