Camila Noceda had been trying to stop her daughter from running headfirst into danger. Instead, she’d ended up running straight into another world.

One moment she’d been chasing Luz and her friends through the abandoned house; the next, she stumbled through a shimmering portal, landing unceremoniously on soft grass beneath a violet sky.

"Luz," Camila said, slowly pinching the bridge of her nose. "Why are there three moons?"

"Oh! That's normal here!"

The Boiling Isles was impossible. The trees had eyes, the birds had too many mouths, and a giraffe skeleton wandered in the distance.

"There!" Luz pointed to a ramshackle house atop a hill. "We're almost home!"

Before Camila could ask what "home" meant, the front door flew open. A tall witch with wild silver hair leaned against the doorway, her golden eye widening. Beside her, a neatly dressed witch with a violin case paused, their calm expression faltering.

Luz rushed forward. "Eda! Raine!"

Camila followed cautiously. "So," Luz said proudly, "this is my mom! Camila Noceda!"

Silence fell. Eda and Raine exchanged a look. Years of history allowed an entire conversation to pass between them in a single, silent glance:

She looks exhausted. Single parent. Definitely carries everyone else's problems. Needs a nap, a hot meal, and to be absolutely spoiled. Can we? Absolutely.

Neither realized they had smiled at the exact same time.

"It's... nice to meet you both," Camila offered politely.

"Oh, trust me," Eda grinned.

"The pleasure's ours," Raine added, their smile warm enough to rival the sun.

King's ears twitched. "Uh-oh. I know that look. The one where Eda decides she's adopting somebody."

"I don't think 'adopting' is quite the word," Raine cleared their throat, the corners of their mouth betraying them.

"Definitely not," Eda agreed, her gaze drifting back to Camila.

Another silent conversation passed between the two witches:

She's adorable. Dinner, fresh blankets, tea, and compliments until she believes us.

Camila shifted awkwardly. "...Luz? I have a feeling I'm about to lose control of this situation."

Seeing the matching glints in Eda and Raine's eyes, Luz winced. "Oh. Oh no."

"Alright, enough standing around!" Eda clapped her hands, effortlessly taking one of Camila's hands while Raine gently took the other.

"Oh—you really don't have to—" Camila protested.

"Nonsense," Eda said.

"You've had a long day," Raine added softly. "We'll take care of you."

With Luz giggling and King muttering, "Called it," the two witches ushered the bewildered human inside. Neither Eda nor Raine had planned on falling for a woman they'd just met, let alone sharing. But one look at Camila was enough.

Whether she knew it yet or not, Camila was about to discover what it felt like to have someone insist on taking care of her for a change.