BooksBarbecue
Back Spells for Lost Things
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

Once I leave, I won’t be able to contact her. Not only would it put Willow in a bad situation; it’s too risky for me and Mom. Because I’ve been removed from my mom’s guardianship, it will actually be illegal for me to be with her, so if anyone finds out where I am, I’ll be removed, and I know in my heart that I can’t survive that again.

I can contact Willow after I’ve aged out of foster care. Maybe she’ll be traveling, and I can meet her at a train station in Barcelona or on a bridge in Florence. By then, she’ll probably have figured out how to keep her shoelaces tied and her hair slightly less wild, but she’ll still be the same person, and we’ll pick up where we left off. We’ll still get our chance.

Or maybe it will be too late. Maybe you’ll never see her again.

The thoughts force their way in, and I do my best to shove them back out. Our last day together was perfect. That has to count for something.

I spend a good ten minutes writing and deleting my final text to her. I want to tell her I’ll come back for you, or at the very least I’m sorry, but all of those will alarm her and might tip off my plan. So instead I settle on Good night, Willow, which isn’t quite goodbye, but it’s all I can say and I hope she’ll understand.

And then it’s 4:45.

I don’t think a note is a good idea, so I leave my worn copy of Astrophysics for Teens. In the front I write, For Nova, Hazel, Zoe, and Audrey. I put on my backpack, look at my tidy bedroom one last time. I’m about to crawl out the window when I suddenly know exactly how to say goodbye to Willow.

I take my star log out of my pocket, scribble an entry in the back, and then write her name on the front cover. WILLOW. Her name looks like it belongs there. I set the notebook carefully on the desk, my fingers lingering on its spine. This notebook has been with me for so long, it’s basically part of my soul now. I can’t believe I’m even considering this. But leaving it is right. I won’t need it anymore, not when I’ll actually be with my mom. Besides, me leaving it will let Willow know how much it means to me, and now no matter what, a piece of me will always be with her. Besides, it means I’ll have to find her again.