Epilogue
“Watch your step,” Shanna said as she guided her daughter up the wooden staircase to the viewpoint.
At least this time, Sage listened until they reached the top of the stairs; then she tugged on Shanna’s hand, and Shanna let her go so she could run to the wooden fence bordering the lookout, kicking up a small cloud of dust from the gravel.
At the fence, Sage stepped on the lower beam to raise herself up, then leaned on it.
Simon came up behind Shanna. “She’s going with the ‘first’ thing again, isn’t she?”
“Yup.”
Hand in hand, they walked toward their daughter. Sage looked back as they approached and grinned, displaying her latest missing tooth. “First!”
“So you were.” Simon ruffled her hair. “How do you like the view?”
For Shanna, it was postcard-worthy. The bright green grassy hills dipped toward the azure glacier lake. Beyond it, snowcapped mountains glistened in the sun, the middle one a perfect triangle, as if it had been carved and positioned just for this view.
Sage made an exaggerated pout. “I like it. But it would be better with dolphins.”
“I love it,” Shanna said.
“Good. At least one of my ladies is pleased.” Simon hugged her from behind and leaned his head on her shoulder.
“Ew. If you’re going to be all lovey-dovey, I’m leaving.” Sage sped off toward another section of the fence, nimbly navigating between a group of Japanese tourists and their selfie sticks.
Shanna sighed contently, intertwining Simon’s hands on her belly with hers. “You know what I still wouldn’t mind? Walking into those mountains. Just the two of us. Finding a nice, secluded cabin with a fireplace and a bed with fuzzy blankets—”
“Maybe one of those plush rugs conveniently positioned in front of the fireplace, too?”
“I could do with that. As long as it has phone service, so we can call Sage and Gran every day.”
Simon let out a deep chuckle, one that, even after a while, still made her toes curl in expectation. “You find the cabin. I’ll take care of the phone service.”
“Deal.”
A little tug came from the side; not a physical one, but a sensing one.
Shanna had expected it ever since she’d done the sensing spell this morning—she only didn’t know when it would trigger.
Upon scanning their surroundings, she spotted an older woman leaning on the fence at the end of the lookout.
The wind blew her untamed, light hair away from her face as she gazed down at the lake, her eyes half-closed.
Shanna tapped Simon on the hand. “I think that’s her.”
He gave her a nod of encouragement, but before they made a move, Sage once again darted between the tourists, heading straight for the woman, her silvery blond ponytail bobbing as she ran.
“Hey, Mommy. Hey, Daddy,” Sage said as Simon and Shanna joined the newly formed group. “This is Bella, and we’re friends now.”
The older woman laughed. “I’ve known her for a minute, but I think I have no choice.”
She absolutely didn’t. Sage was as ferocious at making friends as Shanna was, although, luckily, her daughter would never have to worry about being forgotten.
It took a few months after Sage’s birth for Shanna and Simon to realize; it happened on the day when Chris visited them after being away for a month on a summer medical course, and she instantly remembered little baby Sage.
From then on, it was confirmed over and over again—by daycare teachers, neighbors’ kids, and even the employees at Aries. They remembered Sage.
The curse was broken.
It hadn’t worked for Shanna, but it worked for Sage, and in the end, that’s all she needed.
She already had everything she wanted out of life.
Gran, Jinx, the best man she could ever hope for, and a spirited daughter.
Shanna accepted her curse, but she was glad Sage would never have to.
The O’Connell way of finding solutions to their predicament stopped here.
And there was no better time to bump into another O’Connell.
Inspecting Sage’s new friend, Shanna ran through the information she’d written down about the woman who, once upon a time, used to be her mom.
The appearance and the name matched, but even if she didn’t have that, she’d know. She’d sensed it—like Sage had, perhaps.
“Bella? I think we’ve met before,” she said, extending her hand. “Didn’t you run a witchy shop in Queenstown a few years ago?”
“That’s me.” Bella’s eyes, the same pale, grayish blue as Shanna’s—and Sage’s—widened. “I didn’t think anyone would remember me from back then.”
“I have a good memory.”
“Well then, it’s a pleasure to meet you—”
“Shanna.”
Bella squeezed her hand in a firm but warm handshake. “And this sprightly little fairy is …”
“Sage!” she proudly announced. “And this is my daddy.”
“Simon,” he said, also shaking hands with Bella.
“Are you tourists?”
Shanna and Simon shared a look. “We’ve been here before, some time ago,” Shanna said. “It feels like more than a tourist destination, but for now, I suppose we are.”
“Mommy and Daddy are on their wedding anniversary trip,” Sage explained. “But I convinced them to take me with them.”
“You do sound like a very convincing young lady.” Bella raised her eyes from Sage to Shanna. “Congratulations. Which anniversary is it?”
“Seven to ten years,” Shanna said. “It’s complicated.”
“The best things in life are,” Bella said. “That’s why, when you get weary, you come here and look at the mountains. They cleanse your soul, don’t they?”
Shanna agreed with a simple, happy smile.
“Next, we’re gonna go see the dolphins,” Sage proclaimed. “When I grow up, I’m gonna be a dolphin, too.”
“And you’re going to make a splendid one,” Bella said. “Are you planning to go on a hike as well? Given that you’re on the road.”
“The easier one, yes. To the mountain lake,” Simon said.
“Not because of me, though. I could do the hard one.” Sage puffed out her chest.
“I’m sure you could.” Bella patted her shoulder. “I’m going there as well. If you wouldn’t mind keeping an old lady company? In turn, maybe I can play a guide. I’ve been around these mountains plenty.”
“We’d love that,” Shanna said.
“I’ll show you our caaaaar!” Sage flew away again.
“I suppose I have to follow,” Bella said, amused, and went after Sage.
“How is it? Seeing her again?” Simon asked when they were alone.
Shanna searched her heart but found only peace in it.
“Fine. I hadn’t written down all the details we spoke of the last time, but whatever we said to each other, it must have worked.
” Mom was Bella now—a kind lady they met on their journey who felt like they’d known her for much longer. Felt like family, perhaps.
Because wherever you went in the world, you could always count on finding family.
***
There was nothing like marrying a stranger, Simon thought, to blow away the stress of several days of meetings and presentations.
It helped that the stranger was a very pretty young woman with hair straight out of a fairytale and the smile of his dreams, and that he was three cocktails in, and it was Vegas.
Those cocktails would eventually come crashing down, but at the moment, he was insanely, absurdly happy.
“And do you, unnamed man, take this woman to be your wife and promise to love her sweet?” their fake-Elvis wedding officiant said.
Simon couldn’t help but smile. “I do.”
And as Elvis proclaimed he could kiss the bride and Simon leaned in, a surprisingly coherent thought shot through him. Maybe this was it. Maybe she was the one. Maybe the tales about Jason the Adventurer he’d told her wouldn’t need to be a lie.
They could have one grand adventure together.
The End