Chapter 5

ELORA

"You have got to be kidding me."

Chloe leaned over to squint at the screen, and when she saw the name highlighted on the spreadsheet, she scoffed too.

"The witch of the east wing?"

The witch of the east wing, indeed.

Should I even be annoyed, or just proud of myself?

The grudging admiration was in fact there. I'd cast my net so damn wide that the almighty Victoria Vandermere was waiting in line to have a taste of my brand.

My business was my second baby, after Luna.

It started with Arthur, as most of the biggest things in my life seemed to start with Arthur, whether I planned it or not. He'd been complaining about his joints for months and the prescriptions did nothing. Since I had some background in herbalism, I made him a therapeutic balm, which I ran by his rheumatologist. Dr. Trinzi had the product properly tested before she gave the green light for Arthur to use it.

It worked so well Arthur wanted me to make a business out of it, but I wasn't ready at the time. So he handled the trademark filing for my brand under a shell name until I was ready.

I eventually launched my wellness line two years ago. Just a website with a waiting list and a price tag. Exclusivity was part of the appeal.

"Now how did she find her way in here?"

"Same way she's gonna find her way out," I said as I opened the status menu close to Victoria's name and hit Reject.

The entry vanished. A fuzzy sensation spread through the centre of my chest.

Who knew hitting a simple button could feel so good? If I could fish her application out of the trash just to reject it all over again, I'd do it.

I went on to approve the rest of the applications, locking in a string of zeros that meant we were financially covered for the entire year, and then some.

I shut the laptop. "Once the money hits my account, I'll wire what's needed to your account. Then you can write the cheque for the school by morning."

"Yay," Chloe squealed amid a stretch and a yawn. Then she came and leaned her head against my shoulder for a second or two.

---

The weekend passed. Monday came.

Luna was starting preschool today.

We all waited in the bumper-to-bumper procession of cars as Tristan (Chloe's boyfriend of exactly nine days) navigated his sedan through the traffic. I would often wonder if he was naturally such a talented driver or if he was just trying to score early points with his new girlfriend.

I was in the back with Luna, who had both hands flat against the glass, watching the whole parade.

The elite preschool looked nothing like a preschool. Or any school. Not only was it massive and looming, it was swarming with parents in designer clothes.

"Hey. How are we feeling about the big day?" I asked Luna.

She kept tracking a woman carrying a toddler and two iced coffees.

"Happy," she replied.

"Just happy?"

Her shoulders hitched up toward her ears. She then turned to me, hands over her mouth.

"I'm a little bit nervous."

I opened my arms wide and she fell in. I pressed a long kiss to the crown of her head, holding her tight against my chest.

"It's perfectly fine to be nervous," I told her.

I'd been nervous about a million things in my life. Some of them turned out fine. Some, worse than fine. But I was certain Luna was going to have an amazing day.

"It means you're about to do something brave. And you're the bravest girl I know."

"Thank you, Mommy."

"You're welcome, my precious girl." I kissed her hair. "Do you have your worry stone with you?"

I had found one at a street market months ago and given it to her to keep with her whenever she got scared.

"Baba is safe in my pocket."

She had named it Baba on the very first day, and the title stuck permanently.

"Good girl."

Luna's eyes darted again in the direction of the school building. "Are you going to come inside?"

Now, this was the hardest part of our logistics. Never being able to act as her mother in public. But it was the reality I had to endure from the moment I chose to keep her hidden. And my daughter was a very smart girl. She knew to refer to Chloe as her mother in public, while I was the aunt. The normal routine was reserved only for when we were at home alone.

"Not today, baby," I said. I gave her cheek another kiss, lingering for a second to memorise the warmth of her skin because I knew I'd need it later.

"Auntie Chloe is going to take you to your classroom today, remember?"

Chloe turned around from the passenger seat and flashed an encouraging smile at Luna. Luna seemed to take comfort in it because she smiled back.

"We're going to have so much fun, Loonie," Chloe said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

Tristan threw the car into park with a gentle lurch. "Alright. Here we are."

I gave Luna one last squeeze before letting her slide towards the door. Chloe opened the door for her to get out, while I simply watched, trying to hold back tears.

The distance between the car and the front gates was only about thirty yards, but it felt like an insurmountable canyon.

Four years ago, she was just a terrifying, but wonderfully positive word on a clinic test result. Then she was a tiny bundle I had to hide from the world. Now, she was a bright force of nature with a full head of curls, marching into preschool in denim overalls.

My baby was growing up.

"She's gonna be good," Tristan warmly assured me. Our eyes met in the mirror.

I nodded, chuckling. "Yeah. She will."

Looking back at where she'd been sitting, I noticed the little pink object lying on the seat. It was her worry stone.

"Oh my god." It must have fallen out while she was leaving.

I grabbed it immediately and hurried out of the car. Tristan said something, but I cut him off as I shut the door and hurried after the other two. Chloe was just nearing the school gates.

"Luna!"

She spun around. The slight tremor of anxiety that had been clinging to her shoulders vanished the second she saw me jogging up the paved walkway.

She dropped Chloe's hand and ran to meet me halfway.

I crouched down, ignoring the judgemental stares from passing parents, and caught her by the shoulders.

"You forgot something very important," I told her.

I placed the stone into her palm and folded her fingers over it.

Luna looked down at her fist with a wide grin and then threw her arms around my neck, squeezing with all her might.

"I love you, Mommy."

"I love you too. So much."

I took one look ahead of me while I was still curled around my kid, and my breath caught for a split second.

Down the lawn right ahead of us was Cedric.

He was holding Jamie's hand, but his eyes, ever so sharp, were locked on me and Luna.