Three Witches #1: Magnus and Magnolia

Chapter 37 (Magnolia): Ask Her Some Questions

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA

"He wants to know all about witches," I told Rosemary. It was a quiet morning in the shop before the inevitable afternoon busyness, so while I dusted shelves, I'd called Rosemary. "Specifically, if there are ways to support me and if there are certain things he needs to be doing."

"Sounds like he needs a Boone talk," she said. "How do you feel about this turn of events?"

"I'm kind of astounded, honestly. But I'm not throwing myself into this head first this time. I need to know that Magnus won't ever hurt me like that again."

"Magnolia, you know there aren't any guarantees," Rosemary said, a hint of impatience in her voice. "It's like saying you want a guarantee that you'll never be in a car accident again after you had one. The only way to ensure that is to never get in a car again."

"But this is different."

"Such a whiny witch," she tutted. "You could date a new man and he could end up cheating on you. Or he might not. Magnus could cheat on you again. Or he might not. Life requires accepting risks. Every day when you leave your house is a risk. Do you want to go out or do you want to stay in? Don't let what if paralyze you, Magnolia, or keep you from the life you are meant to live. You'll miss a lot of beautiful moments if you're afraid of being hurt again."

"Did you ever have doubts about Boone once you took him back?"

"Of course I did. It was hard to stop seeing what I had, and sometimes that would spin out to the dreaded what if."

That I understood.

"But eventually, it faded to some extent. Not overnight. It took a long time and a lot of effort on Boone's part, but he worked hard to replace those images in my mind. Think of it like...not hearing the voice of someone you love for years. At first, you can hear it clearly in your head. As time passes, it's a little fuzzier, then it becomes some distorted echoes of what the person sounded like, but it's not clear like it used to be. You remember, but you don't."

"Did he know you didn't trust him entirely?"

"He did, and it crushed him."

"Did he trust you? I'm assuming he saw you with Kessem like Magnus saw me with Tahvo."

"He did see me with Kessem, and not only that, he saw me break down when Kessem left. That messed him up, too. It was a good lesson for him because he had some very clear visuals. I told him to remember that vision he had of me with another man and to always remember how it made him feel. Then I drove the point home by telling him whatever pain he may have felt wasn't the same as mine because he cheated, and I did not. But he always trusted me because I had never cheated on him."

"All true."

"It was a bit contentious once we got back together for a while. I wanted to take some shots at him and he let me until I got tired of it. Not the healthiest approach but we made it work in the end."

"Maybe we'll come out to see you so they can talk, and because I miss you."

We'll. 

We will.

We.

It had been a long time since I'd thought in those terms and although it didn't feel like it quite fit yet, it wasn't uncomfortable, either. 

"Come next Monday, when your shop is closed."

"I'll ask Magnus if he can get off work."

"Magnolia, if you tell him he's going to be getting lessons in how to wife a witch, that man would close the doors to his business permanently just so he could come."

"It's not that," I demurred. "It's just to give him some answers to all the questions he has."

"It's a good thing you look good in delusion," she laughed at me, "because you wear it a lot."

After hanging up with Rosemary, I kept my eye on the front of the store and sure enough, right around noon, I saw Magnus park his bike on the street, take something out of his saddle bag and look over the plants in front of the store. I knew that critical look and he isn't happy with the way one of the plants looks.

He walked in, his eyes immediately searching for and finding me and then he gave me one of his smiles. Holding up a white deli bag, he asked if I was ready for today's sandwich surprise. 

"Toni outdid herself today, I think," he said. "Her grandson was about to take my order, but she pushed him out of the way and said she had it. No idea what she made us, but they weigh a ton."

Antoinette was one of Magnus's customers and she and her two sons ran an authentic New York deli right here in our town. She had attitude and, if she was familiar enough with a customer, you got what she made you. Period. Magnus was one of those customers. She'd ask about food allergies and if any foods needed to be avoided, but other than that, you were at her mercy.

And mercy never tasted so good.

Magnus and I walked to the little kitchen area in the back of the store and he placed the bag on the table. Yes, there were the sandwiches, the chips, the pickles, but...oh, yeah. There were the chocolate chip cookies. Life was good. And not just because of the food. It was the simple things. The going slow. I'd never thought about it before, but going slow allowed you to savor, to appreciate, to learn unexpected things about the person.

Magnus was slowing himself down for me because he recognized what he'd done and how that had affected both of us. He was happy to sit and eat lunch with me, no promise of anything else. He always watched me take the first bite of my sandwich surprise, his eyes waiting for my reaction. Then he'd smile at me and we'd start talking while we ate.

"Reubens today," Magnus announced as he unwrapped first one and then the other sandwich.

I always wondered if Antoinette was affiliated with the fae because Reubens had never been my favorite, but she added magic to hers and they melted in my mouth into the most delicious fusion of flavors. We sat down to eat after I got some drinks from the fridge for the two of us.

"I need to ask you something," I said.

"My answer is yes to whatever you're going to ask," he said seriously.

I smiled. For the last four weeks, when he told me we weren't going anywhere until he earned it, he'd been stopping at the store once a day, and then he'd begun bringing me lunch. That evolved to him sharing lunch with me.

"You live dangerously," I said teasingly.

His face turned serious. "I used to. Not anymore."

"You're in the Mayhem," I reminded him, pointing at his cut. "That's arguably dangerous."

"It's only dangerous for the people trying to go up against the Mayhem," he said so mildly, so simply that I know it's anything but.

I decide to ignore that. "Would you be able to take off next Monday and go with me to visit Rosemary and her husband Boone?"

I've briefly described my witchy mentor to him during one of our lunches and glossed over her history. I'll definitely need to give him more information on the way there.

"Of course."

"I figured Boone and Rosemary could give you some tips on life with a witch."

"That's where you were when I...saw you?"

Hadn't thought of that. "Yes."

He nodded. "I'd be happy to go with. Meet someone else who fell in  love with a witch."

"I'll let them know we're coming, then," I said, just as his phone chimed.

Magnus looked at it, thinking it might be one of his crew, and then he frowned before looking over at me.

"Can you close your shop for the afternoon, Noli?"

Hadn't expected that request. "Why?"

"Butcher specifically requested your presence. They finally found Lamia to ask her some questions, and he wants you there."

Hadn't expected that one, either.