I actually ended up doing just that. I would have thought it would be impossible to fall asleep at such a weird hour and after what had happened. But maybe my body and mind were getting used to the weirdness at a faster rate than I was happy with. Because by the time I dried off and crawled under the covers completely naked and not bothering with clean clothes, I was already ready to settle in. I turned on some music and turned off the bedroom light. Sunlight still came in through the translucent curtains over my windows, and I could hear the sounds of life going on outside through them since they were still half-open. It was comfortingly normal after what had happened and now I had a few minutes to safely go over it in my mind.

Another one. Another fucking wizard ignoring my needs and holding me in place so he could get what he wanted from me. I didn’t need that in my life, I already had enough of it from Joel and-

I took a deep breath and let it out gently as I adjusted my blankets. It was cool in the room and I closed my eyes, relaxing and grateful for the unexpected time, even if it wasn’t under great circumstances.  

The next thing I realized, the sunlight was gone. It was dark outside the windows and I felt both sluggish and rested. And incredibly dehydrated. I sat up and found the glass of water I’d left on my bedside table the night before. It was still half full and not too gross, so I took a sip.

The bedroom door opened, and I looked over to see Gretel walk in, realizing a moment too late that I probably should have at least attempted to cover up. Again, Joel would never dare to stroll into our room without an invitation, let alone without knocking. But we did have another roommate now, so I should be careful about not having my tits hanging out all the time.

Not that Joel had never seen them. But still. 

“Are you feeling alright?” Gretel asked, giving me an appreciative glance as she came in and sat down on the bed. 

“Yeah,” I said. “Just apparently could use a nap.”

“Joel told me what happened.”

Yes, because God forbid I do so myself. Again, the bitter thought hit me before I was prepared for it. It wasn’t the two magical people talking about their lesser. It was my girlfriend and my…ex? My friend? Still wasn’t sure. But regardless, it was two people who cared about me.

“He knew I broke the box,” I said. “But he wouldn’t believe me when I said I didn’t use magic.”

“Do you know his name?” Gretel said. “Or what he looked like?”

“He said his name was Declan, but I don’t know if that’s true,” I said. “I don’t know. Our age, maybe? Tall. Dark hair. Totally normal looking. I think I’d know him again if I saw him. Maybe.”

I tried to picture the man’s face and couldn’t quite manage it. I don’t know if it was just me still being groggy from an unexpected afternoon nap, the shock of what had happened, or some kind of magic. But trying to picture his exact expression or facial features just wasn’t working right now. And that scared me more than it irritated me. Because maybe I wouldn’t know him if I saw him again until it was too late.

I could see that Gretel wasn’t satisfied with the answer, but I didn’t have anything else to give her.

 “You shouldn’t go back until we know who he is and what he wants,” Gretel said as I got up and started toward my dresser.

I paused, my favorite pair of underwear in hand. “What do you mean, don’t go back?” I asked.

“I mean, he found you at work,” Gretel said, sitting on the side of the bed as I got dressed. “He had you cornered and alone at your job. I’m so glad you’re okay, but-”

I waited expectantly as I hooked my bra, knowing in my heart that this was about to turn into a fight. And I didn’t want to have that fight yet again, over and over, forever and ever, amen.

“I have to go to work,” I said flatly, pulling on a t-shirt.

“I know,” Gretel said. “I’m not trying to stop you from going to work or living your life, but you need to be safe. Maybe just take a day or two off, huh?”

She smiled gently, and I felt paranoid as my hackles still rose. This was the same soothing, gentle smile she always had, so why did I feel like she was condescending to me with it right now?

“I’ll think about it,” I said.

She looked like she wanted to say more, but I sat down on the bed and checked my phone. A text from Angie glowed up at me. Still no sign of Declan in or around the hotel. Gretel was probably right that it’d be safer for me to stay home, but it wouldn’t exactly be safe for my bank account. I had no more personal days left. I had a few vacation days banked, but I’d been hoping to save those to go away somewhere with her this summer.

I yawned, resting my head on her shoulder. Her hand came up to my hair, and we sat in silence for a few minutes. 

“I’m alright,” I said finally. “He didn’t do anything to me.”

“No, but he could have.”

People could do something to me any day of the week. I could get hit by a bus walking to work. Not that this was something I should bring up when Gretel was apparently feeling so delicate about me. And honestly, the idea of going back to work was pretty unappealing, but it beat not being able to pay our rent. 

I knew Gretel would be happy to cover my part for a little while, but I didn’t feel right about it. It would just make me feel even more pathetic and small. So even if it was my ego talking, I was going to work tomorrow.

***

With everything that had happened that morning, I totally forgot about both softball practice and Reg’s Ma coming over. I’d agreed to compromise, skipping softball for the day. But when the doorbell rang, and I peeked through the glass to see one enormous figure and one of the teeniest figures I’d ever seen, I remembered with a silent groan what I’d agreed to.

I took a quick breath, steadying myself, then opened the door with a smile. “Hi!” I greeted them, moving aside so they could come in. “Come in, thank you so much for coming.”

Reg’s Ma glared up at me, her hazy eyes boring into the depths of my soul. “Good jump,” she said, patting my cheek with a gnarled hand. “Good climbing. You did a good job.”

Reg didn’t need to raise his eyebrows at me like that, he knew damn well what happened. And he clearly didn’t see the need to deny it. “I’m glad you’re okay, Darling,” he said, breaking my bones in a tight hug. “That was too close, let’s get your house sealed up.”

He smiled at me indulgently, and from him, it didn’t make me so angry. “I know,” he said as his Ma found her way inside the apartment, which I really should have warned Joel and Gretel about. “Sweetheart, you’re not a child or helpless. Make your own decisions. But I appreciate you letting us help you here.”

He patted my shoulder with an enormous hand, then motioned toward the front door of our apartment. “Lead on, my dear.”

Joel looked mystified as I walked into the apartment, Reg right behind me. Gretel was in the kitchen and I could see her putting the kettle on the stove over the counter that separated the two rooms. And meanwhile, Reg’s Ma settled on the sofa with a smile.

“Who stitched this?” she asked, holding an embroidered throw pillow as far from her face as possible. “It’s lovely.”

“My great aunt,” I answered. “Before I was born.”

She nodded approvingly. “Excellent, excellent. You did good work.”

“I…”

Reg just smiled and shook his head. I dropped it as Ma put the pillow aside. “Well, let’s get cracking,” she said. “Young lady, I’ll need your magic for this.”

Could I just go back to bed? “I don’t have any,” I replied.

Reg’s Ma gave me a long look and I looked back steadily. I waited for her to look away and finally, she scoffed and turned to Gretel. “You, then.”

“Ma,” Reg said reproachfully.

“It’s fine,” I muttered as Gretel stepped forward.

Joel stood off to the side, watching carefully. I could see he wanted to know why his magic wasn’t chosen, but he stole a glance at me that I intentionally ignored. Who gave a shit if I didn’t have magic? Reg was right, and I wasn’t going to feel lesser right now, even to Reg’s Ma, who was basically a matriarch of the magical community. She knew I didn’t have magic, she’d known that my whole life. And she was sweet until she remembered, and then it was all over until she forgot again.

I looked out the window, attempting to ignore the whispers between Gretel and Ma. From the corner of my eye, I could see Joel look at me again and I wanted to tell him to cut it out. But that would just make me seem immature, wouldn’t it? 

“You’ll be safe in the house,” Ma said after a few minutes in which I watched a car attempting to parallel park across the street. The driver was struggling and I could see him singing along to his radio as he tried, again and again, to fit into a fairly large spot. 

Joel had nearly come to blows with a man who saw him attempt to parallel park and hit his truck when we were in college. I wondered if he’d ever gotten any better at it. I would sometimes insist on parking for him. Gretel too, she couldn’t parallel park to save her life.

I looked back over, where everything seemed normal. “The house is protected unless you invite someone in,” Ma continued, looking at all three of us, though I was pretty sure she couldn’t actually really see us. “Keep that secret to yourselves.”

We all nodded our thanks, and Gretel went into the kitchen to pour tea. 

“Why are you here?”

I was looking back out the window, where a parallel parker had managed it. Kind of. The car was sticking out into the road and there was at least a foot and a half of space between the back tire and the sidewalk.

“Young lady?”

Was she speaking to me? Sure enough, when I turned, Ma was glaring right at me. “What?”

“What are you doing here?”

“I live here.”

“That can’t be right, this is-”

“Ma,” Reg said sternly, interrupting her very obvious statement.

“Well, it is,” I said, my patience finally reaching its limit. “I’ve lived here for years and my name is on the lease.”

She turned to Joel. “Is that true?”

Joel was wide-eyed and looked like he wanted to sink through the floor. “Of course,” he said immediately.

Score one for Joel, at least.

“Dar’s my girlfriend,” Gretel said. “We’ve lived here together for a year and a half.”

Ma looked at her for a long moment and I dreaded what was coming. Apparently, so did Reg, because he handed her a mug of tea. “Drink up,” he said. “We’re leaving soon.”

I’d never seen Reg look anything but cool and collected, but I could tell he was desperately trying to keep things from unraveling here. 

“I’ll get milk,” I said. “Who wants milk?”

Nobody said anything about milk, and I didn’t like it in my tea, but I went into the kitchen anyway, grateful the fridge was out of sight from the living room. I opened it, letting the cool air hit my overheated face for a second as I took a deep breath. I knew that Ma’s objection hadn’t had anything to do with the fact that me and Gretel were both women, and everything to do with the fact that Gretel had magic and I had nothing. 

“Milk’s to your left.”

Reg’s gravelly voice came from the doorway. He came into the kitchen and I took out the milk. “I’m sorry about Ma,” he said, voice lowered. “Some days she don’t know when to shut the hell up.”

That had been true since before I was born, hadn’t it? “It’s fine,” I said. “Just a touchy topic.”

“She didn’t like Clara and me for that reason.”

Reg’s wife had died when I was about sixteen. She’d been a small, sweet woman who ran the business end of the Grille. “Clara wasn’t magic?” I asked.

“Not in the slightest.” Reg smiled fondly. “She was my everything and I don’t think Ma ever fully forgave me for that. Don’t listen to her. This is your home. Thank you for letting us do this.”

“I trust you,” I said.

Reg pulled me into another hug that nearly crushed my ribs to powder and made me spill the milk. “We’ll get out of your hair in a moment,” he said.

“No, it’s fine,” I insisted. “Stay and have tea.”

I’d tolerate Ma for Reg. And if Reg and his wife could manage, I was sure that Gretel and I could too.

---

Continue to Chapter 6