But still, I had to ask.
“Your father,” she supplied as we drove under a banner that read, "Summer Camp for Upstanding Witches.”
I gaped at the sign.
The word “man-hating” had been X-ed out, though it was still legible and “upstanding” had replaced it. It looked hastily done, as if put there to appease someone and then never given another thought.
“Dad?” I frowned at the word “man-hating” again. “Because he wasn’t a witch?”
Mom shrugged. “Because he was a man.”
“I mean, I’m not particularly fond of them myself right now.” I snorted. “But surely all witches don’t hate men. How would there be any more witches without them?”
I frowned down at the phone in my hands, the little bubble of unread message notifications lighting up the screen. I knew what Brayden’s texts said without opening them because we’d discussed everything we had left to say during our last conversation—before he’d blocked me on all socials.
BRAYDEN
A frog, Gwen!! You turned me into a damn frog!
GWEN
Technically, it was a toad. And you turned back. Move on.
BRAYDEN
Stop gaslighting me! I can’t get the taste of slug out of my mouth!
Chicken will never be the same!
He’d gone to one therapy session, and all it did was help him become an expert in weaponizing clinical terms. He wasn’t beating the toxic ex-boyfriend allegations anytime soon.
GWEN
Tell Jackie I said hey.
BRAYDEN
She DOESN’T say hi back!
You’ve ruined The pond for me!
My skin is so dry! I’m flaking everywhere. What did you do to me!
That last one wasn’t my fault. He’d always been a typical crusty dude. To the point that his name in my small, barely active group chat was “Bichon.”
“Sorry, I should’ve clarified,” Mom said, waving her hands over the dashboard and regaining my attention.
“About what?”
“About witches hating men,” she replied. “It’shumanmen who are the problem.”
“Okay . . .” I blanched. “So witches get with . . . ?”
“Other witches, usually. But on occasion, vampires, werewolves, demons, monsters . . . you know, the usual paranormal fare. You have a great uncle who’s a nymph.”
“Right, the usual paranormal fare,” I said with a chuckle. “That’s totally what I was thinking too.”
Mom looked at me sideways before training her eyes back on the empty road. “I know it sounds crazy.”
