“He needs help,” my son said.

I took the tray out of the oven and put it on the kitchen counter before I turned to my Enzo.

“How do you propose we help him?”

He shrugged.

“I don’t know. Bake him a cake. It worked for me and Carson,” he said and I chuckled.

“Oh dear child. The cake worked because you wanted it to work. You just didn’t know you wanted it.”

He grimaced at me.

“I have no idea what you just said.”

I laughed and served him a fresh cup of coffee, sprinkling some turmeric for good measure.

“I wish you’d stop doing that.” He raised an eyebrow and took the cup in his hands.

“You complain yet you drink it,” I said.

“Well, yeah. You’re lucky my chakras have never been this balanced.”

I shrugged.

“The healthy sex life helps with that too.”

“Mom!” He choked on the coffee and I patted his back a couple of times, laughing.

“One of these days you’ll kill me and you’ll die of guilt,” he said.

“Me? Die? Sweetheart, I’ll outlive you all. I’m a witch, remember?”

He rolled his eyes. I dismissed him and got back to the kitchen counter so I could remove the cookies from the tray and put them on the cooling rack.

“So you’re saying you can’t help Cole?” he asked. “He’s stuck in a rut. He works too much and he’s too tired to spend any quality time with Ella. You know the other day I found him asleep on the sofa while Ella was exploring the house?”

“Oh dear. He needs to find balance.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. He needs balance. Any cookies for that? Or something to find love. I’m sure if he falls in love again, he’ll pull back from overworking himself. He’s only doing it because he still misses Sandra.”

“Of course he misses her, sweetheart. She was his world. He’s still living with the wounds of such a profound loss.”

Enzo sighed.

“I know. I just…I want to see him happy, you know? I hate seeing him destroy himself like that and miss all these precious times with his daughter.”

I turned and looked at my son.

He’d grown so much since he moved back to Mayberry Holm and got together with Carson. I knew his failure after college had hurt him like a mother but he’d bounced back to a healthy, happy adult and Carson was so good to him and for him. Each day, I was prouder and prouder of the man he was becoming and that was all a mother wanted from her kids. Especially her son. To be a good person that treated others with respect and cared deeply about those around him.

“You’re right, my love. I’ll  tell you what we’re going to do. I’m going to make him a special little potion—”

“Potion? Mom! You’re getting wackier each day, you know?”

I rolled my eyes and slapped the air in front of him. He was such a tease.

“Relax. It’s just a tea blend,” I said and got to work.

It was time to prove I was no hack. That I knew what I was doing. If I could get a depressed man out of his rut and back into the game of love, then there was nothing I couldn’t do.

Dried rose petals were a must. As were the chamomile buds. I studied my tea cupboard and tapped my mouth with my finger.

“What else?”

My gaze landed on the fiery red hibiscus leaves so I added those in the blend.

“Oh, lemon balm.” I did a happy dance. This was coming together brilliantly. And it smelled delicious.

Perhaps I should serve this at the café. Goddess knew this island needed a lot more love and a lot less war these days.

I finished it off with some cinnamon and crushed them all in my mortar, making sure they blended well together and emptied the contents in a mason jar.

“Here,” I said. “I’ve done the easy part. You’re responsible for the hard part now.”

Enzo raised an eyebrow.

“What’s the hard part?”

“Making sure he drinks this every day. You have to make time for him and get him to drink a little every day. If you do, he’ll be back out of the darkness in no time.”

Enzo sighed and took the mason jar.

“I hope it works. But at the very least, it’ll force me to spend more time with him.”

“Hey!” I wagged a finger in front of his face. “Don’t go doubting my abilities now. The Happy Witch always delivers. Or have you forgotten?”

He smiled and I softened my stern face.

“How could I forget?” he said and looked at the engagement ring on his finger.

Life was good.

And when we managed to get Cole back, it’d be even better.