They were finally alone in Ada's office, the whole school had celebrated Agatha's defeat, and Miss Cackle's return to power, and eventually everyone else had gone to bed. Ada was facing her desk, her back to Hecate. She was holding the picture that now imprisoned her sister. Her shoulders slumped, her whole body reflecting the sadness she kept to herself. Hecate could hardly bear it, the way Agatha mistreated and used her sister, her sister who was so kind, so gentle, so loving-she deserved better. Hecate wished with all her heart that Ada could have better-but unlike Ada, Hecate never really believed she would get better from Agatha. She hated watching Ada torture herself over her sister when deep down she knew-of course she knew-that Agatha would never meet her halfway.
"It was always all or nothing with her" Ada said sadly, as if Hecate had projected the thought so loudly that Ada had heard it. It used to startle her when Ada did that, before she learned that it wasn't magic that made Ada's mind so in tune with her own. Hecate didn't respond, she couldn't care less what happened to Agatha, but she didn't want to belittle Ada's grief, or to rush her through it. All Hecate could think about however, was how close she had come to losing Ada and how glad she was to be standing here, looking at her, knowing that she was safe. In truth, what Hecate needed was to touch her, to hold Ada in her arms and feel that she was safe. They hadn't had a moment alone together since they'd come out of the painting. She was still shaken by the fate they almost succumbed to; being trapped together but unable to speak to or even see each other, a perfect hell. Hecate grew increasingly desperate by the moment to reach for Ada, but she wouldn't. She wouldn't be selfish and intrude upon Ada's grief for the sake of her own comfort. She didn't reach out, she stood patiently and she listened. "She's always been selfish" Ada spoke again "I've always known she was perfectly willing to make others sacrifice for her gain, but…I never thought-I never knew she could be so hateful. I always assumed she'd allow me to live out the remainder of my life as a toad or a snail" she chuckled sadly "happily eating grass and living in the sunshine. Not imprisoning me-imprisoning you!" then she added quietly as if speaking just to herself "But I suppose she couldn't know…"
"Couldn't know what, Ada?" Hecate asked, daring to hope. She had nearly lost Ada, nearly missed her chance to tell her how she really felt. The very real threat of eternal internment had made things like propriety and the risk of rejection seem rather small by comparison.
"She couldn't know how important you are to me" said Ada, setting the picture down and turning to face Hecate. Hecate hadn't been prepared for Ada to be the one to broach the subject. She hadn't had time to put her guard up. Her face betrayed all her feeling for the woman standing across from her, and it was too late now, to fix that.
"Ada" she heard herself say, voice cracking as she did. There were too many words, there was too much to be said to say any of it. Instead of trying to vocalize her feelings, she found her body stepping forward and pulling Ada into an embrace. As Ada wrapped her arms around Hecate and held onto her just as tight as Hecate was holding her, they breathed each other in, letting the warmth and relief wash over them. As Hecate exhaled she began to cry. They were tears for all the fear she had felt throughout the ordeal, and all the joy she felt now that it was over. "You are very very important to me, Ada" she felt as if her mouth were a speeding train, running away without her permission, pulling the rest of her along for the ride "If I had lost you without-"she managed to find the brakes.
"Without what, Hecate?" They were still embracing, it was easier this way, easier to bare one's soul when one wasn't looking into the eyes of the person one was baring it to.
"Without telling you that I- "she took a breath in and found her courage-well-some of it "that you" she pressed her face to Ada's hair, reached a hand up to rest in on Ada's cheek. There was a short silence. "you are very important to me." She felt Ada smile, she felt Ada nuzzle into her shoulder, and heard her let out a little relieved chuckle. Their embrace grew a little tighter. Ada's hands, which had just been resting on Hecate's back now pressed to it, Hecate's lips which had just been resting against Ada's head, now kissed it, her hand now guided Ada's face away from her shoulder, and toward her face. She looked into Ada's grey eyes and saw her own feelings reflected there. Overcome with affection for the woman in her arms, Hecate kissed Ada first on one cheek, then the other, then on her lips, and beautifully, finally, Ada kissed her back.