Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

" H ey, honey!" I say through the window, plastering on a huge smile when I see Bella come toward the car after school.

"Hey," she says even more glumly than this morning as she climbs in and tosses her bag to the side.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Nothing—"

"Ms. Jones!" her teacher, Bridget Hawthorne, calls out with a wave, coming toward us.

"What happened?" I ask Bella, who just rolls her eyes.

"Hi, Tamzin," Bridget says, bending over to talk to me.

"Hi, Bridget. What's up?"

"Well, I was going to call you, but when I saw you, I thought I could just talk to you now. Bella has been having some issues in her classes."

"What kind of issues?" A car behind me in the pick-up line honks. I wave my arm out the window. Go around , I mouth in the rearview mirror.

"Her grades have been dropping significantly," Bridget says. "I've sent home notes about it, but they haven't been coming back signed."

"Oh, probably because I haven't been getting them," I say, giving Bella a look. Bella crosses her arms and doesn't look at me.

"Yeah, that's what I figured," Bridget says, not unkindly. "I sent home another note with a sample of her latest work. Look it over and give me a call to—"

A horn honks again.

"Go around!" I yell to the mirror, waving my arm like a drunk flamingo.

"Yeah, to what?" I ask Bridget.

"To set up a parent-teacher conference," she says. "There have also been a few incidents of—"

This time, when the horn honks, I throw the door open and step out. "What?" I yell to the mom behind me. "Can you not go around?"

She leans out her window. "This is a pick-up lane. Not a stop and gab lane."

"What? You think I want to be reamed out by my kid's teacher right now? Get outta here!"

The woman humphs and—quite easily—goes around me. I shake my head after I barely keep it together and don't flip her off and get back into the car.

"What were you saying, Bridget?"

"Umm." She gulps. "Some incidents of bullying…on Bella's part."

I feel my face turn hot and I squeeze the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white.

"Look, Bridget, can we talk about this later?" I ask.

"Of course," she says. "I just wanted to make sure you were aware."

"Well, I am now."

"I know," she says. "And I want you to know, you're doing a great job. There are just some things we need to work out before they become bigger problems."

"Thanks," I say, cooling off a bit. "I appreciate it. I'll call you later."

"Okay, great. Have a nice evening."

"You, too," I say as I throw the car in gear and get out of the pick-up lane as quickly as I can.

"Tough day?" I ask Bella.

"I guess," she says.

"Sorry, honey. We can talk about it later. I want you to have a good lesson with Beverly."

We pull into the parking lot at The Book Coven only a couple of minutes later. Mystic Cove is small enough that nothing is ever very far away. I watch Bella go into the shop while I run across to Jumpin' Beans and grab coffees for me, Beverly, and Cora. By the time I get back to The Book Coven, Beverly and Bella have already gone into a back room to work on Bella's spellcasting.

"Hey," Cora says, coming around from behind the counter. She takes her coffee and inhales the scent. She moves to the couches in the bay window where shoppers and guests usually sit and chat. "Is Bella okay?"

"Why do you ask?"

"She was pretty quiet when she came in. She's usually so excited to be here."

"Oh, yeah, I guess I should have brought her backpack in. Apparently, Ms. Hawthorne sent a note home."

"Uh-oh. What happened?"

"I guess her grades are slipping. And…I'm embarrassed to say it, but I guess she's been bullying someone?"

"Who?"

"I don't know," I say. "Bridget said she'd talk to me about it during a parent-teacher conference."

"Ugh. Sorry to hear that. I just can't believe Bella would bully anyone. She's such a sweet kid."

"Yeah, but I don't want to be one of those parents that's all ‘oh, my kid would never do that.' If her teacher has concerns, I need to listen to them, right?"

"Sure. But hopefully it's not as bad as you think."

"Can we talk about literally anything else?" I ask, taking my first sip of coffee.

"Of course. How was work today?"

"Ugh, okay, anything but that."

Cora laughs and I feel a bit of the tension melt away. I'm a graphic designer, so I work from home. At least, I do when I'm in the right frame of mind. My mind was all over the place today. I just couldn't concentrate. But I have a few deadlines coming up, so I need to focus.

A couple of customers come in, so Cora goes to see if she can help them. I sip on my coffee and tap around on my phone. I decide to walk around and see if any books pique my interest. I don't usually read romances, but when I find A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem , it seems quirkier than most Regency romances and decide to give it a shot.

When I turn to go back to the front of the store, I see…something out of the corner of my eye. I blink, sure it was nothing. But as I take another step, I see it again…whatever it was.

"Cora!" I call out.

"Yeah?" she calls back.

"Can you come here?"

"Just a second." I can hear her talking to someone. Probably checking out the customers.

I exhale, trying to calm my racing heart. What do I think I see, anyway? I can't really explain it since I can't see it straight on. But every time I turn my head, I see, like, smoke. Like, a shadow.

"Is something there?" I say. In Mystic Cove, we have witches and warlocks, vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghosts, and probably aliens, at least Cora's boyfriend, Beckett, seems to think so. But really, who knows what else is out there? Shadow people are probably a thing.

"Tamzin?" I turn around a see Cora looking at me strangely. "Are you okay?"

"Do you see anything?" I ask her. Cora can see ghosts. She can even talk to them.

"Like what?" she asks.

"Like, you know, a ghost or something?"

Cora looks around, then she shakes her head. "Why? What did you see?"

I let out a relieved sigh. "Okay. Maybe it was nothing. But I thought I saw a shadow or something moving around out of the corner of my eye."

She shrugs and heads back to the front of the store like it's no big deal. "Well, it's darker here in the back of the shop."

I start to follow her and involuntarily shudder. Goosebumps even break out on my arms. I trot to catch up with Cora, not wanting to be left alone.

"Oh, I read this," Cora says, looking at my book. "It's so cute."

"Yeah? It's a little out of my normal reading routine. I'm hoping it will break me out of my funk."

"I was thinking of having a little girls' night this weekend," Cora says. "Sophia and Piper will be there, Rachel, Olivia."

"Maybe," I say. "If I can get Mom to watch Bella. Well, if I can leave Bella at all. I need to see what her teacher has to say. We might be stuck indoors catching up on homework and watching something like Hey, Don't Push Me: A Bully's Tale ."

"Is that a real thing?"

"God, I hope not."

Bella comes out from the back of the shop, skipping and in clearly a better mood than when I picked her up from school.

"Hey, munchkin," I say. "How was your lesson?"

"Good," she says. "Can I have one?" she asks Cora, motioning to the candy dish on the counter.

"Sure," Cora says. "Thanks for asking."

I run my hand over Bella's soft dark hair. "Why don't you go sit on the couch and read while I catch up with Miss Beverly?"

"Okay." She grabs a book from the kids' section and sits down on a couch, sucking a sucker.

"Wow," I stage whisper to Beverly. "What a difference. What did you two talk about?"

"You, mostly," Beverly says, picking through the candy dish and waving her hand over her shoulder like a fly is bothering her.

"Oh," I say, my stomach dropping. "Cool. Like, what?"

"I hear you gave another mom what for in the pick-up line."

I scoff. "It was not the what for. I wish it had been, though."

"Bella really looks up to you, you know," Beverly says. Cora gives me a puppy dog look.

"Pfft. I doubt that," I say. "I'm a wreck. Look at me. Did I even get dressed today? Did I brush my hair? I can't remember."

They both look me up and down. "Well, you did go work out…" Cora says, trying to explain away my disheveled appearance.

"About the only thing I accomplished today."

"Don't sell yourself so short," Beverly says. "You are a great mother. Just look at Bella. She's smart, she's creative, she's going to be a great witch."

I look over at my pretty daughter. My husband's daughter. The girl with his eyes and hair. Even his nose. I feel my eyes start to water and have to turn away.

"See, that's the problem," Beverly says.

"What?" I ask, reaching for a piece of candy from the bowl.

"You never allow yourself to be happy," she says. "Even when it comes to Bella, you think you aren't allowed to be happy."

"How can I be?" I ask, and I know I'm going to break. "I took her father from her."

"You did not and you know it," Beverly says. "How many hours have you spent in therapy in the last four years to still be stuck in the same place?"

"I know," I say. "Logically, I know. But my heart still hurts over it. I can't…I can't stop feeling guilty."

"You have to," Beverly says. "For Bella, and yourself."

"How? Can't you just wave a magic wand and…and magic me to be happy?"

"Magic doesn't work that way, I'm afraid," Beverly says. "Believe me, I wish it did. I'd love nothing more than to just poof a depression cure-all into existence."

"I'm even on an antidepressant," I say. "I'm still just so miserable."

"Hey," Cora says, putting her hand on mine. "Come out with us this weekend. It will help, I'm sure."

"Or," Beverly says, "you could try going out-out."

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"You know…out…on a date." She wiggles her eyebrows at me.

"Uh…yeah, no. I'm going to pass on that."

"Why?" Beverly asks. "It could be just what the doctor ordered."

"No way," I say. "I can't even handle myself. How am I supposed to handle a relationship, too? No. I need to work on myself."

"Then, get working," Beverly says. "It's been four years—"

"I know how long it's been! I was there!" I snap louder than I meant to.

"Momma?" Bella says, from her seat, her brows knitted in concern.

"Sorry," I say. "I just got a little excited." She nods and sits back in her seat. "I didn't come here for a lecture," I stage whisper to Beverly. "That's what I go to therapy for."

"Goodness, I hope not," Beverly says.

I let out a sigh. "That's what it feels like half the time. I know in my head that I shouldn't be feeling this way. But I just do. If it wasn't for me, Mark would still be here. Bella would still have a dad. His parents would still have their son."

"Well, by that logic, it's Mark's mother's fault," Cora says.

"What?" I ask.

"Well, if she never would have given birth to Mark, he wouldn't have died."

"That's ridiculous," I say.

"Exactly," Beverly says. "Just like you blaming yourself for a car accident is ridiculous."

I open my mouth to argue, but I can't. I know she's right. But it doesn't change how I feel. I keep hoping it will, but it just hasn't happened yet.

"Look, let me find you a new therapist," Beverly says.

"Can you? I've looked before, but it's a small town, so there aren't many options."

"There has to be more than one," she says. "Let me look and I'll let you know when you come back on Wednesday."

"Okay," I say.

"Great," Beverly says. "Getting help is a great step."

I shrug. I've gotten help, been getting help, for a long time and it hasn't helped yet. I'm just…stuck. But getting a new therapist might help. It certainly can't hurt.

"Come on, honey," I call to Bella. "Let's go."

"Bye!" Bella calls to Beverly and Cora. She skips out of the shop, looking a little lighter, a little happier, and that makes my heart glad too. Maybe there is some hope for us after all.