There were small things she started doing again that felt big after leaving Rob.
She remembered the first time she went to the local bookstore with a Black Cat coffee in hand and meandered through the aisles trying to figure out what kind of adventure she should jump into. She hadn't picked up reading in years.
She hadn't done many things for mere pleasure in years.
Including Rob.
That was what happened to a woman who felt taken prisoner in her life with a man who made sure she felt less than, disposable, silly; pleasurable pastimes felt like trifling moments stolen for a person who didn't deserve them.
She'd run her hands over the spines of books in every genre, unsure, slightly overwhelmed. So, she picked one in six different genres and took her time with each, lovingly flipping pages with her perfectly crafted latte two days a week until she became hooked.
She realized which genre made her feel like she could sink into who she was, which writing wove around her shoulders like a cardigan, and what kind of characters made her feel seen.
That was the beauty of books: different people found different magic in the same pages.
She was a sucker for romance and poetry. Today she smiled over the latter until the empty seat across from her was filled and she looked up to frown at the unexpected visitor.
"I need help."
"I brought bourbon," Tilly said, holding up a rounded bottle of shining amber liquid. The top was a gold bird with spread wingsand the women all passed around the amber crystal glasses, filling them as silence filled the kitchen.
"Anyone scared Cassidy will show up?" Kelsea asked.
"No. This isn't her house anymore. And the souls here didn't want her and still don't," Ursula said with a firm edge.
"That's my girl," Jen said with a wink lifting her glass. They cheersed and then made their way to the graveyard where the fog was thick and hovering and the woods took on an eerie daytime glow. The air felt frenzied and vertiginous. Even the birds were loud and boisterous, as if they felt the shift in the world. This place was unsettled. The croaking of the bullfrogs created a bass to the high-pitched crying.
"The birds are intense," Tilly noticed.
"Where is Jessica?" Jen asked.
"She stopped for coffee," Kelsea replied as she looked around warily.
"Does she know coffee and hard alcohol aren't the best mix?"
Tilly gave Jen a look. "Do we know hard alcohol isn't the best in general?"
Jen pointed to her with a wink and raised glass. "To unwise decisions."
"The souls here are not happy," Crystal said shaking her head. "Let's see if we can make it right."
Jessica sat back after she'd closed her book and let the visitor talk. And while she was one to walk with caution where people with ill-intention were concerned, there was something in this woman's voice and her eyes.
She wasn't sure how to un-crease her heart after so many years of careless handling. But she was finding that taking her time with things and people she loved- books, coffee, lovingly-madefood and the Lost Souls Coven- had started making her feel less tidy in the most life-giving way.
And she had an urging as she looked at her phone and realized she was late, that this woman could use a dose of that too.
The sound of footsteps stopped them as they froze and turned, prepared to see an unfriendly witch walk through the woods.
Instead, a pretty blonde stepped out and looked at the group of women, her face open and in the silence she held up a crystal glass she had brought.
"Jessica!" Kelsea exclaimed.
Crystal clapped her hands and waved her into their group. "Welcome, darling. Thanks for coming."
Jessica hesitated by the tree line and Crystal tilted to the side, raising a perfect eyebrow in question.
"I, uh, brought someone," she said.
