the story can resume

[misscecilia]

It's taken far too long for Cecilia to move into her new apartment. She's not actually sure when she managed to acquire this much stuff in the first place, let alone how she got it all back across the Atlantic and up the coast to Maine, and if she is ever required to move again, she's going to handle it by giving away all her worldly possessions and becoming a nun or one of those New Age lifestyle bloggers. Or at least by paying someone to unpack all her things for her. One of the two.

The point is, it's been weeks since her arrival, and she'd been starting to think she was never going to get all the cardboard boxes out of her apartment. She has, though, she hauled the last ones down the stairs this morning. It's a feat worthy of celebration, Cecilia thinks, and she takes herself off to the boardwalk to do just that.

Notwithstanding her brief visit last year, she hasn't been back to Siren Cove in ages, and she's not sure how much of it will be like she remembers. The boardwalk, though, seems the same as it ever has, and Cecilia, after obtaining a huge and definitely overpriced ice cream cone, is content to wander, offering friendly smiles to everyone she passes.

[Open to everyone forever, come say hi! Find her on the boardwalk and let her looooooooove you.]

Comments

[misscecilia]

"We really are," Cecilia agrees. It's true - just being back in Siren Cove, in the same town as her family, makes her feel more relaxed and happy than she has in ages. "I've been well - gotten out of university with my sanity more or less intact, so I'm inclined to agree that life is marvelous just now. How have things been around here?"

[aoife_coombs]

"Oh. Of course." This is the lesser part of having people being returned to you.
"A lot of magic, a lot of anger from the Thornton family towards witches, Amelie falling in love. Or well, she says so. I'm trying to support her decisions. That's the quick version of all of it. You look so good!"

[misscecilia]

"Ah, yes, I'd heard about Amelie and the Thornton boy." At length, and from multiple different people, most notably Alodia - by the twin virtues of being out of town and not being Moira, her cousin had apparently decided Cecilia was the best person to vent to about the tension between the other Coombs twins. "Are you holding up alright?"

[aoife_coombs]

"On that subject?" Oh, it was very tempting to fall apart over this, use this as something to lead on to the pain she was carrying with her because once again Amelie had, while Aoife hadn't. Not completely, no matter how often Isaiah texted and called her.

"You know how much of a negotiator she is. My life is better with her actively present."

[misscecilia]

It's literally the least convincing declaration of alrightness Cecilia has heard, including her own, and it's so tempting to press the issue until Aoife breaks down and tells her the truth. But this is the first time she's seen her cousin in a year, so she takes a breath and lets it go. There'll be time to handle all that later.

"On every subject. It's been so long; you look wonderful!"

[aoife_coombs]

"You think?" Aoife knows that she's not up there on Fabrice's levels of being a fashion embarrassment, but there is no doubt that Cecilia would wish much more for her wardrobe and outfits. She thinks of her favorite dress and feels miles and miles away from it. Maybe Aoife is nothing more than pastels and flowers. "Well, that is a compliment I'm going to accept with both hands. Did you cut your a bit shorter?"

[misscecilia]

"I did! And stopped bleaching it, though I don't know if you remember that - I only saw you briefly then, and there was so much else going on." The blonde look was fun, but it had been murder on her poor hair, so when she decided to come home and start being Cecilia Coombs again, she'd gone back to her natural dark color.

[aoife_coombs]

"I might have consciously avoided remembering that", she winks. "Your branch of the family shouldn't be in the blonds, I think. That's on us, but don't tell Thomas. He doesn't believe in tomato blond anymore."

It's so easy and fun, conversing with Cecilia. Aoife can almost pretend that the family returning might mean that they'll come closer together again as well. "You will stay around this time, won't you? For a longer time? A few months, at least?"