Page 38 of Witch's Betrayal
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DEJA
"Hello?"
"Nona."
Hearing her voice was the only spark of happiness that shined through me at that moment. But it dimmed down to nothing when I realized I'd probably never see her again. I never got a chance to properly thank her for saving my ass and my business so many times. And now I'd have to say goodbye without even giving her a hug.
"What's up, D? Is everything alright?"
"Um, no. Not really." I chewed my lip as the emotion rose high in my chest and threatened to spill out through my eyes.
"What's going on?" she demanded. "Do you need me to come out to your place?"
"No, don't come here tonight. Tomorrow should be okay, though. Um, fuck." I wiped my eyes as I struggled to keep it together. "Congratulations, Nona Parks. The tea shop is yours."
"Dude, stop. What's really going on?"
"I mean it," I said through a shaky breath. "I have to leave town, like right now. I can't get into it right now but I can't come back, at least not for a while. So I'm handing the business off to you. You’re the only one who can keep it going."
A long pause was my only reply on the other end.
"Nona?"
"Deja, I just don't understand. Are you okay? I don't even give a fuck what's going on but are you going to be okay?"
I squeezed my eyes against the tears. For so long, I was desperate for a family that accepted and loved me, never realizing I had true family working her ass off next to me all along.
"I will be okay," I promised her. "But not if I stay. I fucking hate that I can't say a proper goodbye or explain all this shit but please just know that I love and adore you. I never would have made it without you and will always remember everything you've done for me. I swear it, Nona."
"I trust you, Deja," she soothed me over the speaker. "I trust you'll take care of whatever you need to do. You always do. And I really hope this isn't the last time we talk."
"Me too. Fucking hell, me too."
She snickered lightly over the phone. "My fortune came true."
"What?" I asked, confused.
"Remember when we saw the tarot card reader? She said I would soon come into a lot more wealth and responsibility. And you were so worried about me finding another job."
"That's right," I breathed, the memory already feeling like so long ago. "She really did predict your future. And mine."
I remembered my cards as clearly as if they were sitting in front of me then. The Tower. The Lovers. The Devil.
The Tower signified a monumental sudden change in my life. My world literally flipped on its head when my grandmother came to my door and told me the truth. The Lovers depicted what appeared to be Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. But I had been there, and I decided to view Ash and myself as the original love story when he took me from Adam.
The Devil typically indicated slavery to a certain mindset or idea, leading yourself to think you have no control over a situation when you truly do.
"Or you may fall in love with the devil himself," Minerva told me with a knowing grin.
"Good thing Death didn't come up in those cards," Nona joked, then in a more serious tone, "Be careful, Deja. Take care of yourself. I won't let this be the last time we talk, you hear me?"
Her protective nature brought a smile to my face. "Yes, mom. I will." My fingers ached from the grip I had on the phone, wishing I didn't have to hang up or stop hearing her voice. "You do the same. Bye for now."
"Later, Deja."
Not a breath after ending the call did I feel Sal's gentle touch on my hand.
