Winter's Spell, page 34
Now, watching the team split into two scrimmage teams go up against one another, Roxy realized she knew instinctively what the teams were doing well, and what they needed to work on. She could tell right away which positions each of the players would probably excel at.
She was, of course, only an assistant coach for now, working primarily with the JV team, but she didn’t mind it one bit. Roxy found herself enjoying watching the head coach, Joel, work with the varsity team and learning from him by watching.
Once the scrimmage was over, Roxy talked over what she’d noticed with the group. Giving feedback to people who were listening to her was a strange experience, but again, a pleasant one. She’d never thought high school students would be so well-behaved, but she supposed that was one of the perks of working at a fancy private school.
Part of her had resisted Tessa’s suggestion precisely because Roxy would be so far out of her own league at the school. It was the type of school her family could never have afforded—or so she thought. When she’d brought up her concerns, Tessa had explained that the school actively recruited talented students from low-income families with full scholarships. In fact, the school was committed to having at least a quarter of the students there on scholarship, and currently, that number was much higher, due to a generous donation from one of the school’s main donors.
Of course, Roxy had been disappointed to leave behind Cape Cod and Provincetown—but only a little. She’d arranged to stay on at the brewery on a temporary basis, but by the end of June, the summer crowds were clogging the roads and beaches, and Roxy found herself missing the solemn quiet of Provincetown in winter.
Plus, she missed Tessa. Tessa had to return to her job in March after the show wrapped, and with only seeing her on weekends, it’d been lonely, to be honest. Roxy missed her—and Chayo and Joy and even Lisa.
Of course, there was still Mo. Mo and Clare and Rhoda had worked hard to make sure the waters around Cape Cod would continue to be safe for all magical creatures. Together with Tessa, they’d cast several powerful spells and enchantments on the Cape and its waters to keep the Three Sisters out for as long as possible.
Mo visited Roxy throughout the spring to keep her company between visits to her family below the sea and extensive time spent with Lisa in New York. The summer water traffic was too much for her, though, and starting in late May, her visits became rarer.
That weekend, though, they were all having a reunion meet-up out at the Cape. Lisa’s Broadway show had just finished its limited run; Tessa and Roxy had a long weekend at the school; and even Hazel and Elizabeth were going to join them.
Roxy found Tessa in the school theater, reading through some plays for the following year.
“I’m done,” said Roxy, leaning over to plant a kiss on her cheek. She was enjoying being in a normal, happy relationship. She felt safe and secure with Tessa, and it was a relief to feel that after the roller coaster of dating.
They walked out to the parking lot. They’d driven in together that morning, taking Roxy’s truck to work so they could leave for the Cape right from school. It was already getting dark out, but Roxy didn’t mind driving in the dark. Excitement for the weekend ahead was already giving her a buzz.
As they were exiting the parking lot, they saw Elizabeth waiting for Hazel to pick her up. Roxy drove over to say hi.
“This is so silly,” said Elizabeth with a smile. “We should have all planned to drive there together.”
“You two are still newlyweds,” said Tessa with a laugh. “I’m sure you need lots of alone time.” She gave Elizabeth a saucy wink, and Elizabeth laughed.
“Speak for yourselves,” said Elizabeth, her voice full of gentle teasing.
Tessa and Roxy’s PDAs were, in fact, a source of constant teasing in their friend group.
Roxy didn’t know what it was, but she was utterly uninterested in what anyone had to say or think about her relationship with Tessa, or being out, and Tessa didn’t seem to mind it either. Hazel was constantly warning her that it was risky, but Roxy enjoyed the recklessness of it. Let some old geezers or uptight Karens stare at them or glare or whatever. Roxy didn’t care. She was in love.
The drive to Provincetown was uneventful, and soon they were pulling up to a beautiful clapboard house around the corner from the theater where they’d spent so much time together. Where they’d fallen in love.
The lights of the house were already on inside, signaling that Lisa and Mo had made it there first.
They’d found a vacation rental big enough for all of them, and it was going to be one big queer sleepover. Hazel and Elizabeth arrived not twenty minutes later, just as Rhoda and Clare walked over from their place. Lisa had put together a huge spread of food. Mo was bringing out the domestic goddess in her. She’d even managed to find some sushi that met Mo’s high expectations but was still also appealing to non-mermaids.
They stayed up late into the night, talking, eating, laughing, and listening to music. Rhoda and Clare shared the good news that they were able to take over the running of Recovering Hearts since Isidora had hightailed it out of there. Madame Clerval’s storefront was gone now too, replaced with a Mediterranean restaurant that was quite good. They all toasted to the good news.
Roxy was too wound up to go to bed, even when it was past three in the morning. She left Tessa fast asleep—that woman had no problems falling asleep, Roxy had noticed—and went outside. She always seemed to find herself outside at night in Provincetown. Hopefully, tonight there weren’t any more enchanted mermaids to save.
There was a patio at the back of the house where Roxy settled herself, enjoying the view. The moon was only at the half, so that was a good sign in Roxy’s book. Weird things tended to happen at the full moon.
Roxy was lost in thought for a moment, considering how much had changed since Hazel’s wedding. It was hard to believe how much happier she felt, less lonely and less lost. Even materially her life had changed so much. The school paid a very decent wage, even for someone with a checkered work history and no prior coaching experience. And there were benefits. Benefits! She never thought she’d be excited to have dental insurance, but then again, she never thought she’d be working in a high school.
The sound of the patio doors sliding open and closed brough Roxy back to reality. A moment later, Hazel was sitting on the patio chair next to her wrapped in a thick blanket.
“Couldn’t sleep?” said Hazel.
“Nope. You?”
“Nope.”
“Too excited?”
“Exactly.”
Hazel smiled at Roxy, and Roxy was reminded of all the times they’d stayed up late, talking about everything and anything.
“How are your powers these days?” asked Hazel.
After Hazel returned from her extensive honeymoon travels, Roxy had told her everything that’d happened in Ptown. Hazel had been nothing but supportive when she’d learned of Roxy’s newfound magical powers. They’d had a real heart-to-heart about it, and Roxy had been proud of herself that she’d been able to ask Hazel about why she’d never mentioned that Roxy could do magic as a mortal without being accusatory or immature about it. She was extra glad because Hazel’s reaction had been that of genuine surprise. She’d never heard of such a thing, but she was genuinely glad for Roxy. They’d always shared so much, and now they could share one more thing.
Of course, the irony was that Roxy hadn’t been able to so much as summon a leaf off a tree since that night on the beach when Rhoda and Clare learned how to become mermaids again.
Roxy sighed and shrugged. She’d been thinking a lot about her powers and what they meant to her—how just a year earlier, getting powers and then losing them again would have made her desperately angry and upset. But now? With Tessa in her life, teaching her the ways of hedgecraft, being in a happy relationship, starting a new and rewarding job…the magic felt more like a bonus rather than a necessity.
“Sometimes I’ll feel a little flicker of it,” said Roxy. “It’s like when your foot falls asleep, but somewhere further inside me.”
“Have you tried to use it again?”
Roxy shook her head. “Tessa and I have talked about it. We both agree that maybe it was something that I was able to use because of the Three Sisters. The threat they posed. My powers were amped up because we needed them. Now things are good, so they’re fallow. That’s what Tessa calls it.”
“Are you okay with that?” Hazel looked at her, concerned.
“Honestly, yes,” said Roxy with a smile, and it felt like the truth. “It’s fine. I’m really happy with my life right now. And just knowing that I was able to do all that…that’s enough. For now, anyway.”
Hazel smiled. “That’s really good to hear.” She paused. “You seem really happy. With Tessa. With the school.”
Roxy smiled. “I was just thinking the same thing. I can hardly believe how much has changed since January.”
“I’m really happy for you, Roxy,” said Hazel. She reached over and squeezed Roxy’s hand.
“Thanks,” said Roxy. “I’m happy for you too. You and Elizabeth seem really happy together.”
Hazel nodded. “We are.”
There was a pause again, and they sat together in companionable silence.
Hazel sighed and shifted a bit in the seat. “Roxy, I want to tell you something.”
Roxy turned away from the night sky where she’d been looking, idly, for constellations she recognized. “What’s up?”
“Elizabeth is going to be on sabbatical next year.”
“Wow,” said Roxy. “Congratulations to her.” This was good news, as Elizabeth had been talking a lot about wanting a sabbatical to research her next book. She didn’t understand why Hazel thought this was important enough news to share with Roxy before telling everyone else.
“Yes. It’s perfect timing, really. For us,” said Hazel. She paused and swallowed. She looked at Roxy, and her eyes glistened in the moonlight. “For the baby.”
Roxy’s eyes widened. It was then that she noticed Hazel’s right hand, resting gently on her belly. The blanket had slid off her shoulders, and Roxy could see a small bump, barely there, where there didn’t used to be one.
“What!”
“Roxy, shh, you’ll wake everyone,” said Hazel, but she was smiling.
“How? When?” Roxy couldn’t believe it. She was surprised and a little shocked but also very, very happy. She had no idea Hazel had wanted to start a family so soon, but then again, it wasn’t something they’d discussed. Roxy had never thought to ask Hazel about having kids, and now she was beginning to wonder why.
Hazel explained that they’d decided to start trying in the summer, knowing that she might not get pregnant right away. She was lucky that on the second try, it worked, and she was due in June, just as Elizabeth’s school year would be ending.
“So how many months are you gone now?”
“It’s not even months yet, Roxy, it’s more like weeks. I’m right at twelve weeks.”
“Are you going to tell everyone this weekend?”
Hazel nodded. “Yes. But I wanted you to be the first to know.” She squeezed Roxy’s hand. “You’re my best friend. Forever and ever.”
Eyes filled Roxy’s tears and her throat closed up with emotion. She leaned over and hugged Hazel.
A realization hit Roxy.
“I’m going to be an aunt!”
Hazel smiled. “Yes, of course. Aunt Roxy. I’ll be counting on you to spoil them.”
They stayed on the patio a while longer, talking about Hazel and Elizabeth’s plans for the nursery, how Hazel was feeling (lots of sleepiness but no nausea), if they were going to learn the sex ahead of time (they disagreed on that point), and whether they’d told their families (not yet).
Finally, the chill of the night chased them back into the house where they said good night.
Roxy slipped into bed next to Tessa, snuggling up against her warm body. She tried to still her mind, but it was full of new thoughts and questions. Would Tessa want to get married? How soon? Would she want kids?
Roxy had never really given a thought to starting a family of her own. Her experiences with divorced parents had soured her for a long time on the idea of marriages, weddings, and family building. Loving Tessa and building a mature relationship with her had changed Roxy, though. She realized, as she lay there, that she would like to marry Tessa. They loved one another, and nothing was going to change that.
As for kids, Roxy wasn’t sure what she felt. Occasionally, Tessa’s mother would drop hints into conversation about wanting grandkids, but Roxy generally ignored such comments. She wondered what Tessa thought about them.
To be honest, the thought of taking care of another human being, beyond herself and Tessa, terrified Roxy, but a part of her was starting to consider the possibility seriously. If Tessa wanted a family, maybe that was something she could be on board with. More importantly, Roxy understood that these were the kinds of conversations they needed to have—that Roxy wanted to have with Tessa. In the past, something so serious would have terrified her, but now, she welcomed these new thoughts and possibilities.
Roxy spooned Tessa and slipped an arm around her. She breathed in the smell of Tessa and let her thoughts and worries float away. What was there to worry about when you had the love of your life to worry about it with you, after all? Roxy smiled into Tessa’s hair and let the deep satisfaction of that thought comfort her as she slipped into sleep.
THE END
About the Author
Ursula Klein is originally from Maryland, where she grew up and attended university. She taught ESL in Europe after college, then returned to the United States and pursued graduate studies in New York. She has since lived in Tennessee, Texas, and Georgia before landing in her current location, Wisconsin. Ursula loves reading fantasy, romance, science fiction, and mysteries; she also enjoys crocheting, traveling, and spending time with her wife and young son. She is a huge fan of dressing up in costumes, loves celebrating Halloween, and was probably a witch in a past life.
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