Page 39 of The Soulmate Bakery

‘Yes,’ I said, enthusiastically. ‘I’m sure once you show your father the virtue of becoming a teacher, he’ll have to understand why you don’t want to go to MAC.’

Orion smiled back, the kind of smile I liked to think was reserved for me alone. ‘You might be the only person more excited about my future than my parents, Reverie.’

‘What can I say, I like to see dreams soar.’

He snorted. ‘Right, let’s get you off to bed before you drop any more corny lines.’

I laughed and started to shrug off his jacket, before he stopped me.

‘Return it to me later,’ he said, softly, like he was scared speaking any louder would shatter the quiet peace between us. ‘It looks better on you anyway.’

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

People tend to be more receptive when you give them something to eat. It’s a lesson I learned pretty early on. Take my Mum for example: she’s always more reasonable once she’s had her daily pain au chocolat at lunch.

‘So, you’re going to go study at the Moon household,’ Mum remarked, as we walked with our arms linked down Main Street towards the library.

We didn’t often get time to spend together; with Mum being mayor, and me being the disappointing daughter. Our house was a stage set for sleeping in our rooms and seeing each other in the kitchen every morning and every night. But then there were moments, like this, where it was just us, on Mum’s lunch break, walking down the street.

‘Mhm,’ I said, taking a long sip of my hot chocolate.

‘You know, when Ivy told me you were taking a break from your shifts at the Wishing Well to focus on your studies, I was pleasantly surprised,’ Mum said, her gaze darting to me. ‘So, I assume that’s what you’ve been doing all week after school, studying?’

Agreeing wasn’t a total lie – my lessons with Orion meant I was studying in a way. And my spellcasting had improved. Even I could see it now.

‘Yes, studying,’ I replied, lightly. ‘And this evening I have a study session with Silas.’

‘Silas,’ Mum said, as she tightened her arm in mine. ‘Good kid. Very sweet. I wouldn’t hate him as a son-in-law.’

‘Mum,’ I said, looking around wildly in case anyone heard her. ‘Don’t say that!’

‘What?’ Mum said, innocently. ‘Too soon to be thinking of marriage?’

‘Yes, yes,’ I replied vehemently.

‘Fine, fine. I still like him,’ Mum said, then her lips twitched at the corner. ‘But your father would’ve hated him.’

I stopped in the middle of the street, refusing to move until she elaborated. Mum didn’t shy away from talking about Dad, but the stories I heard about him came in moments like these – unexpected.

‘What do you mean?’ I asked, unrelenting.

Mum shrugged, shaking her head lightly. ‘Silas is the epitome of everything your father didn’t have in his life growing up – good family ties, being the town’s star player, for example. Your father was a warlock with a motorcycle and a dream to own his own bookstore.’

‘Those don’t sound like bad things,’ I said, honestly. I liked that Silas was stable. ‘Why would Dad have hated him?’

Mum grinned. ‘Because he would hate any guy you liked. You could’ve liked the best guy in town, with a perfect track record, and the thought of you going to a study session with him would’ve made your father spend the entire evening by the door, waiting for you to get home.’

An ache bloomed in my chest at the image.

She reached up to press a palm to my cheek. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t tell you that to make you miss him – I told you that so you know, in my eyes, and your dad’s eyes, no one was ever going to be good enough for our little girl.’

My chest clenched with affection. I loved this version of my mother. Lived for it. Even if she came stained at the edges with grief. I hated the dance we did back home, the one where we said things that hurt one another – even when we didn’t mean to. Maybe we could buy a tent and camp out in the Firewood Forest for the rest of our lives.

‘All right, come on,’ Mum said, pulling me along. ‘I’ve got to get back to the office, and the library’s only a few blocks away.’

I smiled at her as we both stopped outside the library.

‘I love you,’ I said, right before her phone began to ring.