Pawsitively Cursed by Melissa Erin Jackson

Author:Melissa Erin Jackson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction, mystery, paranormal, paranormal mystery, cozy mystery, witches, cats
ISBN: 9781732413450
Publisher: Melissa Erin Jackson

Light flashed again, the relatively calm scene in the breakfast nook peeling away like paint stripped from a canvas. Then Amber found herself standing in the front entrance of the house, watching in bewilderment as a braces-wearing Willow and Amber’s younger self came hurrying down the stairs and right past her on their way to the door. Her mother was hot on their heels.

“Bye, Dad!” Amber called out, but he stopped her with a, “Hang on! Give your dad a hug, pumpkin.”

Amber had always acted like she hated the nickname, but deep down, she loved it. Only her dad called her that. She made a show of rolling her eyes, then doubled back to throw her arms around his middle. They were almost the same height now.

Though this memory was from her father’s point of view, Amber started filling in things from her own memories. The way she’d felt that evening. How she’d been so carefree when she’d left.

“Bye, Dad,” young Amber sing-songed, then tipped her head back to look up at him. He was still nearly half a foot taller. Her good nature immediately slipped when she saw the pained look on his face. “Dad? What’s wrong?”

His bottom lip shook. “Nothing, pumpkin. I’m just going to miss you, is all.”

“Oh, relax, Dad,” Amber said, laughing now. “It’s just a sleepover. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He nodded, though his eyes watered. “Yeah. In the morning.”

A twinge in her chest at the sight of her father being near tears—he was an emotional guy, but he’d never cried over them going to a sleepover before—made her scramble for something to say that would lighten his mood. Was this some kind of midlife crisis? “We can try out that waffle iron Mom got forever ago. Think we could make blueberry waffles in that thing?”

He managed a smile then; he loved breakfast food. “That sounds great, pumpkin. Blueberry waffles it is.”

Willow poked her head back into the house then. “Amber! Hurry up. Mrs. Carr is waiting.”

“Hey, Will?” Amber said, letting her dad go. “Come give Dad a hug.”

Willow shrugged and bounded over and gave her father a tight squeeze. He kissed Willow on the forehead.

It was then that Amber noticed her mom standing at the base of the steps, her arms folded and gripping her elbows. She looked just as pained as her father.

“Geez! What’s wrong with you guys tonight?”

Her mom walked over and pulled Amber into a hug, too. “I love you so much,” she whispered in Amber’s ear as she smoothed down her hair with one hand. Then she pulled back, cupping Amber’s face in her hands. “You know that, don’t you?”

“Yeah, of course,” Amber said, eyebrow cocked. “Is this because we haven’t been to a sleepover in a long time?”

Her mom laughed, a tear slipping free before she quickly wiped it away. “Something like that.”

Amber had wanted clarity—had craved it for fourteen years—but she suddenly knew that clarity was going to break her heart. Her parents’ actions that night made so much more sense now.

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