Ashley locked up the entrance to the Cove and turned around to see Bella by the checkout, counting the day's earnings.

"I think we just broke even," Bella announced with a slight grin, rolling up the money and dropping the bundle in a stainless steel padlocked box that rested on the counter. "We have to celebrate!"

The store had only been open for a month, but the pair were already doing well. Most of their patrons were Fairies, Witches or other magic users who would buy spell books, tomes, seeds and magic charms that they sold in the back of the store or the 'storage room'.

"Shopping?"

"Of course." She let out an overdramatic sigh. "It's like you don't even know me."

🍴🍰🍫☕🍹🍴

As Ashley left the Glen with Bella, ready to go for their shopping spree, he was stopped by the dark-skinned woman and the blond with the heterochromatic eyes. He'd seen them more and more around the Glen and the Cove, but he hadn't thought much of it, although the darker woman looked oddly familiar.

"H-Hello... Sorry to bother you but..." The darker woman's voice faltered, and her companion sighed at her faltering.

"My name's Dianne." The blonde gestured to herself then to the other woman. "This is Aria."

"Um, Hi?" He gave them a small, nervous wave. He wasn't quite sure what they wanted, it wasn't every day he got accosted by strangers. "Have we met before? I'm bad with faces sometimes."

"Actually we have met before but..."

"Oh, for Pete's sake Aria just tell him!" Dianne exclaimed. "You've been waiting for years no amount of dallying is going to make this information more palatable."

"What exactly is happening right now?" Bella asked after letting out a huff of frustration. "We have somewhere to be."

"Go on Aria." Her friend encouraged. "They don't have all day."

"I-I'm... I'm your mother."

▪♢°°○●♢●○°°♢▪

I think this as good a place as any to end the book see you in 'Coming Together'.

- I. Tamilore Onkọwe

¤♤°●○♤○●°♤¤