Page 91 of Love, Magic and Misfortune
“I’m so sorry, Vi. Why would they even steal an old chest? I don’t understand.”
“Well, it was an antique pine chest from the 1800s. I painted all over it when I was a kid, but I’m sure they got a good amount of money for it. Jillian keeps using her phone calls to reach out to Rosie. She asked her to find a good lawyer and is promising that she had nothing to do with this and it’s all a big mistake.”
“Is it?”
“No. She’s just lying. The detective sent us her mug shot from the UK from when she was seventeen, and the friend she ratted out confessed to everything and is hoping to get some kind of plea deal. They’re basically blaming each other. It’s all so awful.”
Jasper leaned down, resting his cheek against Violet’s hair. The small gesture made her heart skip despite the melancholy over her gram’s lost items: the chest, Ginger’s journal and books. Little pieces of her family had been stolen and dispersed into the world without her permission and she hated it.
“I have something to tell you,” Jasper said. “Something good, I think.”
“I could use some good news. Do you now also change into laundry detergent? That would be handy since I’m out and need to do a load.”
Jasper laughed. “No. I—I started seeing a therapist last week.”
Violet blinked, sitting straight. “Oh wow. What made you decide to talk to someone?”
“Ever since you said Freddie started seeing someone, I don’t know… The seed was planted in my head? Then all that awful stuff with Jillian last week. It just felt like a good time to start. We—” Jasper lifted his hand, threading his long fingers into his dark hair and making a mess of his trimmed but still wonderfully floppy curls. “We talk a lot about my mom… and how she treated me. How she still doesn’t contact me or interact with me.”
“I think that’s good, Jas. Talking to someone—wait. Did you tell the therapist about the curse?”
“Of course not.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I just told her it’s a very private matter and I don’t want to disclose the details. I think she’s making some assumptions though. She doesn’t say anything directly but it’s obvious she’s decided something in her head.”
“Hm, that’s awkward.”
“It’s fine. For me, the truth is much worse than anything she could be imagining.”
Violet shook her head, but smiled. “I’m proud of you.”
He snickered. “Why?”
“You’re doing all these things now. You buy your own groceries and go into town regularly. You’re seeing a therapist and I noticed you even have painters refinishing the exterior of your house and fixing the shutters.”
“I shouldn’t have let things at the house get so bad like that anyway. In retrospect I’m pretty embarrassed about it.”
“But you’re living your life as ahumannow. You’re changing your perspective and it’s amazing to witness.”
“I just… Maybe I needed someone to tell me I was allowed to do this? That it was okay to try?”
Like always, Violet’s affection for him bubbled up in her chest. She reached over and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers as she smiled. “It’s more than okay.”
He squeezed her hand, staring forward with reddish-orange shadows dancing across his face from the fire. “I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere or do anything after I changed that first time. My mom was hysterical about me staying inside. I remember her screaming at my dad that nobody could ever know—that I was a ‘disgusting monster’ and it was like she had lost her child. She told him she felt like she didn’t have a son anymore. That it would have been better if I’d died. So I just… I figured she was right and always stayed hidden. I tried to, anyway.”
The knot in Violet’s throat made it difficult to breathe. When she managed to inhale, tears streamed from her eyes. She reached her free hand up to wipe them away and Jasper leaned forward.
“I’m sorry, Vi—I shouldn’t be dumping this on you. Especially not now with everything—”
“No, I—” She breathed again, trying to ease the pain in her chest. “I can’t believe someone made you feel like that for so long. It hurts my heart and I had no idea what was happening to you. No clue at all.” She looked up, meeting his eyes. “Your mother was wrong, Jas. Very, very wrong.”
“I… Well, I’m learning as much. My therapist—her name is Maria—says it’ll take time, and the things my mother said and did can’t ever be erased. But… I can adopt new truths. I want to accept them and focus on those things. The things I feel and see around me now instead of focusing on the things of the past. Like you sitting next to me and holding my hand. This is something here, now, that I want to focus on. It’s incredible to me.”
Violet laid her head on his shoulder. “Nah, this is basic best friend stuff. Always and forever.” Violet closed her eyes, but when Jasper didn’t respond, she lifted her head and looked at him. “Hello?”
“Yes?”
