The Magic You Bring

She's on her own in a new place, lonely for friendship and struggling to help her son. Then a stranger smiles…

Lacey Kirkland moved to the tiny isle of Dearham, Maine when her boyfriend left her and their autistic son Caleb. Now she's making a new life, caring for Caleb all alone, navigating their finances and needs, not to mention the roadblocks in his education. She's got no time to make mistakes, and she's certainly got no time to work on healing herself.

It's on a particularly fraught morning when she comes by a strange shop in the woods. As she peruses the brightly colored concoctions, tasting jams and sipping floral-scented chocolate, she feels lost and disconnected despite the charm and the shopkeeper's warm welcome. And though she's intrigued by rumors that the garden outside is magic, experience has taught her that magic doesn't really exist.

Then, upon leaving, a stranger wishes her good day. The kindness in his voice moves Lacey, and she returns the next day to thank him. Thus begin two months of weekly letter exchanges, in which Lacey and the stranger share support, encouragement, and friendship. As the weeks pass, their connection grows, forcing Lacey to wonder: Can opening one's heart actually heal it? Can gaining another's trust close her own wounds? Can friendship with another bring compassion for oneself? And can she create happiness for her son by accessing magic from within?

A novelette for readers of women's fiction and magical realism, The Magic You Bring is about resilience, self-forgiveness, and the magic hiding in the least expected places.