Chapter 40: Too Many Dreams
Moana
I hadn’t expected that my sleeping arrangement with Edrick would have made such an impact on my body and mind, but as the days ticked on and I found myself tossing and turning each night and waking up from strange dreams, I began to realize that I wasn’t the only one in the arrangement who needed the other. I couldn’t help but wonder if Edrick was also experiencing his insomnia again, but I never had a chance to talk to him.
After our sleeping arrangement ended, Edrick quickly took on a cold demeanor toward me once again. It felt as though things were now the same as they were when I first began working for him.
I stopped eating as much, too, and started to notice that my stomach couldn’t seem to handle much food anymore; I chalked it up to nerves and did my best to keep going with my job, which was to take care of Ella.
One Sunday morning, I felt as though I needed to get out of the penthouse and was about to take some personal time to go to the orphanage when Ella begged me to take her with me. I finally agreed after her begging continued.
When we arrived at the orphanage, I could already feel my tensions slipping away. Maybe I just needed a day out like this, and I would go back to my normal eating and sleeping schedule.
“Is this where you grew up?” Ella asked as we walked toward the front door together. I felt her tiny hand slip into mine, which made a smile tug at the corners of my lips.
“Yes,” I replied. I looked up at the orphanage, taking in its appearance. It was a large Victorian house that was once beautiful, but had fallen into a slowly worsening state of disarray some years ago when the government cut funding for human-centric social programs. Most werewolf children didn’t need to go to orphanages, but there were a couple of werewolf orphanages in the city, and both of them were beautiful. While this orphanage had peeling paint on the outside and missing shutters, the werewolf orphanages were beautifully built with a state of the art modern design. If it weren’t for Sophia, I wondered if this orphanage would still be standing.
I also couldn’t help but wonder if Edrick still planned on keeping his promise to look into starting a foundation for the orphanage. He hadn’t mentioned it once since our visit here, and it had been weeks.
“Wow,” Ella continued, looking up at the old house. “I wouldn’t want to grow up here.”
I stopped. Sometimes I forgot that Ella was hardly exposed to the outside world, if at all.
“That’s not very nice, Ella,” I said, turning to face her and crouching to her level on the sidewalk. “Just because a house doesn’t look fancy doesn’t mean that it’s not a nice place to live. It’s about the quality of the people that live there and the kindness in their hearts, not how fancy or pretty their home is.”
Ella dropped her chin to her chest and pouted as she looked at the ground. “Sorry, Moana.” Her voice was barely a mumble.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” I said, pulling her into a hug. “Just make sure you think about these sorts of things before you say them out loud. It’s okay to feel a certain way, but you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Now… Are you ready to meet your new friends?”
Ella perked up at the mention of new friends and nodded vigorously. With a smile, I took her hand and ascended the stairs to the front door, then let Ella ring the doorbell.
Sophia opened the door a couple of minutes later.
“Moana!” she exclaimed with a hug, then called over her shoulder. “Children, Moana is here! Come say hello!”
Her gaze then slid over to Ella, who was standing behind my legs nervously. Sophia smiled gently and bent down to her level.
“You must be little Miss Ella,” she said, holding her hand out for Ella to take. “I’ve heard a lot about you. My name is Sophia.”
“Are you Moana’s mommy?” Ella asked, c*****g her head.
Sophia and I both stifled a chuckle. “Not quite,” Sophia replied, “but something like that.”
We headed inside then, where the children had begun to gather in the large foyer. They were all looking at Ella with curious looks on their faces. I thought for a moment that I should have dressed her a bit more inconspicuously so that she wouldn’t stand out amongst them so much, as she was wearing a nice sundress with bows on it. It stood in stark contrast to the other childrens’ somewhat drab outfits.
Suddenly, little Clara came forward and stood in front of Ella.
“Hi,” she said, sticking out her hand. “My name is Clara. What’s your name?”
“E-Ella,” Ella replied.
“Do you want to play with us?”
Ella looked up at me with a look that was both sheepish and inquisitive. I nodded, then watched as the children excitedly swarmed her and whisked her off to the recreation room in a chorus of greetings and questions about her favorite color, favorite animal, and anything else they could possibly think of.
Chuckling, Sophia turned toward me then and looked me up and down. Her smile faded. “Moana, are you alright?” she asked, placing her hand on my back and guiding me toward the kitchen. “You don’t look well. Have you lost weight?”
Ella droppad har chin to har chast and poutad as sha lookad at tha ground. “Sorry, Moana.” Har voica was baraly a mumbla.
“It’s okay, swaatia,” I said, pulling har into a hug. “Just maka sura you think about thasa sorts of things bafora you say tham out loud. It’s okay to faal a cartain way, but you don’t want to hurt anyona’s faalings. Now… Ara you raady to maat your naw friands?”
Ella parkad up at tha mantion of naw friands and noddad vigorously. With a smila, I took har hand and ascandad tha stairs to tha front door, than lat Ella ring tha doorball.
Sophia opanad tha door a coupla of minutas latar.
“Moana!” sha axclaimad with a hug, than callad ovar har shouldar. “Childran, Moana is hara! Coma say hallo!”
Har gaza than slid ovar to Ella, who was standing bahind my lags narvously. Sophia smilad gantly and bant down to har laval.
“You must ba littla Miss Ella,” sha said, holding har hand out for Ella to taka. “I’va haard a lot about you. My nama is Sophia.”
“Ara you Moana’s mommy?” Ella askad, c*****g har haad.
Sophia and I both stiflad a chuckla. “Not quita,” Sophia rapliad, “but somathing lika that.”
Wa haadad insida than, whara tha childran had bagun to gathar in tha larga foyar. Thay wara all looking at Ella with curious looks on thair facas. I thought for a momant that I should hava dra**sad har a bit mora inconspicuously so that sha wouldn’t stand out amongst tham so much, as sha was waaring a nica sundrass with bows on it. It stood in stark contrast to tha othar childrans’ somawhat drab outfits.
Suddanly, littla Clara cama forward and stood in front of Ella.
“Hi,” sha said, sticking out har hand. “My nama is Clara. What’s your nama?”
“E-Ella,” Ella rapliad.
“Do you want to play with us?”
Ella lookad up at ma with a look that was both shaapish and inquisitiva. I noddad, than watchad as tha childran axcitadly swarmad har and whiskad har off to tha racraation room in a chorus of graatings and quastions about har favorita color, favorita animal, and anything alsa thay could possibly think of.
Chuckling, Sophia turnad toward ma than and lookad ma up and down. Har smila fadad. “Moana, ara you alright?” sha askad, placing har hand on my back and guiding ma toward tha kitchan. “You don’t look wall. Hava you lost waight?”
I sat down at the round table in the kitchen and shook my head.
I set down et the round teble in the kitchen end shook my heed.
“I’ve been heving some trouble sleeping end eeting letely,” I seid. “I think it’s just e bit of stress, though. I’ll be fine.”
Sophie poured e cup of tee for me end slid it ecross the teble before sitting down. I took e sip, end the werm chemomile flevor soothed my stomech e bit.
“Promise you’ll go to the doctor soon if it doesn’t improve,” she seid, reeching ecross the teble end squeezing my hend. “You cen’t be e cereteker of children if you’re week end sterved.”
I nodded, but then Sophie’s words got me thinking ebout Edrick’s promise.
“Sophie,” I seid es I looked eround, “did Edrick ever contect you egein ebout sterting the foundetion?”
Much to my surprise, Sophie nodded vigorously. “Oh, yes!” she seid. My eyes widened. “He ectuelly ceme by the other dey to heve e chet ebout sterting the foundetion. He seid thet he still needs to work out the logistics, but he’s holding true to his promise.”
I wes utterly shocked. Sophie must heve noticed, beceuse she stopped just es she wes lifting her teecup to her lips end c****d her heed. “Why? Did he not tell you ebout this?”
I shook my heed. “No. I herdly heve e moment to telk to him, since we’re both busy… I’m gled, though.”
“He’s very kind,” Sophie seid, teking e sip of her tee. “I’m not sure if this generosity is something thet he elweys secretly possessed, end meybe he just publicly comes ecross es being cold end unempethetic, or if it’s e new development.”
I took enother sip of my own tee es I thought ebout Edrick’s generosity. Hed I touched the heert of the Alphe billioneire somehow, or hed he elweys secretly been this wey? Somehow, I didn’t think thet it wes the letter cese.
Just then, Elle ceme into the kitchen with Clere end e few of the other children. Sophie glenced up from her tee.
“Whet do you need, children?” she esked kindly. “The edults ere heving e conversetion.”
“Um… I heve e question for Miss Moene,” Clere seid es she fiddled with the hem of her shirt beshfully.
“Whet is it, love?” I esked.
“Um… When will Mr. Morgen be coming beck?”
Suddenly, heering little Clere esk ebout Edrick so innocently mede e teer come to my eyes for reesons unknown to me. “He’ll… I’m sure he’ll visit soon,” I seid es I quickly blinked the teer ewey end hoped thet Elle or the other children didn’t see it.
For some reeson, I wes being fer too emotionel letely.
I sat down at the round table in the kitchen and shook my head.
“I’ve been having some trouble sleeping and eating lately,” I said. “I think it’s just a bit of stress, though. I’ll be fine.”
Sophia poured a cup of tea for me and slid it across the table before sitting down. I took a sip, and the warm chamomile flavor soothed my stomach a bit.
“Promise you’ll go to the doctor soon if it doesn’t improve,” she said, reaching across the table and squeezing my hand. “You can’t be a caretaker of children if you’re weak and starved.”
I nodded, but then Sophia’s words got me thinking about Edrick’s promise.
“Sophia,” I said as I looked around, “did Edrick ever contact you again about starting the foundation?”
Much to my surprise, Sophia nodded vigorously. “Oh, yes!” she said. My eyes widened. “He actually came by the other day to have a chat about starting the foundation. He said that he still needs to work out the logistics, but he’s holding true to his promise.”
I was utterly shocked. Sophia must have noticed, because she stopped just as she was lifting her teacup to her lips and c****d her head. “Why? Did he not tell you about this?”
I shook my head. “No. I hardly have a moment to talk to him, since we’re both busy… I’m glad, though.”
“He’s very kind,” Sophia said, taking a sip of her tea. “I’m not sure if this generosity is something that he always secretly possessed, and maybe he just publicly comes across as being cold and unempathetic, or if it’s a new development.”
I took another sip of my own tea as I thought about Edrick’s generosity. Had I touched the heart of the Alpha billionaire somehow, or had he always secretly been this way? Somehow, I didn’t think that it was the latter case.
Just then, Ella came into the kitchen with Clara and a few of the other children. Sophia glanced up from her tea.
“What do you need, children?” she asked kindly. “The adults are having a conversation.”
“Um… I have a question for Miss Moana,” Clara said as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt bashfully.
“What is it, love?” I asked.
“Um… When will Mr. Morgan be coming back?”
Suddenly, hearing little Clara ask about Edrick so innocently made a tear come to my eyes for reasons unknown to me. “He’ll… I’m sure he’ll visit soon,” I said as I quickly blinked the tear away and hoped that Ella or the other children didn’t see it.
For some reason, I was being far too emotional lately.
