Page 84 of Healing Fate

She sighed and looked deflated.

“What’s wrong?”

“As if she doesn’t have enough against her, now this? You don’t know what it’s like to be different, to scare people.”

I shook my head. “We’ll protect her from that as best as we can. Setting up roots here will help. We’re good with different around here.”

I tried to smile reassuringly.

“Can we talk about it later? I think I need a little time for this to sink in. I mean she’s always been a little different, but a healer? I never even saw that coming. How would I not know?”

“Give yourself a break, Luce. She’s two.”

I could tell she was thinking back through everything, trying to see what she’d missed and when.

“Come on, let’s just walk over to Mom and Dad’s. I think a bit of fresh air will do us all some good.”

“Okay, let me grab the stroller out of the car.”

“No. I big girl,” Vada protested.

“I’ll carry her if she gets tired of walking,” I offered.

“Okay,” Lucy conceded faster than I expected.

She was quiet on the walk. I probably shouldn’t have thrown something so big at her like that. I had just assumed she knew and hadn’t told me.

When we reached the house, she stopped and grabbed my arm. “Last year, shortly after we got back to New York to stay with my family, some of the neighborhood kids caught a rabbit in a trap. Vada and I stumbled across it out on a walk. She was very upset and helped me save the rabbit. I had thought I’d felt it injured and knew it would die, but by the time we released it, it was fine and hopped away like there was nothing wrong. Do you think that could have been Vada’s doing?”

“I honestly don’t know, but after what I just saw, it’s possible.”

Lucy sighed. “She talks to animals,” she blurted out. “Or she thinks she does at least. I’ve always just blown it off, but now I can’t help but wonder if that’s possible too.”

I pulled her into my arms and kissed her lightly at her temple.

“I don’t know if that’s possible or not. It’s extremely rare for a witch to have more than one power. Kelsey is the only exception that I know of. But regardless of what her talents may be, the thing I know to be true is that she is an exceptional child and we’re going to raise her like any normal kid while encouraging and appreciating whatever unique traits she may have.”

“This really doesn’t freak you out?”

“It really doesn’t. So what if she’s like you and can heal? It wouldn’t bother me if we had a whole litter of pups just like you.”

She sighed but didn’t argue.

“I know life hasn’t always been easy on you, Lucy, but from here on out, it’s going to be better. I promise you that.”

“Well, what are you three doing hanging around out here? Come on in, dinner’s going to get cold,” Mom fussed as she peeked her head out of the door to find us standing on the sidewalk talking.

I chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Vada’s here,” she yelled into the house as she took her hand and walked her inside.

Within seconds, Dad had her in his arms.

“Wait until you see what Grandma Doc did today,” he said conspiratorially.

“After dinner, Mallick,” she scolded. “And it’s like Grandpa Doc didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“What did you do?” I asked.