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Chapter 1 - Sara
The usual smooth rock that came from the speakers lining the Roadbar walls sounded more bitter-sweet than ever as I wiped the counter down.
From across the room, I caught Yara’s forlorn gaze on me, and I knew it would only be so long before she’d fracture.
“Yara, please,” I said, letting a half-smile crack across my lips. “I need you to keep it together for a few more hours at least.”
Yara let out a strangled laugh as she wiped beneath her eyes. She fanned the tears away and took a deep breath in. “I know—I’m sorry!”
“You two are both going to make me cry,” Jax piped up from where he was busy wiping down glasses.
The three of us chuckled despite our wavering emotions, and it was difficult to stomach the change that was ahead of me.
I had handed in my notice two weeks prior, which meant it was my last shift at the Roadbar; ta place I had spent years serving the locals and having more fun at a job than most people did. I had been there for so long, and we all grew close to one another, especially since Yara joined our crew.
I loved working there with my entire heart, despite how the experience had been tainted since the attacks first happened. Fortunately, since then, it had been remodeled and reopened to the public. I spent several months picking up shifts while Rose Valley’s future still seemed rocky, and yet, things seemed to get better overall since peace was found between our two towns.
Those months of serving patrons who seemed just as unsure by the recent changes had been such a pivotal time for me. It helped show me how resilient everyone truly was, and it was the reminder I needed to not stay in one place for too long.
Ever since our run-in with Keres, I felt a sort of disconnect with my powers. While they had come in handy, something about that experience had put a wedge between me and those abilities, as if they had been tainted just like the Roadbar was.
After surviving such a traumatic experience, I decided a change would be good for me and my magic. I needed the chance to reconnect with it and working alongside Willow in her shop seemed like the best option out there.
While change was often difficult to grow accustomed to, I felt it was the right choice, and I knew it was the step I needed to take.
“It’s just so hard to imagine you not being here,” Yara said, frowning. She leaned against her mop and wiped at her eyes again. “Especially after you did so much to help me when I first arrived here.”
Her emotions were certainly valid, but I couldn’t stop my amusement at how weepy she had been all afternoon. Rose Valley was only so big, and we were in the same group of friends. It wasn’t like she’d never see me again.
Even so, I still understood and reciprocated that sadness. A big part of me would always belong to the Roadbar, and it was hard to process that being my last night.
Fortunately for all of us, it was a slow Tuesday night, and the place was practically abandoned.
Putting my cloth down on the bar, I held a hand out for her. Yara crossed the room silently and gladly tucked herself into my side.
“I’m not leaving town, you know. We’ll make sure to see each other outside of work, alright?” I suggested, running a palm against her back soothingly.
Yara smiled at the thought and swiped at her tear-stained cheeks. “I know I’m being ridiculous, I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have to deal with me crying.”
“It’s okay, I understand,” I murmured, looking around the empty place. “I’m going to miss being here. It feels like centuries ago that I was walking through those doors with a resume in my hand.”
“It might as well have been,” Jax commented with an amused smile. “You were only a witchling. Now look at you.”
“It feels like I’ve grown so much, but I still have so much more to go. I have this place to thank for getting me started, and especially you, Jax, for guiding me through it all.”
His eyes turned glassy at the thought as he approached us with his hands extended towards me, silently asking for my own. He gave them a gentle squeeze and offered me a tearful smile. “No, thank you for investing so much of your life here. For spreading your infectious joy and charm with everyone who has ever stepped foot in here over the years. You’ve made just as much of a mark here as anybody else.”
The emotions swelled within my nose, but I urged myself to keep it together.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure working with you, and everyone at the Roadbar wishes you luck with your next adventure,” Jax added. “Even if you aren’t going far, we’re still going to miss you.”
Yara nodded her agreement as she began to falter all over again, eyes glittering with tears.
Feeling the heat within my cheeks and the dampness in my own eyes, I couldn’t stop my own threatening sniffles. “I’m going to miss all of you too.”
At once, the three of us moved in for a group hug, securing our arms around one another. It was a mess of limbs and tears, but the warmth that came from it helped soothe the slight ache in my chest. Knowing the next time I walked into the Roadbar, I would be just another patron and not an employee was hard for me to swallow.
As we pulled away and collected ourselves once again, I took in a steadying breath. “I’ll help Yara clean up before we close. We might need the time to get our tears out.”
