The Last of the Moon Girls

by Barbara Davis

Love works magic. It is the final purpose Of the world story, The Amen of the universe. —Novalis

Weeks hovering between worlds, unable to stay, unwilling to go, tethered by regret and unfinished business.

Memory, it seems, does not die along with the body.

The truth was their communication had grown increasingly spotty over the years.

But those things had quickly lost their appeal.

They’d done their best to keep things quiet. No

She’d ended it

When the time came, either party could walk away. No tears. No recriminations. But lately, he’d been signaling that maybe they should pick up where they’d left off.

They’d been seeing each other on the quiet for several months

If you wanted to be taken seriously—and she did—there were places you just didn’t go.

I’ve never been big on funerals. All that grief in one place.”

“It’s a wasted emotion when you get right down to it. The person who died has no idea you’re grieving, because, well, they’re dead. And everyone else is just standing around mumbling platitudes and eating deviled eggs.

I’m fine. I can make it work long-distance.”

Rosemary, for remembrance. Basil, for courage. Thyme, for warding off nightmares.

There wasn’t a shred of real evidence, which was why no case had ever been brought, but that hadn’t stopped the tongues from wagging.

There are no goodbyes, my Lizzy, only turnings of the Circle. Until then . . .

“Family isn’t always about blood. Sometimes you just recognize someone. That’s how it was with your gran and me. We were kin. A special kind of kin.”

But there’s no reasoning with people once an idea takes root.

Every day, I saw you pull away a little more, knowing there was nothing I could do.

living the life you’ve carved out for yourself.

I’m so proud of you for that—for making your own way in the world.

I was not so strong when I was young. I fell in line and walked the path already paved for me, too timid to stray, to find a way to be both what

wanted and what was expected of me. I hadn’t your spirit back then, though I sometimes wish I had. So much becomes clear when looking over one’s shoulder. I have no regrets, or if I do, they’re few, and faded with time. But I understand now that

there are an infinite number of paths in this life. Some are well traveled, others must be forged. But none should be wal...

Absorb the words a little at a time, and hold them close.

And yet her reference to falling in line seemed to hint at a disappointment of some kind. And there was the mention of a bitter heart, though that was easier to explain. If being branded a murderer and losing everything you held precious wasn’t cause for a bitter heart,

You had a dream, and you chased it. She was proud of you for that, even if it did mean leaving her.

She’d never learned the art of opening up to another person. Alone was what she’d learned instead, and what she’d gotten good at. Alone was safe.

The woods had been her temple, sacred in a way no stone edifice could ever be.

It was just wishful thinking, wasn’t it? Sensing a loved one’s presence after they were gone? Believing they were still nearby, watching over those they held dear? She’d

It was always Rhanna’s way, to live her life in fits and starts.

It was why they were vegetarian, because harm none meant animals too.

She might be the last, but she certainly wasn’t the best. If she were, she wouldn’t be in such a hurry to be rid of Moon Girl Farm. She’d stay and make things right.

The encounter hadn’t lasted long—the space of a few heartbeats—but in those few taut moments, without so much as a word or a nod, she had bewitched him. And had then proceeded to treat him as if he were invisible. At school, in town, even at the farm, she’d gone out of her way to steer clear of him. And who could blame her, when he’d stood there staring like a lovesick calf? It

His next thought was that he’d lost his grip on reality. It

Althea had always had a particular affinity for wildflowers, perhaps because they gave so much and asked so little.

everything was sentient, fully aware of its role in the divine circle of birth, growth, life, and death. Althea had taken comfort in that, in the tides and seasons that made up their year, the belief that nothing was wasted or useless, that everything had a time and a purpose, and when that time was over, that purpose fulfilled, their essence lived on, and embraced some new purpose. It

a labor of love for the woman who had raised her when

The truth was she missed those early days of trial and error, the delicious serendipity of discovering something new and utterly unexpected.

not a walk down memory lane.

a mix of pride and grief.

trying to fend off the memories. They came anyway.

No malls or big-box centers needed. Which was precisely how the locals liked it. Sleepy streets lined with small mom-and-pop shops, window boxes brimming with geraniums, hand-lettered chalkboards advertising daily specials, and water bowls on the sidewalk for thirsty pups. It was New England charm at its best, even if it did tend toward shabby in places.

“I’m afraid the chief is tied up right now, but if you’ll share the nature of your inquiry with me, I’d be happy to pass it along.”

I’d appreciate it if you’d tell the chief I’m here to see him at his earliest convenience.”

“I feel safe in New York. I know that probably sounds strange, but it’s easier to be anonymous there, just another face in a crowd of millions, where everyone has a story, but no one has time to ask. I’m sure that makes no sense to you. You’ve never wanted to disappear, to just be invisible, but I have—and still do sometimes.” “Well,

“Some of us give our lives to the job. The job doesn’t always return the favor.”

admit this one hit me hard. I

It had been an emotional day, and her nerves were raw. “Thank

It’s always the things we fear that sting us in the end. The things we hide from or push against. When we drop the fear—the resistance—things take their course in a more natural and painless way.”