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They’d gotten a little set up in the human world. They’d figured out some food they could eat; that as long as they were gentle with their magic they could use it in small bursts; and they had even gone clothes shopping. Time to get to work finding a way back.
“The question is, where to start?” Gus tapped his fingers on the table.
“Back at the shack?” Willow suggested. “That portal’s closed but there might be some, I dunno, traces or something.”
“And we could maybe clean it up and use it as a base of operations or something,” said Hunter.
“It’s a plan,” said Amity. “And that’s better than what we had. Let’s head out.”
“How far is this shack?” asked Camilla.
They all looked at Luz. “Not far, Mamá. We’ll be fine to walk.”
“Good. I’ll walk with you. If you kids will be spending your time there, I want to know where it is.”
The walk was … interesting. Hunter was visibly trying to look in every direction at once for threats. Gus was doing the same, except he was looking for, as he put it, “cool human stuff”. They had almost literally had to drag him away from the bicycle. Willow was doing the same, except over all the plants. And Amity… Amity was sticking close to Luz, which she was entirely up for, and once or twice their hands brushed, which gave Luz an idea. She started slowly dropping back until they were walking at the rear of the group, behind Camila. Amity reached over, and Luz caught her hand, and Amity’s smile spoke volumes.
Camila - thinking ahead - had stuffed a couple of flashlights in her purse, and they all looked around disheartenedly. The shack didn’t look any better in the daylight. “As my dads say,” Willow said, “sooner begun means sooner done.”
“Yeah… Mamá, I think we need the toolbox.” Luz said.
“Ah, sí, you’re right. Let’s go back and get it.”
Everyone turned for the door and Camilla waved them down. “No, no, just me and Luz. We’ll walk back, load it in the car, and drive back. The road's not far.” The others went back to looking around, but Amity kept her eyes on Luz for an extra half second, a look that said I’ll miss you.
Camila and Luz walked in silence for awhile, then Camila spoke up.
“I like your friends, m'ija.”
“They’re good people, Mamá.”
“Of course they are, or you wouldn’t be friends with them.” They walked another half block. “I’ve seen you smile more when with them than I ever have seen you with friends before.”
That may be because being around Amity makes me want to have a permanent dopey grin on. Luz thought, but out loud she said, “They're the best.”
Camila sighed. “You really are happy there, aren’t you, m'ija? Happier than you ever were here?”
“Yeah, Mamá.” She felt herself starting to tear up. “I am, Mamá, I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be sorry for being happy, querida. I want you to be.” Camila gave her a considering look. “Luz… any life decision you make, any path you choose, I want you to be happy with it.” Camila took a deep breath. “Making you promise to come back to stay was… unfair of me. And I won’t hold you to it.”
“It’s alright, Mamá, I understood.” Staying. Here. Where I don’t mess things up. That’s not a bad idea, come to think of it. I’ll tell them I promised Mamá…
“I’ll just look at it like - like if you moved to the big city. You’ll have your friends there, your life there… I just hope you’ll come home now and then to see your Mamá…”
Oh! She turned to hug her. “Mamá, of course, if we manage to figure out how to portal back and forth then of course I will. And you need to come visit too. I want you to meet Eda and King and everyone.”
There was a little more silence, and then her Mamá spoke again, clearly choosing her words carefully. “Luz… when I say any life decision you make, I mean any life decision, ¿entiendes? ”
What’s Mamá trying to say - oh. Oh no. She knows. She knows.
“Mamá…”
“I don’t want to embarrass you or maybe overstep a line… but I see the way Amity looks at you. It’s how your Papa used to look at me when we were young.” Camila sighed; Luz felt her face heat. “That girl is utterly besotted with you.”
Uhhh. luz.exe has encountered an error and had to restart. Wait -
“Mamá -” Luz was laughing despite also blushing her head off, “... ‘besotted’?”
“What, would you prefer ‘absolutely twitterpated’? ¿O tal vez, ‘encantada’? Or, ah, what is it you kids today say, ‘down bad’?”
“Mamaaaaaa!”
They had to stop walking to let Luz fall over and giggle.
Later, after they got home and loaded the toolbox (not without effort):
Camila leaned on the car for a moment, catching her breath. “Ah, I’m not young anymore.”
“Oh, Mamá -”
And then Camila gave Luz a very serious look. “Luz, querida … I was serious about Amity. I don’t know if you noticed or not; I know you can be oblivious sometimes. But she is head-over-heels for you. She looks at you like … like you put the stars in the sky just for her. If you’re not interested in her the same way, you need to talk it out with her and let the poor girl down gently. But if you are…”
Camila took a deep breath and to her shock Luz saw tears in her mother’s eyes. “If you are, then go for it. Because love is rare in this world and when it comes along you need to give it everything you’ve got. For as long as you have it. You don't know how much time you'll have with someone; don't waste any of it.”
Oh, Mamá, if only you’d been around... Luz took a deep breath. “Mamá, you’re completely right… and I asked Amity out about ... two months ago. We’re together.”
There was a short silence. “Well, now don’t I feel silly about that whole speech.”
“Oh, Mamá no, don’t be. It means … so much to me to… know that you… support...”
She doesn't care that Amity's a girl. Or a witch. Or from a reality a few dimensions over. All she wants is for me - for us - to be happy. Oh, Mamá...
They were delayed for a bit while Luz cried and Camila held her.
“Also, I want to hear the entire story.”
“Can we wait for her to tell it with me?”
When they pulled up to the closest point on the road to the shack, Hunter and Amity were standing there waiting. And if they weren’t outed already, it would have been hard for Mamá to miss the way Amity’s eyes lit up at seeing the car.
“Please, allow me.” Hunter said, reaching past Camila to take the toolbox in one hand and carry it effortlessly back towards the shack.
Which left Luz and Amity facing each other. Amity tried to force a normal smile, raised her hand, “Hi!”
Luz sighed and opened her arms. “C’mere, batata -” (ignoring her Mamá squealing “¡¿‘Batata’?!” from behind her) “- we’ve been figured out.”
The hug was worth it. And then Camila hugged Amity.
And Luz tried not to think it might be the first proper mom-hug Amity ever got.
(epilogue? epilogue)
“And then she was like ‘what are you? who are you?! I want answers!’ and was all rawwwwr shake shake shake!” Luz put up her hands and imitated Amity shaking her, “And I was all grblwarblwarblwarblwarbl…” imitating what her face had done.
Camita turned on Amity, but she was laughing, “You picked her up and shook her ?”
Amity was blushing, but also laughing, “I didn’t know what she was, except for the weirdest abomination I ever saw!”