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“Are you sure you’re feeling okay Sabrina?” Aunt Hilda asked as Sabrina unpacked her things. She was home from college for Yule, newly single she and Harvey’s messy breakup. They’d picked their schools within driving distances, but things had grown strained as Sabrina continued to practice magic and Harvey wanted nothing to do with it.
“I’m fine Aunt Hilda,” Sabrina said, “I’m just happy to be home, and I’m excited get baking for Solstice.”
“Of course darling,” said Aunt Hilda, “But before you get baking, you might need to run to the store, we seem to be out of flour and things.”
…
“Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away,” Sabrina sang under her breath as she pushed the cart through the grocery store. She wasn’t paying attention to what she was doing as she reached for the last pound of sugar, and her hand connected with another.
“Oh I’m sorry!” Sabrina explained, looking up. It was Ms. Wardwell, her teacher from high school, who was also a witch and who Sabrina had harbored a secret crush on for years.
“Sabrina!” Ms. Wardwell said, “What a pleasant surprise to see you. Back for the holidays?”
“Yeah, I’m just picking up some gingerbread ingredients,” Sabrina replied.
“Oh are you entering the gingerbread house contest?”
“Contest?”
“Yes, there’s a gingerbread house contest on Christmas Eve,” said Ms. Wardwell, “The winner gets ten thousand dollars,”
“Ten thousand dollars,” Sabrina repeated, “I could use that to open my own bakery.”
“Well, if you ever need a place to cook, my kitchen is always open to you,” Ms. Wardwell said, patting Sabrina’s cheek, “It was so good to see you, love.”
“Y-yeah,” Sabrina said, momentarily lost in Ms. Wardwell’s blue eyes, “It was good to see you too.”
…
Box of ingredients tucked under her arm, Sabrina trekked through the snow to Ms. Wardwell’s house. She’d spent many an evening there when she was in school, taking tea and talking about life. Ms. Wardwell has always told Sabrina that all her students were welcome, but Sabrina wondered if that was really the case.
Now at twenty, she still felt a slight rush as she rang the doorbell.
“Sabrina!” Ms. Wardwell smiled at her, “Come in.”
“That’s for letting me bake here Ms. Wardwell,” said Sabrina, “If I remember correctly, your kitchen is huge.”
“But woefully underused. I prefer take out.”
“Of course,” Sabrina smiled and pulled a pizza box out of the bottom of her box of ingredients, “I may have enchanted it to stay warm in the snow.”
“Aren’t you a dear,” said Ms. Wardwell, leaning over to kiss Sabrina on the cheek as she took the pizza box from her, “I’ll get us some plates.”
Watching her walk away, Sabrina put a hand to her cheek, fingertips on the lipstick mark.
…
Ms. Wardwell set a cup of tea in front of Sabrina. It was day three of working on her gingerbread house. But wasn’t looking very house like.
“I’m no baking expert,” Ms. Wardwell said, “But that doesn’t look like a gingerbread house.”
“It’s going to be a gingerbread labyrinth,” said Sabrina, “You know, like the movie Labyrinth? I loved the movie as a kid, especially the Goblin King, Jareth.”
“Hmm he sounds like no match for the Mother of Demons,” Said Ms. Wardwell and Sabrina laughed.
“Lilith? Isn’t she just a myth?”
“Is she?” Ms. Wardwell said with a sly smile. She stepped closer to Sabrina running her thumb along the inside of Sabrina’s wrist. Sabrina felt her pulse quicken and her eyes lingering on where their hands touched.
“Ms. Wardwell-“ she began, but the timer on the oven interrupted them.
“You’d better get your cookies,” Ms. Wardwell said.
…
“Ms. Wardwell?” Sabrina called up the stairs. She lingered a moment before taken then two at a time, turning the corner to Ms. Wardwell’s room.
“Oh! Sabrina! Darling, is there something you need?” She was wearing an emerald green robe so low cut that Sabrina’s eyes briefly dipped down.
“Ah,” Sabrina was at a loss for words.
“Sabrina?” Ms. Wardwell reaches out to wipe away a bit of flour from Sabrina’s face, “Are you alright?”
“Y-yeah,” she replied, “I just wanted to let you know I’m headed out for the night.”
“All done?”
Sabrina nodded, “Yep, all set for tomorrow’s contest.”
“And then you’re gone again,”
“Yeah, I guess I will. Ms. Wardwell, I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you the past couple days,” Sabrina said, taking Ms. Wardwell’s hand.
“You can call me Lilith, my sweet,”
“I- okay, Lilith .”
“You know, it is snowing rather hard,” Ms. Wardwell, Lilith, said, pulling on Sabrina’s hand. Sabrina took a step closer, into Lilith’s space.
“Yeah there is a lot of snow,” she said breathlessly.
“You could always stay the night,”
“I think… that would be nice.”
…
“Oh Sabrina your gingerbread maze looks amazing,” Aunt Hilda said, “I do hope it wins.”
“Of course her maze will win,” Said Aunt Zelda stiffly.
“It’s a Labyrinth,” a deep voice said behind them and the Spellmans turned to see Lilith Wardwell standing there.
“Ms. Wardwell! I mean, Lilith! You didn’t have to come!” Sabrina said, throwing her arms around her in a hug.
Lilith stiffened in surprise, but patted her on the back, “Of course.”
“Sabrina, look, they’re announcing the winner!” Aunt Hilda said, grabbing Sabrina’s arm.
“And the winner of the gingerbread house contest and the ten thousand dollars is… Sabrina Spellman!”
A cheer went up from the cluster of witches, Sabrina hugging her aunts and kissing Lilith on the cheek.
“Ten thousand dollars, that’s quite a lot of money,” Said Aunt Zelda, “What do you plan to do with all that?”
“I think I might open a bakery right here in Greendale,” Said Sabrina with a grin.