Chapter 4 - Francisco

 Graduation day arrived and Delia managed to graduate as Valedictorian in spite of everything she had been though; losing her mom, finishing her final year of High School alone, working part time at the Spa and even dealing with the secret in the basement. Fortunately, she had met Francisco and he was always there to help and support her.

In celebration of their graduation, he came over and wound up spending the night with Delia.  They were seeing more and more of each other.  Delia was pretty sure he was going to propose – at least she hoped so!  But the basement would remain a secret - for now anyway.

Well she didn’t have to wait long.  As soon as Francisco got a job and saved up enough for a ring, he went down on one knee and before she knew it, she was engaged.  She was over the moon happy.  But one thing worried her.  She still hadn’t told him about the basement.  Now that they were engaged, she was even more afraid of losing him so decided until she figured out what was really down there, the basement and it’s bizarre contents would remain her secret. He didn’t need to know her mom was a loon. Or, if there really was something to all of this and her mom was actually a witch or some other kind of weirdo she might lose him!  No, she loved Francisco and couldn’t imagine being without him, so a secret it would remain.  

After they became engaged, Francisco moved in with her.   He said it would help with finances to just have one home to pay for.  Delia didn’t blink an eye and readily accepted that proposal – they would be married soon and the finances were tight. Her mom's money was running out and the Day Spa didn't pay that much.  He wasn’t making a lot either just starting his job. 

Delia began to sell the potions she was making. She told Francisco she was selling things she was making from the metals she was collecting, the produce from the garden and the fish she caught by taking it to the consignment store – actually she was selling the ‘potions’ she was conjuring up in the basement from those things. The folks at the Elixir store seemed to want them and they sold well.  Okay, now that she thought of it, maybe that was how her Mother supplemented their income and that was all there was to it.   Anyways, forget the basement for now; she had a wedding to plan!  

Continue to Chapter 5

Go back to Chapter 3