Page 111 of Starrily
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Callie kneeled on the riverbank, digging her fingers into the mixture of grass, leaves, and mud. The river lay silent, with only an occasional rippling of the surface. It looked so peaceful and inviting she could stay here for days. She’d wondered if the flashes of memory would come as she gazed upon it, but her fears may finally have been satisfied and lay as dormant as the river.
Or, if she was lucky, they were gone.
“Hey,” she said, looking at the grass, the river, the air above it. “I’m back.”
She could’ve gone to the town cemetery to talk to Mila. But that was only where her bones were buried. They were her remains—but they weren’t Mila. She left the worldhere. The energy that fueled her life changed into something else in this place; and maybe, some of it still stuck around. Maybe she was in the trees, the animals, the water. Maybe she’d hear Callie.
“I’m sorry I tried to forget you,” Callie said. “I’m sorry that for so many years, I denied everything about this place. And you, and myself. You would’ve hated to see who I’ve become.”
She picked up a small pebble and skipped it on the water. One, two, three—“Huh. See, I’ve still got it.”
The ripples spread out, and the water was calm once again.
“I won’t forget you. Ever again.” Her eyes burned, and she wiped them with her sleeve. “And I promise from now on, I’ll actually try to live.”
She sat back on her heels, closed her eyes, and listened. No ghost manifested, and no voice came, but the wind blew gently, and she felt peace.
“You know I loved you,” she said. “But there’s someone else I also love very much, and gosh, Mila, you would’ve loved him too. But he …” She blinked, chasing away a new onslaught of tears. “You might get to meet him tomorrow. If there’s such thing as tomorrow for you. You might get to meet him soon. If you do… say hi. Tell him his jokes are the worst.” A hiccup of laughter escaped her. “And tell him you’re my best friend. You’ll see. You two will get along great.”
She stayed by the river for a while more, drying her tears and making final amends with herself, until the sun began to set. Finally, she was ready. When she got back to the inn, she went to check Raleigh’s room—she didn’t know what she intended to do yet, but one way or another, this was their last night. Callie would hide no longer and live with no regrets—she’d enjoy it to the last second.
As she was about to knock on his door, she noticed a note attached to it.Meet me at the magnolia tree, it said.
The magnolia tree? There was only one prominent enough not to warrant additional detail—an old giant at the edge of town, a beloved spot from Callie’s childhood. But how did Raleigh know about it?
She caressed the note and smiled. She’d go ask him herself.
Chapter 26
Raleigh sat under the widespread branches of the magnolia tree, watching the stars emerge in the darkening sky. The Guidry Witches might not have gotten their name from the ability to suggest magical spots for a date, but they should have because this place was amazing. It was a serene meadow, an unpaved pathway away from town and a line of trees away from the bayou. A perfect in-between, dominated by a thirty-foot tall magnolia tree—Raleigh didn’t even know they could grow this big—practically swallowed in pinkish-white blooms. The fresh, citrusy smell was so strong Raleigh knew he was going to the right place before he even saw the tree.
It was strange to think this would all still be here tomorrow, and he might not. No more sunsets and stars for him. And even if another Raleigh remained, he wouldn’t look at them the same.
But he’d rather have a finite end than become a ghost.
“Hi.”
Raleigh turned to the voice, and his melancholy thoughts dissipated. Callie stood on the other end of the clearing, comingoff the path. It was great to be alive for one last night—that way,shecould take his breath away.
She was wearing a dress he’d never seen before, simple in design with a round neckline and a skirt that flared slightly at the waist and ended above her knees, but striking in a color somewhere between pink and red. As she approached, she pulled at the silk scarf he’d given her.
“I feel under-dressed now,” he remarked.
Callie smiled and pushed back a lock of her hair. She’d left it unbraided, and the voluminous curls floated around her head—like that day, back at the zero-gravity flight. Witch or not, she looked magical.
“I figured I should wear it at least twice,” she said as she sat beside him on the blanket.
“When have you worn it before?”
“At the AAS dinner. The one with all the scientists?”
“Oh, I remember. You were at the fancy dinner; I was at a yacht party.”
She inclined her head in confirmation.
“Glad to see you could make it this time,” he said.
