“Charlotte, I didn’t tell you any of that stuff about my family because I was trying to get you to do something about it,” he said. “I told you that stuff so you would understand me better, so you would know me.”

“I know that. I know you weren’t angling for anything. But if there is a way to remove it, don’t you think you should try?” Charlotte asked.

“I told you, it’s not possible. It will only make things worse,” Leonard said.

“My mother says that’s not how curses are supposed to work,” she assured him, kneeling in front of his chair to take his hands in hers. “If you can apply it, you can remove it.”

“Well, pardon me if I’m not willing to literally bet my life on your mom’s theories,” Leonard said.

“So do you want to stay cursed?” she demanded.

“Of course not, I just want a choice in the matter!” Leonard exclaimed.

“That’s what I’m trying to give you!” she cried.

“Great! Then we both get what we want!”

He ducked his head suddenly and kissed her hard. Her arms wrapped around his neck as a reflex and he was lifting her up into his lap–again, it was like she weighed nothing. As she straddled his hips, all the possibilities of Sonja’s office chair became readily apparent. It would be wrong to strip him down entirely, she thought as she tugged at his sensible blue check tie. Nudity in Sonja’s office would feel good, but would be very, very wrong. And it would destroy her career.

It would probably be worth it.

When Charlotte finally came up for air, she gasped. “Wait, what?”

He ran his hands through his hair and settled her to sit sidesaddle across his lap. “I want to remove the curse just as much as you do. Trust me. But I’m scared. I wouldn’t be acting this way–all crazy–if I wasn’t scared. So please, please explain what you’re thinking.”

Tucked against his chest, Charlotte recapped her conversation with her mother about the eggshell, the laws of curses, and the power of belief, and how it might have kept his family trapped over the years. Leonard shifted back in his chair, a series of horrified, frustrated, and heartbroken expressions cycling across his face. She kissed his forehead. “I’m so sorry.”

“So if you’re right, all of this time, we could have found a way out of it?” Leonard asked.

“Yes, but think of how much kinder and considerate your family has been over the generations because of the bad example of Uncle Seamus.” Charlotte told him.

“It’s pretty cold comfort,” he muttered.

“Working this kind of magic is different than giving a baby a blessing,” she sighed. “It’s different than casting a curse. But I’m willing to try if you want it.”