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Back Spells for Lost Things Save as PDF
Chapters (42)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Prologue
  5. – 1 – Willow
  6. – 2 – Mason
  7. – 3 – Willow
  8. – 4 – Mason
  9. – 5 – Willow
  10. – 6 – Mason
  11. – 7 – Willow
  12. – 8 – Mason
  13. – 9 – Willow
  14. – 10 – Mason
  15. – 11 – Willow
  16. – 12 – Mason
  17. – 13 – Willow
  18. – 14 – Mason
  19. – 15 – Willow
  20. – 16 – Mason
  21. – 17 – Willow
  22. – 18 – Mason
  23. – 19 – Willow
  24. – 20 – Mason
  25. – 21 – Willow
  26. – 22 – Mason
  27. – 23 – Willow
  28. – 24 – Mason
  29. – 25 – Willow
  30. – 26 – Mason
  31. – 27 – Willow
  32. – 28 – Mason
  33. – 29 – Willow
  34. – 30 – Mason
  35. – 31 – Willow
  36. – 32 – Mason
  37. – 33 – Willow
  38. – 34 – Mason
  39. Acknowledgments
  40. More from the Author
  41. About the Author
  42. ALSO BY JENNA EVANS WELCH

Gratitude is welling up in me, and it’s sort of confusing because I don’t want to have a lot of good feelings toward Emma, but also she has offered to do several things for me, and all of them mean a lot. She’s also pretending not to notice the fact that my eyes are weirdly misty right now.

“Thank you.”

“You’re worth it,” she says, and I’m glad she doesn’t look at me.

Suddenly Nova comes storming out of the arcade, headed toward the water, Simon hurrying after her, and Emma sighs.

“What’s up with Nova?” I ask. I almost say Hurricane Nova but luckily stop myself at the last second.

“She’s only with us for the summers. The rest of the time she’s in Worcester with her mom. Ever year has been a bit harder to get her to stay. She’s getting older, and I know she misses her friends and mom. But Simon looks forward to the time all year.”

We turn to look at the two of them. Nova’s back is hunched, but Simon is leaning in, trying to get her interested in something. I try to imagine what it would be like to have two homes, one for summer, one for the rest of the time. I’m sure it isn’t easy, but the thought of even one stable home sounds both so foreign to me and out-of-this-world incredible.

“I think this summer is all about the pushback,” she says quietly. “Letting us know how she feels.” Her voice isn’t judgmental or upset. She’s simply stating facts. I sit with that for a minute. I obviously don’t trust Emma—she’s part of the same system that has hurt me a million times before—but something about her is intriguing. Which I guess makes sense—she’d been my mom’s best friend, hadn’t she?

Emma shrugs. “That’s my job, though, isn’t it? It’s kids’ jobs to push back and our job to make it safe for them to do it.” She says this so naturally, like it’s something that everybody knows. Her voice feels genuine, and I get hit with one of those waves like I do sometimes when I miss having a mom. Not even my mom, just a mom. What would it be like to have someone to always be there? The pain rises up then, burning like salt water on a wound. I brace myself. I know it won’t last forever, but for the moment, it stings like hell.

“The tour tomorrow is going to be great,” she says, then she stands up and heads for the water, and I sit for a while, watching the kids diving into the waves over and over, wondering what it would be like to have a parent you could push and push against and never have them break. It sounds imaginary.

– 17 – Willow