“Thanks.” She looked up at Serafine and told the truth, the way they always did with one another. “God, I’m nervous.”

Serafine nodded once. Then set her cereal aside and held up three fingers one at a time. “You’re qualified. You’re hardworking. You’re naturally gifted at working with children.”

Via nodded, too. “Thanks. I know you’re right.” She rose and grabbed a protein bar from her fridge and poured her coffee into a travel cup for the walk to school. “And you’re getting crumbs on my kitchen floor.”

“Adds character,” Serafine insisted through a mouthful of dry cereal.

Via chuckled and kissed her friend on the top of the head. A puff of lavender and bergamot came off of Serafine’s wild hair. Via grabbed her keys off the hook and took a deep breath.

“Wait!” Serafine called, pulling her feet off the table and setting her bowl aside. “I brought something for you.”

“Oh, Fin.” Via’s whole face warmed as she saw the pendant swinging from Serafine’s fingers. “It’s stunning. Did you make it?”

“Of course. Special for you. Cleansed the crystal myself. It’s garnet. For career success.”

It was a rough-hewn stone of deep red, small and interesting. It rolled across the small gold swatch of Via’s chest and settled perfectly on her breastbone. Though Via had always been a little skeptical of tarot cards and tea leaves, something in her had always bought in to Serafine’s crystal work. The woman prescribed crystals the way other people did ibuprofen, chicken soup, a pint of rocky road and a rom-com. Via felt like she could almost feel it working already, bringing her success even as it warmed against her chest. And it was gorgeous to boot.

“Frosting.” Serafine smiled.

Via’s hand automatically went to the pendant. “I was just thinking about that.”

“Well, I wanted you to have some first-day juju, and I know how much you love shiny things.”

Via laughed, blushing a little. “Well, it’s gorgeous.” She gave Fin a hug, a real one.

Via took a fortifying breath and headed out the door. She had her witchy sister in her corner, a magic necklace and a master’s degree. Bring it on, Brooklyn Public Schools.

TURNED OUT THAT lots of people had first-day-of-school jitters. Via was comforted by the teachers rushing the hallways with school supplies in one hand and coffee in the other, waving harried hellos and lining up at the Xerox machine. She was even more comforted by the wave of loud, chirping, summer-fresh children that poured into the school around 8:15.

Right, she reminded herself. She could do this. This was the easy part. As the new third–fifth grade student counselor, Via wouldn’t see any kids on her first day, but she did have an insane number of files to read over. She’d come in the week before to set up her office, and now she smiled as the sun shifted overhead and caught the three clear crystals that spun in her window with the breeze.