counting stars

    Roxanne wasn’t sure why they needed to speak in private but she didn’t argue. She stepped aside and closed the door behind her. Roxie had her arms crossed over her chest as she studied him. Her heart just about sank when he finally revealed the reason for his unexpected visit. “W-what?” She barely managed to choke out. “Are they even investigating it or is this just a way to get me out of the ministry?” 

“Oh, please. No worries at all,” Evangeline said, smiling wide. “I’d be a terrible shop owner if I growled at those who came for my business.” She set the writing aside and leaned forward on her elbows. She generally assumed that those who came in were looking for books, as Wicca was even less prominent in the wix community than in the Muggle community. Baffling, she thought, but true. “Of course. How can I help?”

    She hadn’t expected to see Roxanne so soon but she had and despite the attempts to push her away the other just seemed to push back just as hard. She didn’t want company because she knew she was close to finding the person who killed her mother. She didn’t like the person who she was becoming but she wasn’t going to rest until she found him. She opened the door to her apartment to see him while behind her was a mess of paperwork scattered about. She held the door close to her to minimize what he could see. “Hey. Did you need something?” 

   Molly had given Lucy a key to her house because she didn’t mind if her sister just let herself in but the girl had been so into the movie she was watching that she didn’t hear her. “I swear, you just keep getting quieter and quieter.” She laughed. 

It was the middle of the day on a Tuesday–aka, the stores was empty and quite. Evangeline really didn’t have high expectation for customers during this hour at The Mind’s Eye (a combination Wicca and book shop). She decided to work on a new prayer, one that dealt with summer harvest now that the season was quickly approaching. She could write it up and start selling it by the the spring was ready to close. She’d been so focused on getting the prayer just right that she hadn’t realized someone had walked up to her. 

      Roxie got up quickly when she heard the door. She figured maybe Halcyon forgot his keys but then she saw Mason. She had a smile on her face up until she noticed how upset he seemed. “What’s wrong?” She worried because he wasn’t always this serious with her. “Did something happen?”

         “Are you saying that something has to be on my mind to come and see you,” Henriette teased. 

   Mason felt like his heart was going to jump out of his chest. He knew this was wrong but he preferred it to be him rather than someone else. He could help, he could help fix this all if it’s on him. Mason knocked on her door a couple of times and then stepped back. A million things were going through his mind in that moment while he waited for her to open the door. 

     “I’m able to stay a little longer since we’re on summer break.” Teddy glanced over at the person who had decided to pay him a visit. Lately he had been a little distant and he knew that. He let out a sigh as he was well aware they were going to bring it up. “It was a busy year. I have no excuse.” He started before they could.