Page 129 of The Lone Wolf Café
My father and sisters arrived just as we hauled our suitcases to the front door. My sisters squeezed me so tight that my ribs were sore, and my father’s sweet, cheerful goodbye nearly broughttears to my eyes. My entire life, I’d never been able to leave my home island. Now, he was sending me out into the world with a smile on his face.
They had a ferry to catch back to Hollenboro, so it was just me, Rowena, and my mother headed to the café for a quick breakfast. Technically, we could’ve eaten at the cottage, but Rowena wanted to do a final inspection of the café before we left. That place was her baby, and I knew how hard it was for her to leave it.
My mother settled by the fireplace with a cup of coffee, and Rowena set her teapot on the hot plate while Mavro happily munched on his charcoal. We offered for the elementals to come with us to Boston, especially since humans couldn’t see them. But Fritzi was happy on Mount Katahdin, and Mavro insisted on keeping an eye on the café while we were gone.
In reality, that meant him napping by the fireplace and helping himself to as much charcoal as he pleased, but I didn’t say anything.
That left Aria, who happily agreed to come. Elementals couldn’t speak, but I could sense she’d never strayed far beyond her woodland home and was just as eager to see the world as I was.
“It’s a good thing you chose me, then,” I giggled as she nuzzled my shoulder. Since she was so small, she would be easy to travel with. The chest pocket of my dress had practically become her mobile home.
Just as I was about to head into the back kitchen, ready to venture out to Mount Katahdin to grab the leftovers from the party, there was a knock at the front door.
“Surprise!” the trio shouted as soon as Rowena opened the door. It was Nina, Willow, and Mabel, each bundled up in their winter clothes and carrying a cloth-covered basket.
“We wanted to say goodbye before you left,” Mabel explained as the three witches walked inside and set the goods on the counter. “And bring you some breakfast.”
Willow lifted the cloth off one of the baskets, and Rowena and I gasped.
Inside were a variety of pastries, from scones and croissants to muffins, bear claws, and even a whole French baguette with jam and butter.
“Where did you get these?” Rowena asked. I was wondering the same thing – as far as I was aware, we were the only bakery in Wisteria Grove.
“We slipped away to Bar Harbor and found a bakery there,” Nina grinned. “Figured you’d want someone else to bake you sweets for a change.”
“You guys are amazing!” I exclaimed, clapping my hands together. “Thank you so much!”
“But, uh, guys…” Rowena interrupted as she lifted the cloth on one of the other baskets. “Blueberry pie isn’t exactly a breakfast food.”
Willow raised a devious eyebrow. “Fine, you don’t get any then.”
“Hey now, let’s not rush to conclusions. I just–”
“Rowena,” Willow laughed. “Relax. Besides, you two are officially on vacation. You can eat whatever you want.” She lifted the pie from the basket and set it behind the counter. “Including pie for breakfast. Speaking of which, do you guys have a knife?”
Ten minutes later, the five of us were gathered around one of the café tables, eagerly diving into our less-than-healthy breakfast. My mother remained by the fireplace, reading a book as she sipped her coffee, but she did help herself to a croissant. I knew she wanted to give me and my friends some “girl time”.
And now, they truly were my friends. And Rowena’s, too. In the weeks following the Halloween incident, the witches ofWisteria Grove stopped giving her the cold shoulder. After all, she’d helped save the town as much as I did. There were still plenty of less cordial witches that were still unhappy about our presence, but that number was dwindling every day. We were no longer just outcast werewolves. We were heroes. Valuable members of the community.
And for the first time in years, people were dining in The Lone Wolf Café again. It was no longer merely a place to pick up pastries and tea – it was a community space where chatter and gossip were exchanged over blueberry scones and cups of Earl Grey tea. It was a beautiful experience, spending my days weaving through the tables of chatting patrons, serving them piping hot pastries fresh out of the oven. The café was far more exciting this way. We’d even had to bring in more tables and chairs to accommodate everyone.
We were happy. Well… mostly. There was still one thing I knew bothered Rowena. I saw it in her eyes every time she played with the beads of her tourmaline necklace.
Juniper. Her attitude hadn’t changed since Halloween. If anything, she’d become even more distant. She often had Mabel or Nina pick up her migraine-relieving tea orders, which meant Rowena and I rarely saw her. And the few times Juniper was here, she shut down all of Rowena’s attempts at conversation. She was always in and out – never spending even a second seated at one of the chairs in the café.
But there was nothing we could do. Change took time. Maybe someday, Juniper would come around. Until then, we’d keep bagging up her tea orders and offering her plenty of greetings and smiles.
We’d had so many victories. We couldn’t dwell on one failure.
No matter how much it hurt Rowena.
After breakfast, the six of us washed our dishes, wiped down the countertops and tables, and lit the fire in the fireplace. It wastime to go, but Rowena couldn’t pull herself away from the café. She spent nearly ten minutes double-checking every corner of the place before my mother and I pulled her aside.
“Everything’s going to be fine,” I gently reassured her, brushing a stray lock of black hair away from her face. “You worry too much.”
“I’ve never left the café for this long before.”
“I know,” I squeezed her shoulder. We were standing next to the front counter, and even Mavro gave her a reassuring pat. “The elementals will be here to keep an eye on the place. My mother even offered to stop by every few days to check on them.”
