Page 68 of Love, Magic and Misfortune
Violet rolled her eyes. “Notforme. Just relax, Rosie, alright? Thank you for the offer, but you don’t need to drive all the way here.”
“Okay, okay. Is he staying the night with you? I don’t want you alone, feeling sorry for yourself and missing Gram…”
“I—I don’t think so. He needs to get back home.”
“Well, let me know and I’ll drive there. I was waiting for Jillian to come home but I can just text her. Keep me posted.”
“Alright, I will.” Violet hung up the phone and quickly rubbed her palm down her face to dry the tears. “Just a mini pity-party, folks, let’s keep it moving.” Violet rolled her shoulders. It would be okay and Rosie was right. Violet didn’t want to keep emotionally crumbling this way. Or at least, when she did, she wanted her recovery process to be a little shorter each time.
The patio door off the kitchen shut and locked, and Violet turned her head. She expected to see two police officers, but only Jasper stood in the entryway. He sighed, dropping his shoulders.
“They have everything they need,” he said, walking toward her. “They’ll call with any updates. There were shoe prints in the dirt, so that could be helpful?”
“Thanks for going out there with them. I needed to talk to Rosie and let her know.”
“Of course, Vi. I’m happy I could help. Are you okay?” He moved a little closer to Violet’s position on the couch. She tried smiling up at him, but her effort was lackluster.
“I’m okay, it’s just—oh shoot.” Violet whipped her head around to the wall clock, her eyes wide. “Jasper, it’s almost five, you’re late getting home.”
He ran his fingers up into the nest of his dark curls. “I—I do need to go, but… are youreallyokay? I’ll start changing soon and I don’t want… Is there anything I can do before I go? If there is, just tell me.”
Violet shook her head, smiling. “You’ve already helped a lot. I’m okay, really. If I need company, Rosie said she’ll drive up. Don’t worry.”
He glanced away and toward the empty hearth. “She lives two hours away. That’s a long time to be by yourself after something like this…” He looked at her, his eyes filled with all kinds of emotions that Violet couldn’t even begin to understand.
“You should go,” she said calmly. “If you don’t, I’ll be worried that you didn’t make it home, and I’ll have nightmares about you running from owls and foxes all night.”
He shook his head, his hand still gripping his hair and his eyes clenched shut. “Vi… I just—I wish…”
She reached down and took hold of his wrist, making him look at her. She gently pulled him toward the door. “You already told me you’ve only ever changed in your house, and that you wouldn’t feel comfortable doing it anywhere else. I understand, and I’m fine.”
They moved in silence as she guided him. The truth? Violet didn’t want to be alone right now. Just having someone else present would distract her and help ease the deepening violation she felt. But she understood his situation—he wascursed,for goodness’ sake.
When she opened the front door for him, she offered a small grin. “Alright, scurry home.”
“That’s not funny.” He stepped outside and onto the porch, then turned to face her. “When I’m human again in the morning, I’ll come back and help you clean… If that’s okay?”
“Jasper, you’re going to be exhausted. Don’t worry—”
“I’ll be fine. As soon as I’m normal again, I’ll come back and we can finish the tree?”
Violet sighed, conceding. “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Jasper watched her for a moment, nodding. He turned, his long legs moving him down the walkway, along the road and toward the woods that led to his home. Violet closed and locked the door, then went back into the sitting room. She plopped down onto the couch, lying on her stomach with her head resting against the seat cushions.
The house was totally silent and cold. As she breathed, she could hear the wall clock ticking away the seconds. She should probably salvage some firewood from the back porch and light a fire, but she didn’t want to return to the scene of the crime. The gross destruction of her gram’s personal space…Violet’s personal space. Where she painted and breathed in chamomile and mint in the sunlight. Where she had cocoa with her sister and reminisced about their childhood days.
Thinking this way, focusing on it as she was, the sadness closed in on her again like a dark bubble, shrinking. The sphere enclosed her, smaller and smaller until warm tears gathered in her eyes yet again.
Tap-tap-tap. Violet jumped at the light knocking. She pulled herself upright, wiped her face, and went back to the front door. Once there, she peeked through the small hole to see anxious gray eyes blinking back at her. She unlocked the door and pulled it open.
“I’m sorry… I’ll be completely useless after I change, but… Do you want company? May I stay with you? I’ll go outside to the greenhouse to transition, and if—if you just leave the back door cracked a little I can get back in when I’m done—”
Violet wrapped her fingers around his wrist to pull him back inside. When she closed the door, he went on, a weak smile on his face. “I know a rat in your house is pretty repulsive, but maybe it’s better than nothing?”
“You’re a mouse,” she said, guiding him back to the sitting room. “And you’renotgoing outside to change—”
“I have to. Violet, I don’t want you to see—evenhearanything with the change. It’s really and truly horrific and I wouldneverwant… I wouldn’t do that to you. I can’t…” He shook his head, his eyes very serious. He swallowed. Violet could see his Adam’s apple bob in his throat from the stress.
