And I was trying to escape. I needed to be near an accessible magic portal just in case. In case my magic got out of control from grief or just in case I wanted to turn Todd into a frog or something. I am totally joking. Okay, sort of joking. “And what do you think you can bring to Father Joseph, Ms. Pierce?” “Shelly, please,” I said to Mrs. Francis. She was round and stout and had severe gray hair that made me think of Sister Francis from grade school. If the secretary had taken out a ruler and smacked me with it, I don’t think I would have been a bit surprised. She frowned at me and I twisted my fingers into the hem of my thin, gray dress. “Sorry. Um. I think I can bring…a good attitude to the Rectory. To Father Joseph. To the place,” I stammered. Damn. The woman was making me a nervous wreck. “Well, we can all do that, now can’t we?” Mrs. Francis said. Not you, sister. A good attitude isn’t in your bag of tricks. I almost laughed but swallowed it.
