“You’re not wrong, but sometimes I like to call my mom and talk to her, catch up. Other times I like to listen to an audiobook. I spend so much time in front of a screen that seeing nature has always felt freeing to me.”
“You’ve only told me a little bit about your family. Are you close with them?”
Odette moved to stand behind me, her arms wrapping around my waist as we both faced the water now. I placed my hands on hers.
“They are back in Tennessee, so I don’t get to see them that often. But I do try to call and talk to my mom when I can.”
“Do you ever get a chance to travel down there, or them up here?”
I took a deep breath because I hadn’t been down to see my parents since the holidays last year. Timing was never right for them, and when it was, I had other obligations, which my father then turned around to make it seem like I was ungrateful. I winced at the thought, and Odette held onto me tighter.
“Not really, but I don’t know now with the café being sold.”
“Do you want to see them more?” She asked, and I didn’t know how to answer.
I did, but I also felt the weight of my father’s disapproval daily. My mom called multiple times a week, but I only spoke to my father when I came to see them. It felt like, as the years went on, no one was barging into my life to change anything up, but now that they would have more free time on their hands, it was all new territory. One I wasn’t sure if I was ready to enter yet.
“I’m not quite sure.”
Odette let go and moved herself to stand in front of me. She placed her hands on my chest and stared into my eyes.
“I’m here for whatever you choose.”
My shoulders sagged forward, and I placed my lips on her forehead, wrapping my arms around her. I held her close as we listened to the waves crash in front of us. I pushed Odette away and took her face in my hand, searching her eyes.
“I hope you know how lucky I am.” I planted a kiss on her lips and pulled away before either of us could push this conversation further. I wanted today to be happy, carefree, and just for us to enjoy our time together. “Let’s see if we can find some sea glass.”
I pulled her along, and we walked the shoreline. There were tree roots along the walk, one of which we took camp on for a bit, laying down the blanket I’d brought and eating our lunch, before continuing our walk.
We’d spent almost two hours walking around before we were in sight line of the parking lot again. My bag was not nearly as full as Odette’s, mostly because anything I saw that was shiny and cute, I gave to her, and she immediately pocketed it. There wasn’t just sea glass in our bags, though. We found cute rocks, mini pieces of wood that Odette said were petrified, and I had no idea what that meant. But I knew she’d be taking them home and placing them on her many altars throughout her house, as well as on different ledges that I knew she had other crystals laid out on.
She’d found some feathers too, pocketing them instead of putting them in the bag I gave her. She seemed completely in her element, and I knew if I wasn’t bringing her back, she’d come out here on her own.
“Can I ask you something?” I’d stopped up at a large tree stump that was lying on the beach. I picked Odette up, set her on the wood, and sat next to her, both of our feet dangling. Her head rested on my shoulder.
“Go for it,” she encouraged me.
“What are the feathers for? I kind of figured sea glass and rocks would be like your crystals, but I’m confused about the feathers.”
“Ah, yes,” Odette sat up, taking one out of her pocket. She held it up in front of her. “I like to place them on my main altar for the season I find them in. For me, they are like a guide. When one comes across my path and is blocking it, it’s like a message from the universe that I’m on the right path.”
“Which is why you weren’t picking all of them up today.” It made sense now when I saw Odette pick up the first feather, but then she didn’t pick up another for at least an hour. The ones she had were significant to her.
“Exactly.” She beamed at me for understanding. “I don’t need all the feathers in the world, just the ones I know will be a part of my own magic.”
“As much as I know from your game when it comes to witchcraft, I’m realizing I knew very little.”
“I—” Odette’s eyes went wide and were now looking past me. The smile she had on before was gone, replaced with pursed lips. “Fuck.”
I turned around to see none other than Parker himself walking down the parking lot toward the beach. He was alone as far as I could tell. He didn’t see me first; his gaze locked on Odette, surprise registering on his face.
His pace quickened towards us.
Odette jumped off the tree, and I followed suit, moving to stand slightly in front of her as Parker came up to us.
“Odette,” Her name coming from his mouth didn’t sit well with me. “How are you?”
Parker wasn’t looking at me; his eyes were trained on Odette still.
