Just One Day

Mia stayed inside of the car. The rain hitting her car was the only sound, beside her slow breathing. Her dark eyes were locked on the store several feet away from her. She couldn’t believe what she was doing, at first, it all sounded crazy and idiotic. It was just plain stupid to believe it could be done, but after many searches, she found out that she could do it.

She never believed what her grandmother used to go on about all of the time, but now she knew that it was true. She was special, her family was special. Though, her grandmother had passed away and Mia could no longer seek her advice, she went to other people like her, and she found out what she could do. She could have another day, just one.

And one day was all she needed. Just a chance to really say goodbye.

The rain dropped down to a drizzle. She took the keys out of the ignition and opened her car door and got out of it. She closed it and locked it. She rushed to the sidewalk and down the block and entered the witchcraft store.

The burning incense was of lavender. When Mia had opened the door, the door bell had rung and it brought the clerk’s attention to her. Mia half expected some Goth chick behind the counter, but in fact, it was a pretty blond woman in hippie looking clothes, and Mia saw the aura of the woman, it was gold-ish, and Mia knew that that woman was like her, a witch.

Mia took a glance around the shop. It wasn’t dark and eerie as she thought it would be.

“Merry meet,” the woman said with a bright smile.

Mia half smiled, she held on to the strap of her messenger bag and walked towards the candles, like she knew what she was doing, but in fact, she had no idea what she was doing. She had a list of things she needed for the ritual to work, but she just felt so lost.

“Do you need help?” the woman’s voice came from behind Mia, so she turned around and faced her.

She took out the list from her pocket and unfolded the paper. “I need these things,” she handed over the list. She was a bit nervous because she was in unknown territory, but the woman sure knew what those ingredients were for, and she hoped the woman wouldn’t ask any questions.

The woman’s eyes widened for a second, and then she looked at Mia with a look she didn’t expect, understanding.

“Is that why your aura is dark and weak, dear one?” the woman placed a hand on Mia’s shoulder. “My name is Betty.”

“I’m Mia,” she introduced herself, and she was quite surprised that her name was Betty, such a simple name.

“You don’t seem like a sage one,” Betty said with a small smile. “This is advance magic.”

“I need to try.”

“Of course you do,” Betty smiled widely now. “Let me get these things for you, you can wait by the register if you want.”

Mia nodded and walked to the register and watched as Betty walked around with a basket and filled it with what she needed. Mia was starting to have second thoughts.

It really was advance magic. Hell, she barely found out about her ancestors a month ago. She wasn’t even trained. She never thought magic was real, but it was.

She didn’t have awesome powers like in the show Charmed or in the books of Harry Potter, but she did feel a connection to something magical, and when she made the pot of flower regain life, she knew he had to try to get him back, and she found a spell, from one of her old grandmother’s diaries, and it could bring her back a loved one for one day.

Twenty-four hours.

It was all she really needed. Just one more day to say goodbye properly, instead of how he did it through a song. She only heard it once, and couldn’t stop listening to it since. She had asked Matt to make her a copy and she couldn’t stop listening to it.

Why was she doing this? Because she loved him. She really missed her best friend, not just her husband, but her best friend. It ached every single day to wake up to an empty bed. It ached to have to sleep alone, and to go around pretending that she was strong, but she wasn’t.

She was so weak without him, and she just needed to find a way to have him. She didn’t want her last words to him to be ‘Get a haircut!’. She needed to tell him how much she loved him even though he knew it, it was her need to tell him. She needed closure, and she was going to get it.

“All right,” Betty’s bright, chipper voice broke her dark thoughts. “I have everything you need, and some things I know you need that wasn’t on the list. Where did you get it? It’s very powerful and not something a wanna-be would do.”

“My grandmother’s diary had it,” Mia answered timidly, she was still shocked to be talking about herbs and stuff like that like it was something normal.

“Wow, she must be pretty powerful.”

“Was,” Mia clarified, “she passed away a few years ago.”

“This spell,” Betty pointed to the paper, “is for someone that died less than a year ago.”

“It’s not for my grandmother, it’s for someone else… my best friend,” Mia said, her tone said she didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

Betty noticed and dropped the subject and charged for everything. Mia paid for everything and walked out of the store. She rushed back to her car, and set the bags on the passenger seat.

Now, the only sound in the car was her fast beating heart.

She gripped tightly onto the steering wheel.

She really was going to do it. She bit her lip and turned on the car, she needed to hurry before she would chicken out of it. She violated so many traffic signs that she was taken amazed she didn’t get pulled over. She was just lucky there were no cops around. She arrived at her home in record time.

She looked at the house that they bought together and flashes of them celebrating--on every room of the house--went through her head and it just made her heart squeeze tighter.

She let out a strained breath, like someone had been choking her. She grabbed the bags and hurried inside of her home. She nearly jumped when she saw Matt in her living room.

“You scared me, Mattie,” she had placed her hand on her chest.

“I’m worried about you, Mia,” he mumbled as he got up and walked over to her.

She took in his appearance. Black jeans, Slayer shirt, and bags under his eyes.

She shook her head. “You shouldn’t be worrying about me, you should worry about yourself.”

“I’m your friend, I’ll always worry about you,” he half smiled at her. His eyes landed on the bags in her hands and he frowned. “What is that?”

“Nothing,” she quickly headed to the kitchen and she had Matt was hot on her trail.

“You haven’t answered any of my calls, or e-mails.”

“I’ve been busy.” she lied and set the bags inside of a lower cupboard and then turned to face Matt. “What did you need?”

“It’s been two months, you haven’t talked any of the rest of the guys, or your family. They’re worried too.”

“I’m not suicidal, Mattie, I’m fine.”

“Your husband died.”

“Your best friend died,” she snapped back, angry that he was trying instigating her to show some kind of emotion. “What do you want from me, Matt? I’m fine. I’m doing good.”

He was only worried because in their teenage years, she didn’t handle the death of her father too well. She used to cut herself and was even bulimic for a while. He was worried that she would go back to that hole. He couldn’t prevent it then, but he could do something now.

“I don’t believe you, Mia. When you say you’re fine, you’re really not.”

“Matt,” she exhaled deeply and looked up to blink away the tears, “just go. I’m f--okay. I just need to be alone for a while.”

“Come to my house tomorrow then, we’re having a meeting about what we’re going to do next.”

“Yeah,” she agreed.

He half smiled and hugged her.

“Try to get some sleep, Mattie,” she said into his shoulder.

“I promise,” he rubbed her back gently. “See you tomorrow, Mia.”

“Tomorrow,” she agreed.

Matt was gone, and she took the bags out and she headed to her room. She had moved out of the room she used to share with him because it was too damn lonely in there.

She started to make the circle on the wooden floor and she followed the instructions her grandmother left. It was pretty simple, make a circle and a star inside. Get the five candles representing earth, water, fire, air and spirit. Get some things that belonged to the deceased person.

She had Jimmy’s favorite drumsticks, shirt, and socks, yeah he had ‘lucky’ socks and wore them to all of the big events, and even on their wedding.

She also had his wedding band on the floor.

She had the altar set, but she still needed to get into the white dress to represent spirit. She went to her closet and got the dress out. She quickly got in it, and then she went to the bathroom and removed all of her makeup.

She removed all of her jewelry, except her wedding ring and engagement ring.

She went back to the room and took out the herbs that would surround the circle to make sure no bad spirits would interrupt her.

She took a deep breath, as she lit a match and started to light the candles from East to West in a clockwise manner. It was how it said in the instructions. At each candle, she had to call out the element. It was a bit silly, but she did feel the tiny surge of power when she did it.

She lit all of the candles. She stood in the middle of the circle, she had the spell memorized in her head. She closed her brown eyes and raised her arms in the air.

She began the chant. The rain outside began to go down harder and harder. Soon, it was like a storm was going to happen. She didn’t let it distract her though. She continued to chant over and over again. She began to feel like she was losing energy.

It felt like someone was sucking away her life, and it made her slightly dizzy, but she didn’t care. She continued to chant until her mouth was dry, and she stopped, lowered her arms, and opened her eyes.

She nearly gasped when she saw his crystal blue eyes looking down at her, but instead of gasping, she fainted.

Jimmy caught her on time.

“Silly girl,” he muttered and carried her in his arms, “what have you done?”

He took her to their room. He couldn’t say he wasn’t happy to have her back in his arms, but it wasn’t to be. It was unnatural for him to be there, yet, he wouldn’t give it up for the world. He really wanted to say goodbye too.

He laid her on the bed and got on with her. He watched her.

She was pale, paler than usual. The bags under her eyes look purple, and he knew she never stopped crying when she was alone. She cried when she woke up and before she went to bed.

Mia came back and she wasn’t alone in bed anymore though for a few painful seconds she thought she was alone, but she wasn’t. She was looking once again into his eyes.

“You’re back,” she whispered and smiled tiredly.

“Only for a day,” he smirked and then dropped it and replaced with a worried look, it was something foreign, in life Jimmy was always care-free. “Mia, you shouldn’t have done this.”

She shushed him and pecked his lips softly. “You’re worth everything, Jumbo.”

He smiled unable to stay mad at her. “Why have you brought me back?”

“I’m pregnant,” she finally told him.

He blinked and stood up on the bed. “What?”

“I found out a month ago, and… I just needed to tell you in person.”

“A baby?” he looked down to her stomach with sparkling eyes.

Her eyes watered and nodded, no words could come out. He lowered his head to her stomach and rubbed her belly. She laughed and cried happy tears, it was just like she had dreamt it thousands of times since he died.

“Do you know what it is yet?” he asked. “Have you gone to the doctor?”

“No, and yes,” she answered and sniffled.

“I’m going to be a father,” he sighed happily. He lifted his head abruptly to meet her eyes. “Make Matt and Val the godparents.”

She smiled. “Okay, done.”

“If it’s a girl, name her something cool, like… Willow, nothing girly like Ashley or Kimberly.”

“And if it’s a boy, he’ll be a junior.”

Jimmy grinned widely. “I love you, Mia, I’m sorry for leaving.”

She caressed his cheek and he leaned into her hand and closed his eyes to cherish her touch,

“I love you, Jimmy.”