Ethel broke out into unexpected laughter, aiming at Leanne with dual finger guns. “If you’d asked me to put money on who’d ask me to rebel, I wouldn’t have wagered on you. Yet here we are.”

“Well?” Leanne prompted. “Who’s with me?”

A long silence followed, and she half expected some of the coven to walk out. Only none of them did. One by one, they started unpacking their spell components, setting up the supplies necessary to craft protective charms. Leanne’s eyes filled with tears, and she tried to blink them away before they fell.

She failed. “Thank you all so much.”

The rest of the witches surrounded her, hugging her from all sides, then Vanessa spoke. “We’re with you. Let’s save your husband.”

***

Spending the night at Dante’s place turned out to be fun as hell.

His friend lived in a two-bedroom apartment on the first floor. That was a good decision so neighbors didn’t hear his kid running around. The place was decorated in early bachelor chic with rummage sale finds and strange, amateur watercolors Dante’s various aunties had painted. Soon after they got back, Bettina, Dante’s ex, dropped his daughter, Evonnie, off for the weekend, and she was a bundle of energy; she had just turned eight. She liked video games as much as Trev. The three of them played Crash Team Racing until well past her bedtime, then Trev listened from the front room as Dante read the kid a story.

It was sweet and wholesome, but a pang of sorrow went through him that Dante couldn’t work it out with Evonnie’s mother and that he seemed to be going nowhere with Margie as well. Sometimes people’s scars made it tough for others to get close.

He sent Leanne a message to let her know where he was, not because he had to, but he didn’t want her to worry.

At Dante’s place tonight. His daughter is here. Cute kid.

He wanted to ask her stance on children but couldn’t bring himself to do it since he wasn’t even sure if they were in an actual relationship. She’d recruited him more than proposed, laying out the ways in which she’d find him useful. And he’d done his best to meet those terms and conditions, yet he stayed anxious that, at any moment, she’d say, And scene! That’s a wrap, we’re good. The husband role is being eliminated, but thanks for playing. You get a hearty handshake and a waffle iron.