Page 10 of Spookily Yours

Always?I cleared my throat, dropping my eyes to the floor. “I do not.”

Luna’s voice grew quiet. “Willow. You don’t have to pretend with me. I know you didn’t pick this, either.” She indicated around us at the shop.

“But I love—”

“I know.” She shook her head. “But that doesn’t change the way you’ve always avoided decisions: What to do after college? Selling mom and dad’s house? Building your own life?” She smiled sadly at me.

“I...” But I couldn’t exactly deny most of it. “I’m not selling the house.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I frowned. “There’s no reason to. I told you that. It’s my house now.” Our house, until she’d chosen to move out.

When did my little sister get so introspective?

“There are other houses,” she mumbled.

“I don’t want other houses, Lu. We’ve gone over this.”

“I just worry about you, all alone in that creaky old house.”

“So move back in.” I shrugged, like we hadn’t had this discussion multiple times since she’d brought up moving out and into the studio apartment above the bakery. “Besides, I’m not alone now. I have Damien.”

“Damien?” She raised an eyebrow.

“My cat.”

“Right.”

“Luna…”

She shook her head, her bandana that was holding her hair back swishing with the movement. “I’m sorry. I overstepped.”

“No. You’re right.” Luna’s eyes shot to mine, the surprise as clear in her eyes as I figured it was on my face. “I need to figure out my life. What I want. If…” I didn’t want to say it. I loved working with my sister. “If this is it.” Maybe it wasn’t?

She nodded. “It’s okay, you know. To make your own decisions. Even if it’s not this.”

I dumped the heavy cream into the blender, along with the flavoring, busying myself so I didn’t have to meet her eyes again.

All morning, I pondered that very thought.

Because it felt like there was something out there waiting for me, and I didn’t know what it was yet.

But I wanted to find out.

* * *

The entire morning and afternoon passed by in a blur. Saturdays during October were always a hustle and bustle of activity. The crisp autumn air was filled with the sounds of laughter and chatter as most of the town was out enjoying the perfect fall weather. Practically everyone in town had made a pit stop for Luna's famous pumpkin cookies.

I couldn’t blame them. I’d snuck three over the course of the day.

Early afternoon, I took off, leaving Luna to close up. I never considered myself a morning person, but I loved getting off early. It was the one perk of going in before the sun rose.

And now, I was probably wearing my footprints into the kitchen floor, walking back and forth as I nibbled on another cookie. Luna’s words from earlier were still bouncing around my mind.

Was I always avoiding making the big decisions? Waiting for someone else to make them for me?

Damien was sitting on top of my kitchen table, staring at me, but I didn’t have the mental energy to make him get down.

“Are you going to pace like that all day?”

I blinked.

---