“I am tired of trying to hold things together that cannot be held. Trying to control what cannot be controlled. I am tired of denying myself what I want for fear of breaking things I cannot fix. They will break no matter what we do.”
-- Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus
“This is, in part, why there is less magic in the world today. Magic is secret and secrets are magic, after all, and years upon years of teaching and sharing magic and worse. Writing it down in fancy books that get all dusty with age has lessened it, removed its power bit by bit.”
Rick: What started off as a business transaction as her grandmother was making the transition from this world to whatever comes next has blossomed into the occasional shared beer and moonshine over middle of the night bonfires when wandering sleepless paths cross beachside. It's never a plan to bump into each other, but, the time is pleasant enough when they do.
Colleagues:
Bjorn: Mellie studied sculpture from him in Chicago during her undergraduate studies, and served as a TA and studio monitor for his classes her last two years. She admires his art, and he continued to be her mentor until part-way through her graduate studies when they lost touch.