The Forest

Chapter Nine

The next morning she had to call Maria to tell her all about her evening. She could barely sleep after everything she read and saw and felt. She couldn`t believe that he kissed her. Even more - she couldn`t believe that she felt so strange. It wasn`t love, it was confusion. All she could do is talk to Maria about it. She invited her for coffee at The Lime and waited there until she came. Maria was half an hour late and her cappuccino was already getting cold. She gave Tilia a cold look and didn`t speak until she took her coat off and sat down. ` Hey. ` she said. ` Hey. Look, I`m sorry. I`m so sorry. I didn`t mean to be ungrateful. I just wanted some peace. ` Tilia explained. ` I know. I get it.` said Maria. She finally gave her a weak smile as she mixed her cappuccino with a lot of sugar. ` I found out something. ` she said when she was done. ` I know. ` said Tilia. ` How? ` Maria asked, raising her eyebrow. ` I talked to Ethan. ` said Tilia. ` What did he say? ` asked Maria. ` Nothing, just that you asked some funny questions. ` Tilia smiled. ` Really? Well, it was worth it because I found something. A letter.` said Maria before Tilia could say anything else. ` You too? ` said Tilia, confused. ` What do you mean me too? ` asked Maria. ` I found a letter too. But you first. ` she said. ` Well, I was talking to Ethan, asking him anything that could help us and then when he told me that his favorite room was his office, I decided to go in there. ` she said nervously playing with her finger. ` How? ` Tilia asked. ` Oh, that was easy. The house is huge. Once he showed me where that room is, I figured out easily how to get to it without him knowing it. I searched the drawers a bit and then I found this letter. He used it as a bookmark, I could barely see it. And… It was from your grandmother. ` she said pulling a yellowish paper, the same kind Tilia found in the Attic. This one was longer. ` Really? I found her letter too. It was written for Mrs. Caddie, something about a book being sealed with her blood. ` Tilia said. ` That` s what this letter said too. Look. ` My dear James, I have loved you for so many years now. My body may be old and tired but my heart is running free with yours. I will love you beyond the grave, I will love you from the stars, I will love you with every wind that slaps your dumb face. We were cowards. We fought for everyone else but us, and that is my biggest regret. I`m dying. I may not be here tomorrow. Protect my family. Fight for them. My legacy must survive. They may all be powerless but they have my blood. They have me in them. I sealed the book. Only my daughter or her daughter will be able to find it and open it. Help them. Guide them. Goodbye James. Don`t you dare forget me. I`ll haunt you, don`t worry. Forever yours, Magda. ` Wow, they were really in love. ` said Tilia lost in her grandma`s words. She was unhappy. She was married to a man she didn`t love. Is it a coincidence that they both fell in love with a man from the same family? She stared at that beautiful handwriting and imagined being in her place. Living a life without the one you really love. ` Yeah. And she was funny. ` Maria smiled. ` I like her.` Tilia was still lost deep in her thought, unsure what she felt for her grandma. ` So, you see, she sealed the book. I don`t really understand how, but the point is, you have to be the one to open it. ` Maria said. ` Or my mom. ` Tilia returned to the real world and smiled. ` Tili, really?` Maria laughed. ` You`re right. I have to do this.` said Tilia an nodded. ` Not if you don`t want to. What does your letter say? ` Maria asked. ` Same. Only with much less love. ` said Tilia and stared through the window at people passing by. They all had lives and none of them knew what is happening somewhere in the forest. They all needed protecting. ` Look, I know you don`t want to do this. I know you. But this could be something amazing. This could change your life. What if you have powers like your grandma did? What if you can save a life? ` said Maria. ` You really think I could do that? ` Tilia asked, taking a big sip of her coffee. ` Yes. I believe in you. ` said Maria. ` You can do whatever you want.` ` We`ll see. ` she said. They drank coffee and talked about what happened with Ethan last night. Maria was thrilled to see her friend in love. ` I don`t really know. It was good but I… oh I don`t know. I got too confused about my grandma`s life.` said Tilia. ` She really seemed in love with mayor. ` said Maria. ` Exactly… I mean, what if she threw a curse on our family to always fall in love with Grimms just because she couldn`t be with it. She was powerful and those things happen. ` she said. ` You read too much. ` Maria laughed. ` Just enjoy what you have. ` ` But I think I also like Philip. ` she said. ` Really? `Maria asked. ` God, you go from no love to all love in a beat. ` ` I don`t know. Too complicated. ` Tilia said and waved her hand. ` I think I`m going to talk to my mom about grandma. Maybe she can tell e something. ` ` Maybe. ` ` What are we going to do about Cross and Caddie? ` ` Nothing. We`ll see what happens. They`re not that bad, just too lonely. ` ` I guess. ` ` Let`s go, I think we have time to catch a movie. If you want to. ` ` Sure. But you`re buying popcorn. ` They walked out under a clear navy blue sky sprinkled with stars. There was no cloud in sight and Milky Way tracked them as they walked. The cinema was packed. And among so many people, how could have they noticed a figure watching them. *** She wondered around the library all day, reading anything that had to do with witches. Most of it were fiction stories but she had to start somewhere. There were still no visitors so she had the time she needed to think and process everything that she learned. Her life was upside-down and there was little she could do about it. She could make a decision that she could regret for the rest of her life - but which? Or would she regret and wonder either way. Suddenly a police car stopped and a tall man walked out. With the corner of her eye she caught his blue uniform and her heart jumped. ` Phillip!` she said when he walked in. ` You look happy today. What``s happening? ` ` Oh, nothing, some research. ` she said and walked over to her chair where she sat and offered him a spare one. ` How are you? Did you talk to Maria?` he asked. ` Yeah, it`s all good now, don`t worry. ` she said. He smiled and bowed his head, examining the stains on the carpet with such interest someone would think that he`s a carpet cleaner. ` I heard you and Grimm…` he said, unable to finish that sentence. ` Oh that… that`s just… nothing. I mean, it`s weird.` ` Weird how? `he raised his head to look at her. ` Just weird. I don`t know. ` ` So you don`t like him? ` he asked with hope playing with his voice. ` I didn`t say that. ` she said, crushing a bit of his heart. ` Look, that doesn`t matter right now. What matters is what we found. ` she said, changing the topic. He tried to look interested. ` What? ` ` Well Maria and I both found these letters that said that my grandmother sealed that book completely for everyone else but me and my mom… and my descendants. She basically made it impossible for anyone to open it but me. ` she said, watching his sad face change. She really liked his dimples. Ethan didn`t have dimples. ` So that key is of no use to Cross and Caddie? ` he asked, now properly interested in what she had to say. ` Naturally. What do you think I should do? Ask them to give it to me? ` she asked. ` Ask them. Take it. But only if you are sure that you want to do that. Only if you are sure that you want to see what`s out there. ` he said. ` I have to go now, duty calls… but I`ll talk to you later. A beer maybe?` he asked ` Sure. ` she said. As he walked out she gave him one last smile before going back to the books. She was enjoying her afternoon when something hid the sunshine. A big man walked in. ` Good morning Tilia. ` ` Good morning. ` she said, obviously startled. She wondered if Caddie and Cross told him about what happened. If they did he wouldn`t have any reason to be angry with her but with them. His large appearance made it impossible to believe that he would be the the one to sneak around unnoticed. Apparently that was his talent. And to think that a tiny old lady called him a softy. He looked embarrassed. ` I heard what happened. ` he said. His voice was still as rough as it was before. ` I just want you to know that I had nothing to do with it. And I`m sorry. ` ` It`s not your fault. ` she said. ` Sit. I`ll make you some coffee. ` She went to her make-shift portable stove and put the kettle on. She prepared him a nice cup with her favorite book cover on it and for herself she set a cup she was saving for guests with a cartoon character on it. The smell of coffee filled the air in the library and Tilia thought how that smell belonged there more than any other. Books breathed in the fresh, strong smell, flooding their pages with it, waking the characters and historical figures up from their sleep. Sun was shining on her hair and she noticed a loose strand which showered in sunlight and she felt particularly proud of her hair. The coffee was ready and she turned around to see The Bear - he looked more like Vinnie at that point - looking at the titles of books with a big question mark on his face. She giggled and set his coffee in front of her chair. She felt sorry for him the last time - he had to sit on one of those too-small-for-him chairs and she pulled up one of those to her cup. He turned around and smiled. Once he sat in her chair he took in the lovely smell and started talking. ` Thanks. ` he said. ` Cross and Caddie… well, mostly Caddie - Cross is just afraid of her - they have always been a bit odd. You know, they don`t trust many people. ` ` I told you, it`s okay. ` she said. ` And I`m sorry I didn`t tell you about Magda and everything. ` he said taking a sip. ` I don`t know what to do, you know. ` she said, looking through the window at a police car passing by. ` What do you mean? ` he asked. ` About this. Everything. I want to be like her but I`m hardly the powerful enchantress that can save the world. I`m just me.` she said shrugging her shoulders. ` Well, what does `just you` want to do? ` he asked. ` I want to know if she was happy. I want to know that I can do this. I want to be sure. ` she said. ` You`ll never be sure, you`ll never even be sure that you are happy. You`ll never be sure that you can do anything until you jump. That`s the point - make a choice to jump. And then do it. `