CHAPTER 11Aurelia
Aurelia
With ten minutes to spare before her appointment, Aurelia rang the doorbell of an adorable house.
Shifting on her feet, she waited, trying to balance the weight of her tote bag and the box of macarons that she carried. With nervous energy to burn off, she impulsively decided to make them for today’s consultation. It didn’t feel right showing up empty-handed to something so personal.
Aurelia peered down at the solid light pink long-sleeved t-shirt with delicate lace detailing at the end of the sleeves and bottom, dark jeans, and flat brown sandals she wore, having opted for comfortable clothing. It was too late to hope she was dressed appropriately.
The door slowly opened, revealing a small-framed woman who looked old enough to be her mother, but still youthful enough to be mistaken for an older sister. But it was her shoulder-length hair that captured her attention, in a lovely shade of lilac.
Her blue eyes were an ethereal shade she had not seen before. They watched Aurelia through chic black framed glasses.
“You must be the Aurelia I’ve heard so much about. Please come in.” She stepped aside with a wide smile, making room for Aurelia to enter.
Stepping through the door and into the sitting room, Aurelia’s eyes roamed every square inch of the vibrant space. “I love everything about this room,” she gushed, eyes wide as she spun around slowly. “This is exactly the vibe I’ve been trying to create in my own home.”
She blushed, realizing she hadn’t yet introduced herself.
The woman sported an entertained grin as she leaned against the jamb of the opening that led to an equally stunning kitchen.
“I'm so sorry, my manners went out the window when I crossed the threshold to this magical home.
But yes, I'm Aurelia, and hopefully in the right place?”
“Indeed, you are, and thank you for the compliment.” She moved towards Aurelia, hand extended. “I’m Estrella Vale. We will be working very closely together during your time with Perfectly Paired Matchmaking .” Aurelia shook her small but firm hand and smiled, her nervousness ebbing.
She held up the box of dessert and offered it to Estrella. “I made an assortment of macarons for us to enjoy this afternoon, if that’s okay?” It was strange how comfortable Aurelia felt with this woman, as if she had known Estrella her entire life somehow.
Those strangely beautiful blue eyes lit up behind her lenses.
“What a pleasant surprise! I adore macarons—and you have managed to surprise an old woman by making them yourself. Let's get ourselves settled, then. Would you like coffee or tea?” She waved Aurelia into the kitchen. “I already put the kettle on for some tea myself.”
“Tea sounds amazing, thank you.”
Aurelia placed the box on the gorgeous farmhouse table before sliding into one of the open seats. As she began removing files from her bag, Estrella joined her, bearing two steaming azulejo-style teacups and matching saucers. Even her China set is beautiful , Aurelia admired silently.
“I love your hair, by the way. It’s a beautiful color.”
Estrella beamed with surprised delight. “No one ever dares to comment on it—it’s refreshing to hear.
Though I must say,” she said, eyeing Aurelia's hair again, “it doesn’t compare to yours. The way it shimmers in the sunlight is simply marvelous. I can’t believe Eleanor never mentioned it in all the times we met. ”
The mention of Eleanor caused Aurelia's smile to slip, dulling her good mood.Reflexively, her shoulders curled in a fraction, self-consciousness flooding her senses. She reached for the sugar and small carafe of milk and busied herself with her tea.
This wasn’t the time to start crying.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and yesterday felt like it was the right time to make it happen. After losing her…I needed a change for myself and decided to just go for it,”she admitted.
“Her loss will be felt by every person whose life she touched. I’ve known her for a long time and can say there will never be someone quite like her. She was a star in her own right, called home to shine among them,” Estrella said mournfully.
Aurelia's throat worked as she tried to hold back the flood of tears threatening to break through, the truth of Estrella’s words hitting her hard. Forcing out a steadying breath, she agreed.
“That’s a lovely way of framing it. Eleanor was definitely the center of attention wherever she went. If her life had been a reality show, it would have had the highest ratings every season—and she would have basked in the glory of it.”
Thinking about all the antics Eleanor had pulled with the same air of nonchalance one had with something as mundane as tying their shoelaces brought a smile to her face. That woman had a knack for making simple activities over the top.
Estrella's mouth formed a small smile. “She never relied on signs from Fate to guide her in life; she simply barged right in and made those decisions for herself—which is exactly why you and I are here today.” She looked at Aurelia intently as she reached across the table to the box of macarons.
Aurelia slid the box closer to her, not one to deny anyone a chance for a treat. Estrella gracefully selected two of each flavor of macarons and added them to her plate.
“I’ll admit that this situation is quite an unorthodox one for me. Usually, clients approach me of their own volition. I don’t advertise—every client is a referral from a prior one.”
It was unorthodox because Eleanor was involved , Aurelia thought.
“Eleanor was candid about her wishes. She spoke so highly about the daughter she never had—how much she needed my help, that I couldn’t say no. Quite honestly, I feel as if I already know you, considering how much Eleanor told me.”
Aurelia let that sink in for a moment, wondering how often she had met with Estrella these last few months without her knowledge. Even in death, Eleanor was still a sneaky bitch…and it lifted her spirits a bit.
“I can only imagine the things she said about me,” Aurelia said wryly, as Estrella bit into a strawberries and cream flavored macaron, humming in appreciation. “Eleanor's explanation delivered in her last video was as subtle as someone whispering secrets through a megaphone in a library.”
The words slipped out of Aurelia’s mouth before she could think them through.
Estrella almost choked on the dessert with laughter, needing a long sip of her tea to wash it down.
Once she regained her composure, the air in the room shifted as those mesmerizing eyes aligned with hers, an unnatural stillness befalling her.
It was a strange feeling that made her skin prickle.
“It’s clear that despite the unusual circumstances, you’ve agreed to move forward with finding your match,” Estrella stated.
Aurelia could have sworn her eyes were changing colors, but she pushed the thought from her mind as quickly as it arrived. I’m imagining things.
“Beyond the wealth at stake, what made you decide to come?”
The question stopped Aurelia in her tracks, and she thoughtfully considered her response. Ultimately, she decided to repeat exactly what she said to Charles in Eleanor's study only a couple of days prior.
“Because I've nothing left to lose. I’m sure Eleanor spilled all the gossip about my upbringing in foster care, how I came to be her personal assistant, and my past romantic entanglements.”
It should have been harder to say the words aloud, but it was as if someone else was in control, her thoughts ill content to be silent any longer.
“I don’t really have any friends; growing up, I was shuffled around so much that it became impossible to connect with other kids. Being thrown into the real world without any protections the day I turned eighteen forced me to put such trivialities on the back burner—surviving was more important.”
Aurelia paused, that invisible tether drawing her story out, unable to stop it even if she tried. It was disconcerting; her instincts begged to erect a wall around her heart. She fought against it.
I’m fierce. I can do this.
“I was in my mid-twenties when I felt ready to go beyond basic survival…to try to live. Though I didn’t know what that entailed.
I started by volunteering for activities in my community; I took classes like beginner’s crochet or line dancing to meet other people, but… ” she bit her lower lip in hesitation.
I lied, maybe I can’t do this.
She shook her head and that voice out of her mind. “I haven’t been able to get past that first introduction and small talk. No one seems to be interested in pushing a friendship further than that.”
Facing the windows leading to the backyard, Aurelia peered into the distance, reliving those memories and the accompanying feeling of embarrassment.Arms wrapped around herself protectively, she asked in a broken whisper, “Is there something wrong with me?”
Estrella said nothing. She dropped her arms and took a sip of tea to buy herself time to gather her thoughts and strength, hating how exposed she was—how vulnerable.
Hating how her voice progressively became more distraught as she continued.
“I have no issues getting attention from men. The problem is my inability to choose the right ones. Every relationship failed because I wasn’t good enough for them to stay.” Her inadequacy had become the only constant companion in her life.
Aurelia was so adrift in the memories of every failed past relationship, especially the most recent one, that she didn’t feel the silent rivers streaming down her face, wrought with emotion.
“Losing Eleanor has affected me more than anything in my life so far; she was literally the only person who has ever cared deeply about me. Yes, she was my employer, but for me, our relationship went beyond that. She was the grandmother I never had—someone who let me be myself without pretense and fall apart without judgment. Eleanor made me feel safe .”
She chanced a glance at Estrella, who, save for those swirling blue orbs, had not moved a muscle.
“I’m here because I have nothing left to lose by letting someone help me,” Aurelia said, her voice steadier than she felt.
“If it doesn’t work out, fine—I’ll be right back where I am now.
The money itself doesn’t mean anything to me, but it could help so many other people—kids like me who are aging out of foster care with nowhere to go, no support. ”
Confidence and determination began to replace her embarrassment.
“I barely made it on my own. This inheritance could create something real—a safety net that actually helps them, so they don’t have to fight to survive like I did.”
She took a shaky breath, surprised by the emotion rising in her chest. Emotion that didn’t push her down for once; instead, it picked her up and pushed her forward.
“Ninety days before my eighteenth birthday, they gave me a transition plan…said it would help me find a safe place to live, a job. My foster parents even agreed to let me stay until I was settled. But all of that fell apart. I came home from work one night and found my bags already packed. They told me I had to leave—that another kid was coming and no room for me.”
Aurelia’s throat tightened at the memory. “So, I left. And with nowhere else to go…I ended up living in my car.”
In a voice that sounded neither far away nor close—somehow everywhere at once, Estrella asked, “What is it that you want?”
That was just it.
No one had ever cared about what she wanted, so she never cared either.
Until now.
“I want to feel safe. I've never felt safe with a partner.
I want someone who is my best friend…the first person I see and think about when I open my eyes in the morning and the last when I close them at night.
I want to be able to break down knowing they'll help me back up. And—and I want to be strong enough to do the same for them.”
That thing in her chest had cracked open—and it hurt .
Wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand, she whispered, “I want all of the things that I haven’t been able to experience in life so far—love, a home, a family with someone who truly sees me.”
How pathetic I must sound with my worst fears now laid out on the table like a weak hand of cards , she thought miserably to herself.Though there was a certain kind of finality in saying these words aloud, as if her needs and wants became a tangible thing.
Suddenly, Aurelia came to a sharp realization.
She knew she looked like a disaster right now in front of this woman she had met not an hour ago, but Aurelia found that she didn’t care. She simply couldn’t bring herself to care.
She didn’t care if everything she said made her look weak.
She didn’t care whether this woman pitied her or felt indifferent because Aurelia had already lived through much worse than someone else’s judgment.
While it was true that no one had cared about her wants, she struck a silent bargain with herself to change that…because she mattered .
What she needed and wanted mattered .
Without warning, as if she were struck by an invisible electric current, Aurelia’s very sense of self reset.
She stopped crying, and her eyes cleared.
She straightened her shoulders and sat up taller in her chair.
A strength she didn't know existed surged deep within her.
Staring Estrella in the eyes, Aurelia didn’t falter when she said, “I want your help.”
Those blue whirlpools stopped moving, returning to a homogenous hue as a satisfied smile formed on Estrella's face.
“There’s the Aurelia Eleanor told me about. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”