Very excited at the response so far! Thanks for sticking with me.

Now

Bella strolled up to her business which served as a small boutique and flower shop. It was a twenty minute walk from where she lived - a walk that she looked forward to every day. She'd pass her neighbor's homes, creating a path of wild lilies or peonies, depending on her mood. In the winter, she would leave fresh green grass in her wake - only surrounding the path she had taken, flabbergasting her neighbors. It was rare that she had encounters with anyone who would care enough to say anything that early in the morning. She preferred getting in earlier so as not to have to deal with the stares.

It wasn't that they didn't like her - they did; she was the kind woman who always had the solution for any problem.

Mother's birthday? Here are her favorite flowers, readily available.

Rash? Aloe cream.

Love? That will cost more...

If she didn't have it for her customer, they'd return the next day and she'd have what they wanted then. Her gift of manifesting so many different types of plants served her well. She was a great neighbor and an even better business-owner, but people still avoided her unless it was necessary. It would seem that a life so alienating would be challenging, especially for a young woman like Bella. She, however, never appeared to be bothered by her mostly solitary existence.

Her neighbors were likely uncomfortable with her presence. It was very clear she had influence and power. She always gave warnings for some of the heavier needs. She had one too many customers in her store due to relationship problems. She always warned of taking away free will - the power and responsibility that comes with it. She'd offer a backup for those whose relationships were dealing with distractions - easy spells that would require the shop's herbs (conveniently for Bella's business).

There was the rare occasion when someone asked for a true love spell - to get another person to love unconditionally. Bella would express her concerns - it would end up becoming too much, it could be dangerous. On the even rare occasion that an individual paid no heed to Bella's warning, she would grant them their wish - but these were much more expensive. They required more from Bella because she had to completely separate herself when she performed the spell.

It always worked.

And when it became too much, her clients would return to her saying that they wanted her to reverse it. She didn't have the capability of reversing it. So instead, she'd give them another spell to deal with it. It worked well enough.

Still, though, they eventually returned.

"He's back at it - telling me he loves me more than anyone else in his life, following me like a lost puppy. I need something stronger this time."

It was shortly before the end of her shift, and Bella was listening to her customer Jessica Stanley talk about Mike Newton - the man who she had been head over heels in love with only earlier this year. Feelings were clearly fickle.

"Jessica, when we initially did this, you said you wanted to marry him," Bella responded. She looked at her neighbor's red face. "What changed?"

Jessica's face blushed a shade darker. Bella didn't mean to embarrass her, but they had a deep discussion about the repercussions before she had done the love spell. She gave her an out multiple times, but Jessica insisted.

At that moment, Alice, Bella's cousin entered the store. Since it was a weekday, it was slightly slower, so Bella was able to dip out early. They glanced at one another. Alice smiled widely before heading to the back. Bella returned her attention to her desperate customer.

"I...I thought it would be different," Jessica whispered in response. "I realize that I didn't want the love he was offering."

Bella nodded. She had heard it all before. Nobody was prepared for that type of love.

"Okay, we'll do another spell to help steer him off your path." Bella watched as Jessica's face lit up in relief. "But...this is it. I can't do anything else. It's not good for either of you."

"I'm aware," Jessica responded sharply. "Perhaps you should consider an anecdote."

Bella's lips twitched at the misuse of 'anecdote' and at the idea that love was a poison or a cancer that could be cured. If only it were that simple…

She moved close to Jessica. "If I had an...antidote...I'd be selling it for a lot of money." She grinned and her smile was mesmerizing and memorable to anyone who witnessed it. Jessica was one of those people - dazed, amazed by how enchanting and beautiful Bella truly was. "But I don't. So, unfortunately you have to deal with the consequences of your actions."

Bella leaned away. She was aware of her influence and very rarely did she let that power out. Today, with a customer who blamed her for a problem that wasn't hers and with a full moon coming this weekend, Bella wasn't risking the chance of any stress, so she used her gift.

"Oh," Jessica blinked after a moment. "Perhaps you're correct."

Nodding, Bella led Jessica to the door but not before supplying her with what she needed for another spell to keep Mike Newton away.

And not before she collected the money that was owed. She shut the door behind Jessica and sighed. She went back to the drawer, counting the cash before depositing it into the safe and switching registers over for Alice.

Just another day at work.

Thanks for reading!

-Bravery