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There’s a painting on Jujy’s wall that she likes to gaze at when she’s stressed. Hieheart had bought it for her on a trip into town when she’d stopped to look at it, despite her protests.
“It’s beautiful. It reminds me of the view by my cottage down south,” he told her as he handed over the coins. At Jujy’s surprised look, he’d chuckled. “My parents’ home. They left it to me when they passed.”
Jujy’s tongue had stilled at the offhand comment. She…hadn’t known.
Hieheart had gazed at the painting, lost in thought. “I’d sit outside with my parents in the grass during the summers, just like these two here,” he said softly, pointing at the two figures in the bottom right of the painting, “and sunrise and sunset against the water looked just like this one. They’re some of the most beautiful memories I have.” His smile was wistful when he handed the painting to her. “I haven’t been back in a long time. It’s nice to have something to remind me of them.”
Jujy hadn’t argued any further. For weeks afterward, she turned Hieheart’s story over in her mind, awed at his vulnerability despite hardly knowing her. It had ultimately helped her drop her guard and begin to trust him.
Jujy sighs, focusing on the present. She leans her cheek against her hand, letting her eyelids droop. The painting turns into a golden blur before her eyes.
She’s tired. As much as she hates to admit it, the constant studying for her third exam is getting to her; her brain feels sluggish and slow. In the past hour, she’s only managed to read three sentences of her notes.
A knock sounds at her door. Jujy straightens slowly. “Come in,” she calls.
Hieheart pokes his head in. “How’s it going, Jujy?”
Jujy pastes a grin on her face. “It’s going great!”
Hieheart’s eyes are assessing. “Is it?” he asks, taking a seat next to her on her bench.
Jujy slumps. “Maybe not,” she admits. She tugs her hair in frustration. “Ugh! It doesn’t make sense! I feel like the more I study, the more I forget or don’t know! Nothing is sticking! I…I don’t know if I can do this, Master Hieheart.”
Hieheart gently guides her hands away from her hair and gestures for her to turn around. Jujy goes willingly, relaxing as his careful hands redo her puffs.
“Well,” Hieheart says. “You’re a pretty amazing witch already, Jujy. I’m sure you’ll find your answer with a little time.” He pauses, and Jujy lets the praise suffuse her with warmth. “When I get stuck,” Hieheart muses, “I find that getting away from my work helps. Some separation from a task can help me see things in a new light.”
Jujy doesn’t really like that idea; it makes her itchy and restless. She can’t build her confidence without skill, and she can’t build her skill without working as hard as she can.
But…nothing else she’s tried has worked. “Getting away how?”
Hieheart ties off her hair and hums thoughtfully. “I wonder…” he murmurs, his eyes going to the painting on her wall.
Jujy follows his gaze. “What?”
Hieheart stands. “I think,” he says grandly, “that it’s about time we take a vacation.”
—
“This is it,” Hieheart says as they walk up the stairs to his cottage. The late afternoon sun is warm against Jujy’s skin. Wind rustles through the trees and the overgrown foliage in the garden. They’re close enough to the lake that Jujy can hear the gentle lapping of water against the shore.
Hieheart opens the door with a dramatic flourish of his key, revealing a cozy living room and kitchen. The floors are made of wood and covered in threadbare but cozy brown rugs. The walls are painted yellow and hold paintings and pictures, several depicting Hieheart’s family. Jujy tries not to stare at them too obviously, but even her cursory glance tells her how much happiness used to be in this house.
Hieheart takes a deep breath, trailing his fingers along a nearby chair. “Still smells like home,” he murmurs, his voice quiet and aching.
Jujy shifts, uncomfortable. She doesn’t quite know how to handle other people’s sadness, especially sadness that lingers in the wake of joy.
“Alright, I think it’s lunchtime.” Hieheart procures a picnic basket from somewhere. “Just put your bag down. We can unpack later.” Jujy raises an eyebrow at him, and he grins sheepishly. “Hey, it’s a vacation! We can relax a little.”
“Fine,” Jujy says, shaking her head. In her mind, she hears her mother lecturing her for being untidy, and she giggles under her breath.
They set out a picnic blanket on a patch of grass near the water. Hieheart pulls out several sandwiches, a wheel of cheese, and a carton of berries, and they munch in silence. Jujy breathes in the fresh air and basks in the moment. Tension drains out of her shoulders, and she finds herself relaxing more than she has in months.
“I miss my family,” Jujy says into the silence. She pulls three strands of grass free and braids them.
“I thought you might,” Hieheart replies softly. “You know we can always pay them a visit if you want, right? It’ll take a while, but we can make it happen.”
“I just…” Jujy bites her lip. She misses her mothers and sisters so much it hurts, and that ache bleeds into her voice. But when she remembers her mothers’ thriving business and fame, the tales of her sisters exploits’…“I want to pass my third exam first. I want to show them that I’m doing well. I want them to be proud. I don’t want to have spent all this time away to come home without something to show for it.”
Hieheart’s arm settles around her. Jujy rests her head against his shoulder.
“How old are you?” Hieheart asks randomly.
“What? Um, I’m thirteen.”
Hieheart nods. “Thirteen. And when did your mothers pass their third exams?”
Jujy crosses her arms. “When they were fifteen,” she says reluctantly.
“And your sisters?”
“...also at fifteen.”
Hieheart is holding back a laugh; she can tell. “I know it doesn’t feel like it, Jujy,” he says, “but you’re still so young! You have far more time than you think. You’re already further than your parents were at your age; there’s no need to rush. You don’t have to have everything figured out just yet.”
Jujy wants to argue. How can she explain the intense urge she feels to prove herself among her gifted family? He doesn’t understand!
Hieheart reads the ire in her gaze, and he taps her on the nose. She swipes his hand away, though her lips twitch into a smile.
Hieheart’s expression turns slightly rueful. “I know it’s difficult to accept fully,” he says. “It’s a lesson that will take you a long time to understand.” He smiles at her, warm and kind. “Do you think you can try to humour your professor anyway, just this once?”
Jujy sighs, but she smiles back and nods. Hieheart might be goofy and over-the-top, but he’s a good teacher, and he’s never led her astray before. She trusts him with all her heart.
“Well, that’s a good start!” Hieheart claps his hands. “How about we start this little vacation with a little get-together, then?”
“A get-together?”
“Indeed.” Hieheart winks at her. “Did you know that we’re rather close to some friends of ours?” He points out at the water.
Jujy follows the line of his finger and squints against the sunlight. She sees a boat steadily making its way toward them, rowed by someone with a pointed hat on their head, their robes billowing in the wind. They raise their hand in a wave.
Is that…
“Mister Olruggio?” Jujy gasps.
“Sure is!” Jujy can almost see hearts in Hieheart’s eyes. “We’re going to be having dinner with him and Qifrey and their girls. It’ll give you a chance to relax and have some fun.”
“And give you a chance to try convincing Mister Olruggio to make you his apprentice?” Jujy shoots back, but she’s grinning, excitement welling in her chest.
“Perhaps!” Hieheart jumps to his feet. “Shall we, my dear apprentice?” he asks, bowing dramatically.
Jujy laughs. “We shall!” she exclaims, taking his hand.
And together, they walk into the sunset.