Page 7 of Just a Heartbeat Away

“Yeah, I was gonna go grocery shopping tonight after work anyways.” Via’s stomach flipped.Work. Oh Lordy.Was there anything more nerve-racking than the first day of school? “Are you still up from last night?”

Serafine wasn’t a good sleeper. “Yeah. Weird vibes floating around Brooklyn last night. Just couldn’t drift off.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Fin.” Via waggled the coffeepot toward her friend and got a nod. Via poured two cups, tossed some cinnamon in one of them for Serafine and pulled up a chair next to her. “Just coming by to eat my cereal?”

They’d lived together up until four months ago when Via had finally saved up enough to live on her own. A personal dream of hers ever since she’d been shuffled into the foster system at age twelve. She loved her new little one-bedroom in Bensonhurst. It had peeling paint, sure, but good light and a real kitchen. And if she was lonely now and again, she figured that was just her body’s way of getting used to a new normal.Nothing to see here, folks.

Besides, Serafine stopped by a few times a week anyhow.

“I came to wish you luck, sister. On your very first day in a real public elementary.” Fin’s eyes took in Via’s outfit in a critical yet not judgmental way. “You look good.”

Via suspected she was a little dressier than she had to be in her emerald tailored pants and her ivory silk blouse, but she’d wanted to look a little older this morning. She’d wanted to look put-together in every possible way. God, she couldn’t wait until she hit thirty. She was twenty-seven and sick of it. Maybe it was her small stature or her young face, but she felt like she’d spent her entire life just shy of being taken seriously. She’d left her hair kissing her shoulders and added some small gold earrings that she’d splurged on when she’d been hired.

She teased at one of the earrings. She still couldn’t believe she could afford things like this. Shiny things. Superfluous things. Extras.Frosting, Jetty, her foster mother and Serafine’s aunt, had used to call things like that. Frosting on the cake of life. Well, Via had spent pretty much all of her twenties baking the cake, and now she was learning how to add a little frosting.

“Thanks.” She looked up at Serafine and told the truth, the way they always did with one another. “God, I’m nervous.”

Serafine nodded once. Then set her cereal aside and held up three fingers one at a time. “You’re qualified. You’re hardworking. You’re naturally gifted at working with children.”

Via nodded, too. “Thanks. I know you’re right.” She rose and grabbed a protein bar from her fridge and poured her coffee into a travel cup for the walk to school. “And you’re getting crumbs on my kitchen floor.”

“Adds character,” Serafine insisted through a mouthful of dry cereal.

Via chuckled and kissed her friend on the top of the head. A puff of lavender and bergamot came off of Serafine’s wild hair. Via grabbed her keys off the hook and took a deep breath.

“Wait!” Serafine called, pulling her feet off the table and setting her bowl aside. “I brought something for you.”

“Oh, Fin.” Via’s whole face warmed as she saw the pendant swinging from Serafine’s fingers. “It’s stunning. Did you make it?”

“Of course. Special for you. Cleansed the crystal myself. It’s garnet. For career success.”

It was a rough-hewn stone of deep red, small and interesting. It rolled across the small gold swatch of Via’s chest and settled perfectly on her breastbone. Though Via had always been a little skeptical of tarot cards and tea leaves, something in her had always bought in to Serafine’s crystal work. The woman prescribed crystals the way other people did ibuprofen, chicken soup, a pint of rocky road and a rom-com. Via felt like she could almost feel it working already, bringing her success even as it warmed against her chest. And it was gorgeous to boot.

“Frosting.” Serafine smiled.

Via’s hand automatically went to the pendant. “I was just thinking about that.”

“Well, I wanted you to have some first-day juju,and I know how much you love shiny things.”

Via laughed, blushing a little. “Well, it’s gorgeous.” She gave Fin a hug, a real one.

Via took a fortifying breath and headed out the door. She had her witchy sister in her corner, a magic necklace and a master’s degree.Bring it on, Brooklyn Public Schools.

TURNEDOUTTHATlots of people had first-day-of-school jitters. Via was comforted by the teachers rushing the hallways with school supplies in one hand and coffee in the other, waving harried hellos and lining up at the Xerox machine. She was even more comforted by the wave of loud, chirping, summer-fresh children that poured into the school around 8:15.

Right, she reminded herself. She could do this. This was the easy part. As the new third–fifth grade student counselor, Via wouldn’t see any kids on her first day, but she did have an insane number of files to read over. She’d come in the week before to set up her office, and now she smiled as the sun shifted overhead and caught the three clear crystals that spun in her window with the breeze.

She ate lunch by herself, at her wooden desk. At 4:15, she took a deep breath and checked her makeup in the bathroom on the way to the staff meeting in the library. The weeklong orientation she’d gone through last month had been with all the new staff in the district, but unfortunately, none of them had been from PS 128. And she hadn’t gotten a chance to meet hardly anyone when she’d come in to set up her office, though a few people had popped their heads in to say hi.

She stepped into the back of the library and put a small, professional smile on her face. She could do this. How many new schools had she been punted into as a foster kid? How many mandatory after-school programs and group therapy sessions had she had to step into and find a place for herself? The answer was a lot. The answer was also that it never seemed to get much easier. The main difference here was that this room, right here, was Via’s choice. This was a step shewantedto be taking in her life. She took a deep breath.

Teachers were milling around, greeting each other, finding their seats. Via was just about to walk up to a group of older, chatting teachers and introduce herself when Principal Grim tapped one of her very large rings against a water glass.

The sound tinkled through the room, and Via felt like she was at a wedding. Not that she’d ever actually been to a wedding. But, you know, goals.

“Shall we?” the mildly eccentric but very competent older woman called to her staff.

Via slipped into one of the chairs set up toward the edge of the room and watched everyone settle in around her. Principal Grim was just standing up when something caught Via’s eye.

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