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When she finally returned home, Ella hesitated inside the front door to the cottage. Both Raven and Morgan were sitting on the sofa, and whatever they’d been talking about faded into silence as they turned to her.
“What is it? What's going on?” Ella closed the door behind her and tried not to let that all-too familiar fear twist her stomach. She had made her choice and she had the feeling that the consequences of that awaited her.
“We received a letter from the academy.” Morgan held out a large, gilded envelope, her cheeks pink and her eyes shining. “Do you know what this means?”
Even Raven looked excited as Ella accepted the envelope. “That I... got disciplined or expelled?”
“Silly. You technically graduated before you became an apprentice. They can’t expel you, but they can certify you as a faerie godmother. Congratulations! You're ready for your second year of apprenticeship, Faerie Godmother Ella!” Morgan clapped her hands together, a gesture that had Raven rolling her eyes.
“Don’t you know a certification when you see one?” Raven asked.
Ella turned the envelope over in her hands, still not believing that was what she held. This was the key to her entire future, to a career that would mean decades, even centuries, of service for the good of the women of the world.
“I guess I don’t, no. I thought... Never mind what I thought.”
“But you did think. That’s the point.” Raven tapped on the bottom of the envelope. “Sure, they teach us a lot of faerie magic stuff in school, but there are things they can’t teach, like how to seize the moment. How to think on our feet and solve problems. Congratulations, you did it."
"Oh." Ella held the envelope loosely between her hands, not sure how she felt about this moment, one she had anticipated her entire life. She had studied and practiced and aced all her written tests. Now she got to put all of that knowledge into action, yet no one had told her real life wouldn't resemble her lessons. What was it all for, the time and energy she had put into school?
"The Academy really didn’t prepare you for this, did it?" Morgan asked, almost apologetically. "I think the Head Office saw that, though, and they knew you were so by the book that they had to find a way to push you out of your comfort zone. It wasn't maliciously done. It was just a reminder that not everything is as simple as it seems."
"Including love?" Ella lifted her gaze to her fellow faerie godmothers.
Raven's throaty chuckle was sympathetic, not her usual mocking laugh. "Definitely. If love was that simple, people would take it for granted."
Ella wanted to disagree, to say not facing challenges didn't diminish her feelings for Addison. But there was something about facing a test together that made her realize the depth of her emotions, how much she cared about the woman she had grown to love.
"Then,” she concluded, “it's not so much that rules were made to be broken, as bent when that serves good."
"That's one way to look at it," Morgan agreed. "Rules help us function, but if we adhere to them rigidly, we run the risk of blinding ourselves to what we actually need to do to solve a problem."
“And the not falling in love rule? What about that?” For the first time in her life, Ella was challenging not just what she’d been taught, but the people she was supposed to rely upon for that education. And, surprisingly, they both seemed receptive to her questioning.
Raven shrugged and perched on the arm of the sofa. “You know how I feel about that.” She turned her thumb down and blew out a raspberry. “It’s bullshit and it needs to go.”
“It’s more of a warning or guideline than a hard and fast rule.” Morgan shot Raven a glare of disapproval. “Love opens us up to all kinds of things, makes us vulnerable, especially with other species. But, as the humans say, love is love and you know no one in faeriekind would dispute that.”
“So Addison and I can...” Ella swallowed, the envelope in her hands now trembling.
“You can be together, and you don’t have to choose between her or being a faerie godmother. She’ll never know what it’s like to be part of the world you come from, just as you will never know what it is to be a witch, but you aren’t that dissimilar and you don’t need anyone else’s approval to have her in your life. Including mine.” Morgan’s lips lifted in a smile. “But you do have mine, even though you don’t need it. As long as she makes you happy, that’s what matters the most.”
It was the first time anyone had said those words to Ella. She’d spent her entire life learning how to make others happy. Being given permission to find her own happiness made her heart soar. She grinned and tore open the envelope to withdraw the sparkling paper. She had passed her test and was a certified faerie godmother, with the gold, pink, and silver sparkles to prove it.
Ella released a squeal of excitement and leapt forward to hug both Morgan and Raven. They pulled together in a group hug and Ella whispered, “Sisters, thank you.”
“You’re the one who did it, who found her own way,” Morgan whispered back.
“And now you truly are a sister godmother to us.” Raven closed her eyes. “We’ve got your back anytime, Ella.”
It was a fitting place for a second first date, to rekindle their relationship and move it forward. The park where they had listened to music, talked, kissed, and Addison had revealed her powers to Ella. This time, they brought a picnic lunch and Ella told Addison everything about her work and her world that she could. Without revealing any fae secrets, of course!
“So, you really do spend your time helping others,” Addison said as they repacked the basket with the leftover food. “That’s one of the reasons my great-grandmother before me opened the shop, to help others, even non-witch seekers. I feel the same way, that I’m also here to be of service and help to other people. It would be so cool if you could use the shop as a place to, I don’t know, meet people who need you.”
“The assignments come to me directly from the Head Office at the Academy. I’m not sure I get to pick and choose,” Ella pointed out, picking up the last of their trash to dispose of it in a nearby garbage can.
Addison cocked her head to one side, her lips pursed. “Maybe not, but your assignments are all local, right? A lot of people come into Curious Things looking for solutions. Maybe being in close proximity to them will help get them what they need.”
Ella sank to her knees on the blanket next to Addison. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I want you to work in the shop with me whenever you can. It’ll be a great way to continue getting to know each other.” Addison turned and knelt, as well. “As you know, I’ve got a lot to figure out with my mom and her side of the family, like whether or not I want to get to know my cousin and aunt.”
The question Ella didn’t want to ask came out anyway. “Has... has Anthea been around?”
“Just once since I found out, and she was really nice. She just wanted me to know that she was sorry she had to keep secrets from me. I’m welcome to visit her and my aunt, and see if I think their coven would be a good fit. Same goes for Lily.”
Ella nodded, unsure of what she hoped Addison would decide. No matter what, it would have to be her choice at this point. The file she’d had on Addison no longer existed. Just as Anthea had said, the test had nothing to do with Addison, and everything to do with Ella.
“Do you have a particular inclination toward either of them?” she couldn’t help but wonder.
“I don’t know, yet. Lily was very kind to me when I needed someone to listen, and she came at me with honesty right off the bat. But Anthea is family, close family. One coven chose the right hand path and the other chose the left hand path, which isn’t inherently evil. It’s just different.” Addison shrugged. “I can always stay a witch without a coven. Like I said, all I ever wanted to do was help people. I’m not sure I need more witches to help me accomplish that, but it wouldn’t hurt to learn both paths.”
“Knowledge is a good thing,” Ella agreed.
“I know there’s a lot out there I have yet to learn.” Addison shrugged, her eyes shining. “Either way, I have time to figure that out, and it’ll be easier with someone supportive at my side.”
Ella leaned close and framed Addison’s face with her hands. “The same goes for me, Addison. I feel like I can accomplish anything with your love. Maybe be even more helpful to Morgan and help keep Raven in line.”
Addison laughed. "Ah yes, I almost forgot they're faerie godmothers too. You told me so many things today. Well, I can’t imagine it’d be easy to wrangle someone like Raven, but I give you kudos for being willing to try. Anyway, I hope it doesn’t matter anymore what we are, just who we are, because I love you, Ella, just as you are."
Ella smiled as they leaned in simultaneously for a kiss that left her lips tingling and her entire being filled with excitement about what came next there in Winslow.
And, somewhere downtown, Raven was making another tourist pee herself at the sight of the Standin’ on a Corner statue appearing to come to life...
The End