Laddie stares at his gift, slack-jawed.

"It's dead." His small voice is barely a squeak as he pokes at the animal within the blue-wrapped box.

Inside the box lays the creature that I made myself from a dead puppy laying on the side of the road and a mix of life-giving plants. The animal is far from dead as life vibrates through it, powerfully.

Under the light of a pole, Star looks at me with an empty gaze, without judgment, just a why.

"No, she isn't." I take the box from the boy, picking up the fuzzy brown animal by the scruff. Its limp body slumps over, paws hanging down without an outward sign of life.

Laddie's sad expression changes almost instantly as the animal kicks out, her snout trembling and chest expanding as life returns like that of the roots that persuaded her organs that she was far too young to die. That she had another chance.

With magic, there's always another chance.

"It's alive!" The boy yells in delight, holding his hands out to the pup slowly coming to terms with life again as her soul becomes familiar with her bones and organs.

"Be careful." Star warns. "I'm sure it needs time to adjust."

"She was a little shaken up when I found her but I knew she was worth saving."

Star shoots a glare to quiet me. "A little shaken up?"

The puppy pips up, letting out a ragged bark that's accompanied by a harsh gasp for air.

"She'll heal."

"I'm sure she will but-." Star straightens up her flowy skirt as Laddie holds the puppy close, her paws dangling above the ground as she leans up nervously to sniff the boy.

I lift my finger. "But Laddie has a friend now. Everyone needs a friend, even you Star."

"And what are you implying, Angel?" Star leans forward on her heels, gaze flickering back to the boardwalk.

"That maybe, just maybe-." I start, opening up a can of worms that will only place me in the middle of some god-awful argument.

Star shakes her head, rivers of thick curls plastering her cheeks. "I'm not coming back."

"But you didn't let me finish." I plea for my sister's attention as she turns with Laddie's free hand in hers. The boy smiles at me with the dog in the crook of his arms, black paws hanging over the sleeves of his navy blue jacket.

"Thank you, Angel!" I chase after him as the boy's grin grows ever bigger.

"Star, don't be like that." I argue as she only speeds up.

"Angel, I've never been respected by Ruth or Darla."

"And David does?"

Star puts her hand up in defense. "Look, Angel, I lost Pan.

She flew away and never came back which was a sign for me to do the very same. I'm not coming back, end of story."

She turns back around again, heading towards the railing overlooking the waters. Her feet are sure, my word nothing but a ploy to bring her back to the coven. At her very mention of the barn owl, her voice cracks, hiding a deep yearning for her long-gone friend.

I try to imagine losing Kiki, but it would be far too hard, far too painful.

"But you're our sister!"

Some man gives me a hard look as I raise my voice, but it doesn't discourage me.

"And I can be that from a distance."

"But it just isn't the same. It'll never be the same. It hurts to wake up and not see you, to have an empty room where you used to be."

Star's brown eyes land on me, but instead of harshness, it's cloudy with sadness. "Angel, I just need time. Take Laddie if you don't mind."

"Hey, I-." She's already gone and I'm left looking half crazy, yelling at the wind. She disappears into the night of lights and massive structures built for both money and profit. Laddie leans against me, his puppy yapping in its doggy language.

"Do you think she misses her family?" I'm caught off guard by Laddie.

"I would like to think so." I look off at Star, hoping that she does miss her sisters as much as I miss her company.

I look down and notice that the boy isn't referring to Star but the dog who crawls in his arms, fur barely hiding the pinkish skin torn from the impact of whatever car hit her and left her for dead.

I change my words with stuttering and false genius word placement. "You're her family now, Laddie."