It was time for the parents to say goodbye. Which meant Mom was quickly unraveling at the seams.

"Call me sometime! We can make plans! Jarec can meet Victor and you guys can come see the house and-"

"Okay Lucinda," Ruby was smiling softly.

Mom was holding on to her sister's forearms and struggling to stay still. "And tell me everything I missed. And I'll share all those stories I didn't get to."

Welp, there goes any chance at Jarec thinking I was cool.

Then again from the way he was laughing I don't think those chances were very high to begin with.

But…maybe that was okay.

"I promise to call if you do," Ruby said.

"Okay," Mom's voice was wobbly and weak. I knew that tone. She was going to start crying.

Uh no.

I heard a sigh. I turned to notice Vivian looking at her daughters while they hugged one last time before Ruby had to leave. She seemed sad, but I didn't know what to say or how to say it.

(********)

Mom was crying for real now. And trying to suffocate me with the force of her hug alone.

"Mom!" I complained.

"I don't want to go."

"You have to. I'll be fine. You can let go now."

"My little baby is growing up too fast! I don't approve!"

I looked over to Vivian for help. Desperate to be free from the crushing and smothering from my distressed mother. Vivian was just staring.

"Mom," I complained again. "You're going to keep Dad waiting."

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She somehow hugged me tighter, "He'll understand."

He would. He always did. Didn't mean I had to like it. I sighed and patted her once on the back. "I'm going to be okay. I promise."

"You'd better be!" She pulled back just enough to make eye contact. "You'd better come home safe and sound."

"I will."

"And-"

"Mom," I grabbed her hands and held them between us. Finally free from her grasp. "Do you trust me?"

She hesitated, looking at me for a moment before closing her eyes. "Of course, I do."

"Then trust that I know what I'm doing. And that I won't take on more than I can handle."

"No matter who tries to talk you into doing more?" She was looking at me so seriously, even through the tears.

"If anyone tries to make do something I don't feel safe or comfortable doing I'll tell them to fuck off."

"That's my girl."

"She is right though, you really do need to get going," Vivian finally spoke up after being the only witness to Mom's display. I might have been embarrassed if it was anyone else. Her words sounded far from happy about it.

If she started crying too I was going to leave both of them here and lock myself in my room until tomorrow.

"See?" I took a deep breath and stepped back. "I'll see you and Dad in three weeks. You go have fun ballroom dancing and whatever it is you two get up to since I've been gone."

She was looking at me with very sad and very real crocodile tears. I was glad I hadn't inherited whatever made her like this.

I looked over to the person who had to be the source of this, Vivian did raise her as a single mother. Partially looking for an explanation, partially for salvation.

But Vivian was still just staring at my mother. Her hands were folded in front of her waist, fidgeting. It was so strange seeing her like this.

That's when an idea crossed my mind. "You know, if you want her to hug you, you can just ask."

Vivian blinked and froze on the spot.

Mom's tears seemed to have shut off like a faucet and was now looking at Vivian inquisitively. "Mother?" She asked.

"I…I wouldn't want to intrude…" I couldn't remember hearing her stutter before.

Mom walked over to her slowly. They both just looked at each other for a moment. Both of them looking just as lost. But after a few more slow seconds Mom threw her arms around Vivian.

Vivian hugged back and I could tell that this whole coven thing might just work out after all.

Mom pulled away slowly. "Like Ruby said, I'll call if you do. And you don't even have to use Serafina as an excuse."

Vivian scoffed, "I was not using her as an excuse. You asked for updates and I gave them."

"It's okay. I didn't mind."

Vivian sighed, "Okay then. But you'd better call me. I know where you live now."

"Go ahead. Victor and I'll make tea and cookies."

"And he'd better be making you happy."

"He does. More than I ever thought a husband could."

"And there'd better not be anymore surprises."

"Well…I can't promise that. But there's this delightful trail Serafina loves. Lots of rocks and streams and a lake at the end. We can have a little campfire and you can tell them lots of stories about me that I'll hate."

Vivian wiped at one of her eyes. "Good. Now off with you. I'm going to have Aetos yelling at me for the next week."

"Just Aetos?"

"Him everyone else dumb enough to not realize whose daughter Serafina is."

"Give 'em the fury of the Hearths."

"The hells will seem cold in comparison. Now go before you are actually late."

Mom waved at us both one last time before vanishing with a burst of yellow light. A small bit of heat lingering where she had stood.

I heard Vivian let out a very shaky breath.

Yeah. We were going to be okay.

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