Chapter 37
Sabine
Walking up five flights of stairs multiple times per day gave me ample time to contemplate my life choices.
On my third ascent of the day, I’d come to the conclusion that just because you thought you really, really wanted something, it didn’t mean that you’d actually enjoy that thing once you had it.
What had ten-year-old me been thinking?
I loved being in nature. The word “outdoorsy” had been bandied about since I’d been six.
I went hiking for fun, dammit! I’d picked the wrong quarter-life crisis.
I should’ve decided to pull a Wild and hike the Pacific Crest Trail, not move to New York fucking City.
And now I didn’t have enough money or magic to get out of my bad choices.
The only options were to stay here and stick it out .
. . or move home. And I could not move home.
Delia had become unbearable to be around, but I’d gotten a part-time job at an REI, which meant I only needed to see her for about an hour a day if she didn’t have plans between her shifts, partying, and sleeping.
I’d gotten my first paycheck today and had the apartment all to myself for the next twelve hours, and the pint of Ben I could’ve reached out and made friends, but I had a family in Maple Hollow.
Where nothing I could do was unforgivable, they would always welcome me home, and they would travel hours and hours to come tell me I was making a mistake and support me even if I chose to continue in it.
That was why I was grateful to be a witch.
And I loved being a witch. I loved being in a coven with other witches, however meddlesome they were.
I didn’t want to live without my magic. And I didn’t want to be anonymous like I’d thought.
Dagmar simply nodded. “Second chances are only given to those brave enough to take them.” She stood and clapped me on the shoulder as she passed. Hera chittered her beak at me. “Don’t be a mouse, Sabine. Be bold.”
I let her walk to the door, the click of each bolt and lock making me feel like something was breaking free within me.
When Dagmar’s hand reached for the doorknob, I called, “Wait!” She turned back to me, neither smug nor surprised, just waiting for me to continue.
“Can I get a ride?”