Chapter 251: Back to (Para)Normal

By the time Mom arrived later that day, everything was back to abnormal. Not that I was complaining she was home or anything. Even though she still hadn't found Gram, she decided to stay. Uncle Frank agreed to go on alone, sending back reports as often as he could, though I could tell from Mom's frequent moments of quiet anxiety they weren't often enough for her liking.

It was pretty comforting to have her address the entire coven and tell them as much as she commended them for standing with me in the end, her disappointment at their doubting me from the beginning hurt her deeply. Mom was so good at the whole emotional manipulation thing she had all of the family witches in tears at the end of it, begging me to forgive them. I did, and right away. They'd paid their dues and more.

With one exception, of course. Celeste was a stone set so deep in her own slop she refused to budge. And while she calmly accepted Mom's chastisement, I knew her anger still lived. Naturally the woman claime