The Fate Date (Glengarry Curse #1)

29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Sabrina

“ S o first you go to ‘orders’,” Sabrina said. She waited for Marie to find and click the correct box. “Awesome, then hit ‘print packing slips’.” The mouse circled around. It hovered over the button, as they’d spent the whole morning practicing, then froze.

Marie sighed dramatically. “Sabrina, with all due respect, I’m too old to learn this new system. You’ll have to assign this task to Tania if you insist on doing these online sales.” She pushed back on her stool and folded her arms across her chest, the action making Sabrina feel like an angry scribble. In fairness, her patience had been limited this week. She’d impulsively launched her online sales on Monday and had been flooded with orders. She’d met her monthly sales target in a single week but was woefully short-staffed for order fulfillment. She took a breath. It wasn’t Marie’s fault she’d been ill-prepared.

“Marie, I understand that this is all new for you. I’m happy to spend more time showing you. The fact is, the bulk of our orders are coming in online now and it’s too much for Tania and me to keep up with. I’d really appreciate your help with this. The good news is that we now have the revenue to hire additional staff, and give you a raise for the added responsibilities so—”

“I’m not doing it,” Marie said.

“Marie, if you’d try…” She stopped herself. Maybe Sabrina was being unfair, asking Marie to make these changes to her job after so many years as a direct sales associate. Maybe she needed to hire new staff more quickly, maybe…

“This isn’t what Eugenia would have wanted.” Marie batted her hand towards the screen, her bangles jingling in reproach.

It was the ever-repeating pattern. The words incited a fresh panic—heartbeat racing, palms sweating, shallow breathing —the typical symptoms of existential dread. A placating response formed on Sabrina’s tongue, but this time she pursed her lips shut. She looked down at the packing slip that had printed, taking a moment to re-centre. She got down from her chair and crossed to where the fairy oracle cards were displayed in the shop.

The box was embellished with gold foiling. Though she loved the tarot, there was something to be said about the perfect oracle deck for spiritual exploration. She was flooded with ideas of how she could present this on social media—videos about her favourite decks, artist interviews, question spreads, fairy mythology deep-dives…

Sabrina tried to stop her runaway thoughts but they jumped hazardously to Tinkerbell. She breathed through the visions of Gavin’s face, twisted and snarling, like he was trying to trap the lies inside him. She’d spoken her mind, trusted her instincts, but judging by the fact that she hadn’t heard from him all week she assumed she had been ghosted. Like her intuition had warned her.

Her fingers smoothed across the cards again, clinging to the sensations of the present to avoid turning into a puddle. She felt bad for Tinkerbell, to be honest. So hopelessly devoted to Peter Pan who was oblivious to her affections. So constricted by what others thought of her, dependent on their belief in her magic. What if she believed in herself?

Both her heart and profit over the past few weeks had taught Sabrina that she had a business instinct, like her mother. She had to take assurance in knowing her mother had trusted her, and she needed to trust herself. She replaced the cards in the box and carried the deck back over to Marie. She was a businesswoman, yes, but she would handle this situation like she always did—with kindness.

“Marie, do you still want to work here? Work with me?”

Marie stilled. “Of course.”

“A lot of your actions seem to indicate otherwise. You were late for your shift again today. I heard you disparaging my latest reel with a customer, and you’re refusing to do new tasks even though I’ve offered to help or make accommodations.” She tried to be specific, instead of making assumptions, as difficult as it was to list the items without including her own hurt on the matter.

“I don’t agree with how you’re…changing things.” Marie’s jowls trembled. “It feels like you’re erasing her.”

Sabrina let the words run over her, relieved to be getting to the heart of the matter. Marie’s chest heaved as she continued, the floodgates of truth finally opened. “Eugenia made this place a haven, a family. All this online business is changing the shop’s spirit, her spirit.”

“I’m attempting to revitalize the community. I’m trying to keep her dream alive, but still move forward with my goals too,” Sabrina explained.

Marie snatched the cards from her. She wrapped them in the sparkly lilac tissue paper. “You’ve always been stubborn like this,” she said, her voice low. “I remember when you and I used to play fairies in the shop. You always invented the strangest powers. Elastic band arms mixed with supersonic wings, telekinetic crystal power. You even swore you farted essential oils once,” she chuckled. “I’d invent a new obstacle, and you’d keep coming up with new and improved powers to vanquish your foes.”

“I’m not a little girl anymore, Marie.”

She sighed and her hands stilled. “I know,” she said. “But I will say, that part of you: creative, independent, fearless—it still shines bright, my darling. ”

The words soothed Sabrina’s soul. For so long she’d felt like she’d been spinning her wheels, filled with energy that was dying to burst free. And Gavin, despite the obliterating side-effects on her heart, had helped her channel it. She was saving the shop— her shop. Sabrina was finally channelling true professional manifestation—lofty astral intentions combined with strategic actions in the physical realm to achieve it.

Fat droplets leaked from the corners of Marie’s eyes. “I wanted things to be the same. I think a part of me felt like if I held on to the shop as it was, I could hold on to Eugenia too. It made the loss less painful.” She shook her head. “It was so unexpected. She was younger than me, so full of life. I still can’t—”

“I miss her too.”

“I don’t agree with how you’ve changed the shop,” Marie said, “but I do think you’re right that holding on to the past isn’t doing either of us any good. It’s time to embrace the metamorphosis, for both of us.” She stood, more spritely than Sabrina had witnessed in a decade, and handed over the wrapped merchandise. “I quit!”

Sabrina wasn’t filled with immediate relief like she’d anticipated. Though it would be a blessing to be free from Marie’s storm cloud, she’d grown up with the woman. It was her last strong tie to her mother’s memory, outside the shop. Marie must have sensed her hesitancy because she grabbed both of Sabrina’s hands and squeezed them tight. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while, ma chère . It’s time for both of us to find our new trajectory. The fact is, you are the part of Eugenia that I need to cherish. Not the shop. All our bickering won’t bring her back.” Her hand came to Sabrina’s cheek, every wrinkle on her palm familiar. “I wish you all the success the universe has to offer.”

“Thank you, Marie.” Sabrina felt lighter too, like the last tether of grief was unleashed. It was heady, and exhilarating—and also terrifying. “What are you going to do? ”

“No idea.” Marie took a deep breath. “It’s quite liberating. I’ll have to look out for a sign.” She pulled Sabrina in for a deep hug. “Good luck. I love you. I’m sorry I’ve been a thorn in your backside these past few months. I know your mother would be very proud of the woman you’ve grown into.”