"I don't understand it, Ruby, this is crazy..."
"I know, sweetheart..." My girlfriend hugs Louisa tighter and leans back on the couch, waiting for Thyra and Elvira to bring a soothing herbal tea they're making in the kitchen while Lester is still out of the apartment, on the landing, giving our phone numbers to the police in case they need to contact us... even if we can't tell them new information. Louisa sent a text to her High Priestess, who almost missed it because she was about punching Zalir and her friends' face, before calling the police station and that's why we arrived earlier than the officers. My sister was crying hysterically sitting on the stairs holding her baby in her arms and we needed some minutes to understand what she was trying to tell us while pointing at a door behind her, Ruby walked in to take a look and right then the police arrived too.
"Thank you for taking care of Diana, Iselen." My sister sighs taking the cup Elvira is handing her.
"Don mention it, you know I love my goddaughter..." I answer rocking the baby that yawns in my arms. "Besides, it was really easy, she stopped crying after you calmed down too... This girl is very sensitive to the energy around her."
"She'll be a great witch if she wants to," Ruby smiles from the couch and I look at her confused. "We can't force her to accept her inheritance, according to my experience, kids that are forced by their parents to learn magic because it runs in the family end up hating it and choosing the wrong way out of resentment... black magic."
"Well, of course, Diana Siena will be whatever she wants in this life but she'll grow up surrounded by extraordinary women who will teach her that magic is wonderful if used correctly. I bet she won't have problems... Am I right, sweet pea?" The baby yawns again and seems to nod before I put her in her small crib, fixing the blanket carefully. "Do you feel better?" I ask and Louisa nods taking a sip of her herbal tea, Lester comes in the living room showing his thumb up at Ruby and we all understand this is the signal for us to sit down and listen to our sister's explanation.
"Miss Yangyang came from South Korea years ago, when I bought this apartment the former owner told me she was the neighbour who had been living in the building for the longest time and I went to introduce myself to be polite but I found out she was a very kind woman. She'd been a nurse and midwife in her country and in the USA and was retired but kept working as a volunteer in some clinics that treated Asian immigrants for free because she spoke the language and they trusted her."
"She seemed to be a lovely lady," Elvira whispers pouring more tea for Louisa and she nods.
"Oh yes, she was so funny and generous, we used to meet for tea and I baked apple pie while she made some sweet rice flour buns filled with nuts and cinnamon that were delicious. We were good friends and she trusted me soon, she admitted she was a witch that helped women even if I didn't need her confession because I'd felt her strong connection with Mother Nature before. She helped me a lot when I got pregnant despite..."
"What?" I ask worried and my sister holds back a sob.
"She was very old and getting forgetful, she left the stove on one day, the food burnt setting off the smoke alarm in the building, she was going blind... She was unable to read or help in the clinic anymore... I knew she was depressed because of her lack of autonomy and visited her often, went grocery shopping for her, I brought her delicious Italian food, we made tea and talked about our lives for hours... She loved to sit down on an armchair and sing old songs to Diana... My baby adored her, she never cried in her house, only smiled... I feel guilty, I knew she was having a hard time feeling useless but I never thought she'd hang herself... I felt terrible when I found her... I should've checked on her more often but was really busy the week my family came to visit me, that's why I made dinner for us tonight, we were going to talk as usual and she'd sing songs to Diana... This is horrible... poor woman..."
