Page 16 of Witch's Promise

Gabe froze, his heart skipping a beat. "My young man?"

"Mm-hmm," Mr. Jonathan nodded sagely. "Tall fellow, dark hair, looks like he's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Sean, wasn't it?"

"Sean and I, we're not..." Gabe struggled to find the words, his throat suddenly dry. "That is, we haven't been together for a long time."

The Elseworths exchanged a look that Gabe couldn't quite decipher. "Is that so?" Mr. Thomas murmured. "Well, time is a funny thing, especially for beings like us. What seems like an eternity can pass in the blink of an eye, and sometimes, the heart remembers what the mind tries to forget."

Gabe wanted to argue, to explain that it wasn't that simple. That there was too much history, too much pain between him and Sean. But the words stuck in his throat, trapped behind years of regret and what-ifs.

"Here you are, dear," Mr. Jonathan said gently, pushing two boxes of donuts across the counter. "On the house. Consider it a welcome home gift."

"I can't-" Gabe started to protest, but Mr. Thomas waved him off.

"Nonsense. Just promise you won't be a stranger, alright? Salem's not the same without you, Gabriel."

Swallowing hard, Gabe nodded. "I promise. And thank you. For everything."

As he turned to leave, donuts in hand, Mr. Jonathan called out, "Oh, and Gabe? Remember, not all bridges are meant to stay burned. Some are meant to be rebuilt, stronger than before.”

Gabe's carrolled to a stop in front of a two-story house in the Central Area of Salem, a far cry from the shabby neighborhood he'd grown up in. The manicured lawn and freshly painted exterior were testaments to how far the Reed family had come. A twinge of pride mixed with an undercurrent of guilt twisted in Gabe's gut as he killed the engine.

The money he'd sent back home, courtesy of his Shadowguard salary, had allowed his family to move up in the world. They thought he worked in "private security" in New York. If only they knew the half of it.

Grabbing the boxes of donuts from The Enchanted Dough, Gabe stepped out of the car, the summer heat immediately enveloping him like a clingy ex. He could hear laughter drifting from an open window, the sound both familiar and foreign.

Taking a deep breath, Gabe strode up to the front door. His finger hovered over the doorbell for a moment as doubts assailed him. What if they were upset he hadn't called ahead? What if his surprise visit was more of an inconvenience than a joy?

The door swung open, and Gabe found himself face to face with his mother, Emily Reed. Her eyes widened, shock giving way to joy in a matter of heartbeats.

"Hi, Mom," Gabe managed, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips.

"Gabriel?" She gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my God, is it really you?"

Before Gabe could respond, he found himself enveloped in a fierce hug, the scent of his mother's familiar lavender perfume washing over him. He hugged her back just as tightly, careful not to crush the donut boxes between them.

"Surprise," Gabe murmured into her hair, feeling like a kid again in the best possible way. "I, uh, brought donuts."

She pulled back, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Donuts? Gabriel James Reed, you show up unannounced after months away and you think donuts are going to cut it?"

"They're from The Enchanted Dough," he offered, holding up the boxes like a peace offering.

His mom’s facade cracked, a laugh bubbling up. "Well, in that case, I suppose you're forgiven. Come in, come in! Everyone's going to be so excited to see you!"

As she ushered him inside, Gabe couldn't help but marvel at her. Emily Reed was a force of nature, a divination witch of considerable power even if she rarely practiced these days. Her intuition was razor-sharp, which had made keeping secrets from her a Herculean task when Gabe was growing up.

"Everyone!" His mom called out, her voice ringing through the house. "Look who's home!"

There was a moment of stunned silence, then a flurry of movement. Gabe barely had time to set down the donut boxes before he was tackled by two familiar figures.

"Gabe!" Gino, his younger brother, practically yelled in his ear. "Holy shit, man, when did you get here?"

"Language," his mom chided, but there was no heat in it.

Giana, the baby of the family, squeezed Gabe so tight he feared for his ribs. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming, you jerk? We could have planned something!"

Gabe laughed, the sound a bit strained given the death grip his siblings had on him. "That's kind of the point of a surprise, Gi. Can't breathe, by the way."

They released him, both grinning from ear to ear. Gino, ever the opportunist, immediately made a beeline for the donut boxes. "Dibs on the chocolate frosted!"

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