Ophelia lit the pumpkin and cinnamon candles and sighed as she touched the framed picture on the mantle of her and Gramma. “Love you, Gramma.”
It was hard to believe it’d been a year since she passed and transferred the family magick onto Ophelia. The months had flown by, filled with witch training with the coven, sight-seeing with Anatoli, and other things with her not-so-ghostly lover.
As if knowing she was thinking of him, Anatoli came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He rested his hands on her very round belly. Another gift the man and the Universe blessed her with.
They were having twins in another month. Maybe sooner. She was starting to feel more and more tired and her ankles swelled and everything seemed to hurt at one time or another.
Threading her fingers into Anatoli’s long hair, she smiled. A year ago, she would’ve laughed at anyone who told her she’d be pregnant and married to an almost two-hundred-year-old who looked thirty-five. Many of those years were spent as a ghost locked inside a glass bottle. It sounded crazy, and yet it was true.
“Are you all right, love? What’s on your mind?”
She nodded. “Yes. I’m okay. Just thinking about all the changes in the last year.” She turned in his arms and kissed him. He always worried about her. If she was too tired or not feeling well, he was hovering and trying to make everything better. “Have I told you I love yet today?”
A crooked, sensual smile formed on his handsome face. “Yes, but I never grow tired of hearing it. I love you, always.” He rubbed her belly. “And soon, we’ll bring two more witches into this world and our journey will be even more crazy and exciting.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
He took her into his arms and as he bent to kiss her, she could’ve sworn she heard her gramma’s voice.
I knew you could do it. Never doubt yourself for you are a strong witch.