Improbable Magic: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Cozy Mystery (A Magical Sleuth Mystery Book 1) by J A Whiting & May Stenmark

Author:J A Whiting & May Stenmark [Whiting, J A & Stenmark, May]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: J A Whiting and Whitemark Publishing
Published: 2021-06-10T04:00:00+00:00

11

Curious now that her memory had tossed both Tandy and Paul Ganzer into her lap, Mackie felt motivated to learn more, so she sat down at her computer and delved into the subject of imaginary friends. There was a lot of information available, which surprised her given the speculative nature of the subject. She soon learned that imaginary friends were a very common phenomenon, with at least sixty-five percent of children claiming to have one or more. The prime time for them seemed to be from ages three to eleven.

Mackie nodded as she read. That made sense. Tandy had disappeared around the time Mackie approached puberty.

But why was “she” back now?

It’s simply stress, Mackie told herself. Let’s not make more out of this than we need to, shall we?

Still, it would be good if she had someone to talk to about it.

She sighed deeply, feeling a sudden deep yearning for the comfort of her late husband, John. She was not often lonely these days. More than two years after John died, she had at last adjusted to being on her own. She didn’t like it, but she no longer woke up weeping, hours before dawn, as she used to do in the weeks and months immediately following his death.

Still, she could easily remember the crushing sorrow that threatened to overwhelm her then. Those had been terribly hard times, and Natalie, her therapist, had been very helpful and sympathetic, as had all her friends and family. But being widowed was an actual measurable loss, totally unlike the abrupt reappearance of what was essentially a trivial dream.

Of course, her little kid self would not have called Tandy trivial. Mackie had in those days sometimes insisted that a place be set for Tandy at the dinner table, despite eye rolls from her siblings. She’d even given Tandy Christmas presents.

The idea of Tandy might be a distraction, since Mackie faced the puzzle of Joe Utagawa’s death, and the problem of what to do about employment.

The problem was not as acute as it might have appeared. John’s life insurance paid out $100,000 after his demise. Mackie had been able to pay off the mortgage on their home, as well as her car loan. After that she had been left with only a few thousand dollars, but she kept working and putting money into her IRA. She’d had no plans to retire. Working helped give her life structure. She had responsibilities that needed to be met, a place where she had to show up. But then came the downsizing.

Now, even though she had a sizable severance and could collect unemployment insurance for a while, she felt reasonably secure, but unmoored.

Maybe I should sell the house and get something smaller.

She and John bought it in the hope of having children, but then he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and the idea of children went out the window. Two years later, John was dead.

Memories, and tears, welled up behind her thoughts, but she beat them back. This was not the time for a pity party.

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