Page 4 of A Time of Witches

Maybe she hadn’t written it after all…

Her sleepless nights were getting the better of her.

“Hey, Lilith,” Essie sang out as she navigated her stroller over the threshold of the store. Amara jostled in her seat, unperturbed as she plucked a Cheerio from a spill-proof plastic bowl.

Lilith glanced at her watch and grinned at her best friend. “Exactly 2:30 on the dot.”

Essie pumped her fist victoriously. “Right on time.”

From the stroller, Amara lifted her hands to Lilith, who obliged, pulling the girl into her arms. Little beads at the ends of Amara’s braids clacked together as she did so.

“Your braids are so beautiful.” Lilith snuggled her goddaughter closer.

Amara beamed at the praise. The story time bell chimed and she wriggled out of Lilith’s arms, making a beeline for the children’s room.

“That girl knows what she wants.” Essie shook her head, even as her warm brown eyes glowed with pride. Together, Lilith and Essie followed Amara’s quick steps to the back of the store.

A pulse of longing echoed in Lilith’s chest. She ached to know her own place in the world as surely as her friend did. As even little Amara seemed to. Essie had always been driven to achieve what she wanted for as long as Lilith had known her, back when they became neighbors after Essie’s parents died and she moved in with her grandmother. Her childhood hadn’t been easy, but now Essie had it all, and she’d worked hard to have it all: a handsome husband, a loving child, a flourishing law career.

“Aren’t the braids just so cute?” Essie settled onto the colorful carpet with Amara in her line of sight.

Lilith recalled Essie’s hair in those same braids, pink and white beads clicking melodiously every time she moved her head. Her hair was natural now, a halo of curls worn like a regal crown on her head. Lilith glanced at where Amara sat with her back straight, full attention fixed on Debbie who cradled the day’s book in her hands. “I can’t believe how big Amara is getting.”

Essie folded her legs crisscross. “And I can’t believe how tired you look.”

Lilith shot her friend a look of playful injury. “Ouch.” She sank to the floor beside Essie, unable to ignore the slight hum of the earth beneath her, even through the flooring and the kid-friendly carpet.

“You know I’m all honesty and tough love,” Essie said with a beatific smile.

And she really was. She always had been ready to offer advice at any moment throughout their friendship. Whether wanted or not. Advice that was, in hindsight, always needed.

From the front of the room, Debbie opened a book about a pig wearing a raincoat and began to read.

“Is it the nightmares?” Essie asked quietly.

Lilith nodded.

Essie frowned. “Still?”

Another resident cat slid against Lilith’s shin. Brutus was an orange tabby who liked to chase his own tail and tease the kids desperate to pet him before he performed a disappearing act. She stroked a hand over his face and rubbed behind his ears as a purr rumbled to life. “The other things too,” she added in a soft voice. “Like the honeysuckle bush and the weird weather. It’s all since Mama died.”

“You need to get out from under her control, Lil.” Essie set a hand on Lilith’s arm, her nails a freshly painted coral red. “She’s gone. She can’t hurt you anymore. You need to move on, make a plan for your life.”

Lilith sucked in a breath, hating how even the reminder of her mother’s rage could sting. How much she still let those biting words crumple her confidence.

“There’s a full-time position available here.” Essie bumped her shoulder against Lilith’s. “I saw the flyer when I walked in.”

Amara looked over her shoulder through a crowd of other children and found her mother’s gaze. Essie waved and Amara grinned before turning back to the story.

“Several people have already interviewed for the position.” Lilith shrugged and scratched Brutus under the chin. “I didn’t feel like throwing my hat in the ring. Besides, I like working part-time here. It’s about all the people-ing I can stand in a week.”

“Well, you don’t need the money.” Essie winked. “Maybe you should consider going back to school?”

It was true—between both parents’ life insurances and a terrific financial planner, Lilith didn’t have to work. Ever again, if she didn’t want to.

Still, she hated this conversation. The gentle, nudging reminders of how her life had stagnated.

At twenty-six, she had no purpose, nothing to aspire to. Honestly, she didn’t even want a husband or kids. A decision that everyone had an opinion on, which they had to voice. As if her sole purpose as a woman should be to get hitched and pop out babies.