#magic library

There is a woman with a magic bookshelf. It was given to her when she was young. At 20 Savanna found herself pregnant with no support, and a friend's aunt took her in. Sure, Aunt Mab was a little witchy, but what mattered was that she was compassionate.

The aunt ran a strange lending library out of her house. The entire downstairs was a big library, with a kitchen hung with herbs and ringed with jars and a large kitchen table taking up what was left. Even what used to be a bedroom was full of books. Researchers who couldn't find obscure works came to her home. Heartbroken people with no answers came to beg a balm for their soul. Musicians and writers who couldn't find their creative spark came for inspiration.

They had a cup of tea in her kitchen and chat about what they needed. Then they browsed among the shelves and shelves downstairs, with some guidance by Aunt Mab. If they couldn't find what they needed the Aunt would go upstairs and come back with just the right thing.

Savanna finished her degree and raised her baby surrounded by the magic of books and Aunt Mab. Mab would sing to the baby while Savanna studied, and gave her tea to help with the postpartum bleeding, and frozen cabbage leaves for her aching breasts. Savanna, when she was healed, helped with all the things Aunt Mab was too short for, or couldn't be bothered to do. She scrubbed floors and trimmed roses and hung up Christmas lights, because Aunt Mab believed Christmas lights were neighborly.

Savanna had been studying Anthropology when she got pregnant, and had considered switching majors to something more obviously practical, but Aunt Mab encouraged her to finish her degree, as she would graduate the fastest that way. Baby Frances was 2 months old when, sleep-deprived and leaking through her bra, Savanna took her last finals of the year. She walked at graduation with her two biggest cheerleaders at home, because Savanna was afraid to bring the baby around crowds, but she came home to a feast spread for herself and the couple of friends, including June, Mabs niece and the one who had introduced them in the first place.

At Mab's urging, Savanna worked part time at the college library and while she pursued a degree in library sciences. While Savanna worked Frances was watched by June, and Mab, and the low-income daycare. She took Frances to the park to play with other babies while she studied.

All this time she was too busy, too caught up in her struggle to survive, to wonder too much about Aunt Mab and her mysterious library that operates right under her nose. It wasn't until she caught her breath, and her toddler was sleeping through the night, it was summer break from grad school, and she had begun helping Mab with the library again, that she began to wonder. Wonder why these people came here. How Aunt Mab had books that the local library and museum system didn't have. How she knew what people needed.