Innocently Stolen

Chapter 24

Elowyn didn't feel like dealing with strangers tonight, so an Uber was out of the question. The walk was only about twenty minutes anyway, she reminded herself.

The air outside was colder than she expected, making her pull her coat tighter as she continued her walk.

Her pace stayed calm and unhurried, keeping to the concrete, avoiding the uneven edges of the curb.

The first few blocks weren't too bad. Cars still passed now and then, and a few restaurants were busy enough that voices drifted out every time the doors opened.

But the farther she walked, the quieter everything became.

The sidewalks emptied out. The streetlights grew farther apart. Her shoes tapped steadily against the concrete while cold wind slipped through the trees overhead.

A sudden, sharp bark somewhere nearby made her jump slightly and tighten her grip on the food in her hands.

Elowyn kept moving, trying not to let the loud sound bother her, when only a few minutes later she heard footsteps behind her.

She glanced back and spotted a man walking in the same direction several feet away. Older than her. Hands in his pockets. Moving at a normal pace.

The second he noticed her looking, he lifted a hand awkwardly. "Sorry," he called out. "My house is down this way too. I'm just trying to get home."

Elowyn stared at him for a second before shrugging lightly and continuing on.

The footsteps stayed behind her.

A minute passed.

Then another.

When she looked back again, he was still there.

The man immediately looked panicked.

"Oh no," he said quickly, stopping too.

"I swear I'm not trying to be creepy." He pointed farther down the road.

"My house really is over there. I didn't want to cross the street and make this look worse somehow.

" He let out a stressed breath. "I'm really just trying to get home. "

Elowyn looked at him quietly for a moment, then gave a small nod.

The man looked relieved enough that his shoulders dropped slightly.

"Thank you," he muttered. "I know this probably looks bad."

"It does. I've seen a lot of documentaries."

"Yeah," he sighed. "That's valid."

"So, are you a murderer?" Elowyn asked seriously. "I don't really feel like dying today."

"What?! No, I'm not, I promise."

"Hmm... do you pinky promise?"

"Yeah, pinky promise," the man held up his little finger.

"Okay."

They started walking again, side by side but still several feet apart.

After a minute, the man glanced toward the container in her hands.

"Smells good."

"It's pasta."

"Nice. Homemade?"

"Elaborately homemade."

That earned a confused look from him. "I'm not sure what that means."

"It means there were too many steps."

The man laughed quietly. "Ah. Got it."

Another stretch of silence passed before he spoke again. "You walking home?"

"No. I'm going to a bookstore."

"At night?"

"Yes."

He looked like he wanted to question that decision but thought better of it halfway through. "Well... alright then."

Elowyn looked over at him briefly. "You seem... concerned, I think."

"I think most people would be a little concerned seeing someone your size walking alone this late."

"My size?"

"You're tiny."

"I'm average somewhere," Elowyn scowled.

The man snorted unexpectedly. "You know what? Fair point."

Cold wind swept down the sidewalk again, carrying a few dry leaves past their feet.

After another block, the man spoke again. "I'm actually taking some cooking lessons right now since I can barely make instant noodles without almost burning my house down."

Elowyn looked at him more directly now, trying to figure out if he was serious.

"I burned soup once," he admitted.

"How do you burn soup?"

"I don't know. That's why I signed up for the lessons," he laughed.

A few minutes later, he pointed toward a small house near the corner. "That's mine, by the way. Proof I wasn't secretly following you."

Elowyn stopped briefly to inspect it.

"That does look like a real house."

"I would certainly hope so."

Her attention dropped to the containers in her hands again.

"You can have some pasta if you want."

The man blinked. "What?"

"You said you burned soup before. That means you are bad at cooking."

A laugh escaped him before he could stop

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"That's really nice, but are you sure?"

Elowyn gave a small shrug. "There's a lot of it. I just need something to put it in."

The man hesitated another second before pointing toward the house. "I can grab a plate?"

"Okay."

He jogged up the walkway and disappeared inside while Elowyn waited near the sidewalk, standing patiently with the container tucked against her chest.

About a minute later, he came back out carrying a plate and fork.

"Thank you," Elowyn said as he handed them over.

She opened the lid and carefully served some pasta onto the plate before giving it back to him.

"Enjoy."

The man looked down at the food like he still wasn't entirely convinced this interaction was real.

"You know," he said, smiling now, "I was having a pretty rough day, so... thank you, stranger."

"You're welcome."

She adjusted the container in her arms again, then turned suddenly and started walking away. "Bye."

"Bye," he laughed softly, turning to walk back into his house.

?

It took Elowyn exactly twenty- seven minutes to reach Miss Loretta's shop.

When she stepped inside, neither of the women near the back noticed her at first.

Miss Loretta stood behind the counter, hands planted firmly against the surface, her expression set in a way that made it clear she was in the middle of saying something important.

Across from her, Seraphina stood composed as ever, posture straight, attention fixed on the older woman without a hint of agitation.

"I'm telling you, that's not how this works," Miss Loretta was saying, her voice carrying just enough to reach the front. "You don't just come in here, fix half my shop, and then refuse to be paid for it."

Seraphina didn't raise her voice to match. "I didn't come here expecting payment."

"That doesn't matter," Miss Loretta replied, pushing lightly against the counter as if emphasizing the point. "Work is work. You deserve to be paid for it."

While that went on, Elowyn had already moved past the shelves without hesitation, heading straight for a table like it was the only thing on her mind. She didn't interrupt, didn't even look at them for more than a passing second.

Behind her, Miss Loretta's voice carried again, a little more insistent this time. "I don't like owing people, Seraphina. You know that."

"I'm not asking you to owe me anything," Seraphina said, calm and steady. "It was something I chose to do."

"And I'm telling you that doesn't make it free," Miss Loretta shot back, though there was no real anger behind it-just stubbornness.

Elowyn carefully placed the food on the table while the conversation continued, steady and unresolved, Miss Loretta's determination meeting Seraphina's quiet refusal without either of them giving an inch.

Miss Loretta was still mid-conversation when her attention finally shifted, something in her peripheral vision catching her attention.

"Sunshine?"

Seraphina turned, smiling at the sight of Elowyn standing there in her new coat, ninja turtle pajamas and brown converse with small flowers embroidered on the sides.

"What are you doing here at this hour?" Miss Loretta continued.

"Do you want to have dinner with me?" Elowyn asked, pointing to the food on the table.

"Elowyn, dear," Miss Loretta sighed, "you could have just called me and I would have gone to you."

Elowyn waited for a few seconds to see if her question would be answered, then spoke again. "So, is that a yes?"

"Of course I'll have dinner with you. Let me go grab some plates," she answered, then disappeared into the kitchen.

Seraphina watched the elderly woman go, then turned her attention towards Elowyn, who already had a certain look on her face.

She could already read the girl's facial expressions for the most part, and by the looks of it, she was about to say something absolutely absurd.

"Do you know you're a hypocrite?"

There it is.

"How so?" Seraphina smirked.

"You should always accept payment for your work," Elowyn recited the woman's own words back to her, "is that not what you told me?"

"It is."

Elowyn started gesturing around the shop, her hand sweeping across the space, pointing out the obvious without bothering to spell it out.

"You seem to enjoy using my words against me," Seraphina shook her head with a smile.

"So," Elowyn shrugged, "are you gonna explain yourself?"

Seraphina's expression didn't change much, but there was a quiet acknowledgment in her eyes. "I did say that."

Elowyn waited.

"But I chose to ignore it," she added, almost lightly.

Elowyn blinked. "That doesn't make sense."

"It doesn't have to," Seraphina replied, unbothered.

Seraphina watched as Elowyn's frown deepened, then let out a quiet breath, relenting just slightly. "Miss Loretta asked me to renovate her shop," she said. "I agreed. That doesn't obligate me to take anything in return."

"But you said-"

"I know what I said," she cut in gently. "And I meant it when I said it to you."

Elowyn went still at that, truly trying to understand how the woman thinks.

Seraphina's tone softened just enough to take the edge out of it. "I simply wanted to do something nice for Miss Loretta."

That slowed her again, not fully satisfied, but still thinking.

Her attention dropped to the table. "I made dinner," she said after a second. "If you want some."

The sound of dishes drew closer before Miss Loretta stepped back into the shop, three plates balanced carefully in her hands.

"If you want to join, I can split mine," she said, setting them down and glancing toward Seraphina. "That should be more than enough."

"There's enough," Elowyn said, already reaching for one of the cups. "I made quite a bit since I didn't know if you would be regular hungry or extra hungry."

"Chicken Alfredo, Elowyn, this looks delicious," Miss Loretta smiled, opening the container, "Are you trying new foods?"

Elowyn looked at her like she was crazy, then pulled out her lunch box that contained her own food.

"Never mind then," Miss Loretta chuckled.

Seraphina moved without comment, pulling out the chair beside Elowyn and quietly taking a seat.

Miss Loretta's attention lingered on the lunch box as Elowyn opened it, the small containers inside arranged with the same care as everything else she did. The sight made something soften in her expression almost instantly.

Dino nuggets. Cheese pasta.

A quiet smile found its way onto her face as she set the plates down properly. "Still doing that, hm?"

Elowyn glanced up. "Doing what?"

Miss Loretta waved it off gently, though the fondness didn't leave her. "Nothing at all."

It had been years, but the pattern hadn't changed. Back then, it had been peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut to match whatever the other children had, or rice beside something a bit more complicated. Always an attempt to mirror, just translated into something manageable.

Miss Loretta took a bite, her expression softening even more. "This is wonderful, sunshine."

Elowyn didn't respond to the praise, too focused on her own food, eating in that same steady, familiar way.

"You didn't have to bring all this over," Miss Loretta added after a moment.

"I didn't want to eat alone," Elowyn said.

"Well, I'm happy you stopped by. Did you make it here alright?"

"Yes, it was colder than expected, but nice."

Seraphina's gaze lifted slightly at that, not missing the girl's wording.

"Good," Miss Loretta said, taking another bite. "It's gotten darker earlier these days."

A small pause passed before Seraphina spoke, keeping her tone casual but more precise.

"How did you get here?"

"I walked," Elowyn answered, like it was a minor detail.

Miss Loretta's fork stilled. "You walked?"

"Yes."

"You walked all the way over here from your house?"

"Yes."

"By yourself?

"Yes."

"At night?"

Elowyn furrowed her brows in mild agitation. Had her initial response not answer everything Miss Loretta was asking?

"I walked from my house, to this shop, on the sidewalk, at night with dinner in my hands and also gave a man some food on the way," Elowyn responded, making sure to recite exactly how she got here.

The words settled over the table, leaving nothing unclear.

"What man, Elowyn?" Seraphina chimed in, her uneasiness growing by the second.

"This nice man I met on the street. He was walking behind me trying to get home, and he takes cooking classes."

The table went unnaturally still.

Seraphina's attention shifted fully onto Elowyn now, the earlier ease in her posture disappearing entirely. Miss Loretta looked caught somewhere between concern and disbelief, her fork still hovering halfway to her plate while she tried to process everything she had just heard.

Meanwhile, Elowyn kept eating without interruption, entirely unaware that she had just redirected the entire atmosphere of the dinner.

Miss Loretta slowly lowered her fork onto the table. "Honey..." she started carefully, "you gave food to a stranger you met alone at night?"

Elowyn looked up. "He seemed hungry."

"That is not the issue," Miss Loretta said gently, though she already sounded overwhelmed by the explanation.

"He wasn't dangerous," Elowyn added. "He looked stressed the whole time. I think he was more scared of scaring me."

Across from her, Seraphina finally spoke. "And you decided to stop walking and have a conversation with him."

Elowyn frowned slightly at the wording. "It would have been rude not to answer him."

Neither woman at the table looked reassured by that.

"He also burned soup before," Elowyn continued, like this was somehow relevant evidence toward his character. "Which I think means he was telling the truth about the cooking lessons."

Miss Loretta closed her eyes briefly. "Oh, sweetheart."

"You walked all that way, at night, with some stranger?" Miss Loretta went on, shaking her head. "Do you at least have something on you? Pepper spray? Anything?"

"No."

That only made her more uneasy. "Elowyn..." she exhaled, pressing her lips together for a second. "The world is not as kind as you think it is. You can't just walk around alone like that, not this late. It's dangerous."

Elowyn's brows pulled together again, like she was trying to follow the logic but not quite landing on the same conclusion.

"You're a bit on the... smaller side," Miss Loretta continued, choosing her words carefully, knowing the girl can be a bit self-conscious about her height, "your hands were full-you couldn't even react properly if something happened."

Across from her, Seraphina hadn't said a word. She let Miss Loretta speak, letting the concern settle fully.

Letting out a slow breath, some of the tension easing from Miss Loretta's shoulders as she reached for her fork again. "Just... next time, you call me," she said, gentler now.

Elowyn didn't argue, though she didn't look entirely convinced either. "Okay."

"Alright," Miss Loretta murmured, like she'd take it for now.

The conversation moved on after that, not all at once, but gradually. The focus shifted back to the food, to the shop, to familiar things. Elowyn ate quietly, listening more than participating, her attention drifting in and out as the voices across from her blended into something steady.

By the time the last of the food was gone, the earlier tension fully settled into something comfortable.

Elowyn set her fork down first.

"I'll clean up," she said, already reaching for the plates before either of them could respond.

Miss Loretta started to protest. "Oh, you don't have to-"

But Elowyn was already on her feet gathering everything, stacking the dishes carefully and carrying the plates to the kitchen.

She made her way to the sink, setting everything down on the counter in one smooth motion and started organizing which dishes she would start washing first.

"You don't have to do that all by yourself."

Elowyn jumped at the voice, not expecting Seraphina to follow her into the kitchen.

Her hands paused over the sink, then reached to grab the sponge. "There isn't much to wash," she said, gesturing to the few plates already stacked neatly beside her.

Before Elowyn could react, the sponge was taken from her hand. Seraphina moved past her shoulder and turned on the tap properly, already starting on the first dish.

Elowyn just stared at her.

For a second, she didn't even try to process it. "You just-"

Seraphina glanced at her briefly, still focused on the plate in her hands. "You can dry them if you want."

She did as she was told, working in silence while Seraphina kept washing beside her.

While Elowyn waited for more dishes to dry, she openly stared at Seraphina's side profile.

Whether Seraphina noticed or not was something Elowyn couldn't tell, but when the woman handed her the next dish, she locked eyes with Elowyn, an easy smile on her lips.

"Is there something on my face?"

Elowyn shook her head, staring up at Seraphina with the softest eyes.

Which is why her next words completely caught the woman off guard.

"Can I touch you?" Elowyn asked. Fully convicted. Fully serious.

The room froze for what felt like an eternity before Seraphina finally was able to get words out of her mouth.

"Touch me?"

"Yes," Elowyn stood there, patiently waiting for an answer.

"I- Elowyn, what do you mean?"

Elowyn tilted her head, then pressed her hands together as if demonstrating "touch." Seraphina watched the motion, still not moving from her spot.

"You mean a handshake?" she asked.

"Um, yeah. I'm pretty sure a handshake could work."

Seraphina's brow lifted slightly. "Is there any particular reason for this?"

Elowyn looked at her like the answer was obvious. "To see if I have a crush on you."

Seraphina paused, then smiled slightly, though she was still visibly trying to process the logic rather than interrupt it.

"I need to see if my heart beats faster when I touch you," Elowyn continued. "A normal heart rate for a female ranges from sixty to one-hundred beats per minute. So I'm assuming anything over one hundred might indicate a crush."

The kitchen went completely still again for just a few moments.

"And you're telling me the only way your heart will beat faster is if you touch me?" Seraphina asked, leaning her hip against the sink.

"That's what I need to check," Elowyn answered.

"Does your heart not race when we're just together?" Seraphina took a step forward, leaving the smallest space between them.

"Hm?" Seraphina hummed low in her throat.

Unable to look the woman in the eyes, Elowyn kept her attention fixed firmly on her shoes.

Thinking became difficult very quickly after that.

All she could focus on was the warmth coming off Seraphina, the faint trace of her perfume curling into the air between them. The closeness of her felt overwhelming in a way Elowyn couldn't organize into anything sensible. Her chest tightened, her thoughts scattered, and suddenly, she felt dizzy.

Elowyn lifted her hand, placing it over her heart.

It was racing- wildly.

She began to slowly pat over the area, as if that would slow it down.

"Do you still need to touch me?" Seraphina murmured, her breath hitting the top of Elowyn's head, the girl still refusing to look up.

"I- no," Elowyn squeaked, brushing past Seraphina and ran away, leaving her to finish the dishes on her own.

Elowyn slipped out of the kitchen and into the rows of bookshelves, moving quickly until the counters and doorway were no longer in her line of sight. Only then did she stop, shoulders lifting slightly as she pulled in a breath.

Her hand went straight to her chest again, pressing flat over her heart.

"What kind of sorcery is this?" she muttered, staring down like she could see through her shirt and make sense of it.

Her fingers tapped lightly, uneven at first, then more deliberate, slowly counting. The rhythm didn't settle. If anything, it felt worse the more she paid attention to it.

She shifted a step deeper into the aisle, still mumbling quietly to herself, repeating the motion against her chest like she was trying to prove herself wrong.

A few minutes went by before she heard footsteps.

Elowyn stiffened for half a second before immediately turning toward the shelf, pulling a book out just enough to look like she had a reason to be there. She slid it back in, then adjusted the one next to it, then another, movements a little too precise to be natural but close enough.

By the time Seraphina reached her, Elowyn was already facing away, shifting books along the shelf, acting like she'd been doing it for a while.

"Everything okay?" Seraphina asked.

"Everything's okay," Elowyn said quickly, eyes fixed on the spines in front of her.

She moved one book, then nudged it again, unnecessarily straightening it. "Just organizing."

"Mm," Seraphina hummed, watching her for a moment, quiet, taking in the way Elowyn kept her back turned and her hands busy on a shelf that clearly didn't need it.

"I don't think I've ever seen you avoid me this deliberately."

"I'm not avoiding you," Elowyn said.

"No?" Seraphina's tone stayed light, but there was something more deliberate underneath it now. "You won't even look at me."

Elowyn said nothing to that, just moved another book that didn't need moving.

Seraphina smiled as she studied her for another moment. "Did you at least get your answer?" she asked.

That made Elowyn briefly hesitate again.

"As a matter of fact, I did," Elowyn finally spoke up.

"And what conclusion did you reach?"

"Do you by any chance partake in magic?"

Seraphina's expression didn't change right away, though something sharper slipped into her eyes at that answer.

"Magic," she repeated.

Elowyn adjusted another book, still not turning. "Yes. That's the only explanation I can come up with at the moment. The whole point was to touch you, then monitor my heart rate. I didn't even touch you!"

A quiet breath left Seraphina, not exactly a laugh, but close enough.

"And what kind of magic do you think I would do?"

"The kind that messes with internal systems," Elowyn said, tapping her chest once more before catching herself and dropping her hand. "Heart rate, specifically."

Seraphina took a slow step forward, closing some of the distance, but still giving the girl her space. Elowyn saw this and took one step farther along the shelf while side eyeing the woman.

Seraphina watched that, then let her voice lower just a touch. "And this effect only happens with me."

Elowyn hesitated. "So far."

"How inconvenient for you," Seraphina smirked.

"Yes. It's very inconvenient."

Staying where she was, Seraphina playfully rolled her eyes, letting out a small chuckle.

"You do know I'm not actually doing magic... right?" Seraphina asked.

"I don't know, you could be like a master wizard of some sort," Elowyn exaggerated.

"Elowyn..." Seraphina started, finally realizing what- or who was behind all this. "Who told you to touch me?"

"Im not supposed to let cats out of bags anymore," Elowyn crossed her arms, still facing the other way.

"It was William, wasn't it?" Seraphina deadpanned.

Elowyn's silence spoke for itself.

"Of course," Seraphina scoffed. "That man shouldn't be allowed to interpret anything more complex than road signs."

"How did this topic come up?" Seraphina asked after a while.

Elowyn kept quiet, refusing to speak.

"I already know that it was William, Elowyn. The cat is already out of the bag, as you say."

"Well, he asked if I liked you, and I said yes," Elowyn started. "Why wouldn't I like you? You're my friend."

"Then he said as in a crush, which was kind of weird, so I asked him if he had a crush on you. He said no because you don't have a penis..."

Elowyn went on, reciting the entire conversation she had with William that morning, and when she had finished, Seraphina had to take a few moments to process everything.

"And why did you decide to listen to him?"

"I like to spend time with you," Elowyn shrugged.

"And that was one of the things he mentioned, so I thought why not try to touch you," she continued.

Seraphina didn't respond immediately. She let the information settle in without interrupting it, eyes briefly shifting away as if she was choosing what part of it even needed addressing.

When she spoke, her tone had softened.

"You don't need instructions for why you enjoy someone's company," she said simply.

Elowyn finally turned around to face Seraphina. "...I thought there had to be a way to prove it," she admitted.

"There usually isn't," she said. "Not in the way you were trying."

Elowyn frowned slightly, trying to understand everything.

Seraphina studied her for a moment, then decided to tease just a little.

"I don't think William expected you to treat it like a science project," she said.

Elowyn looked down at her hands. "But he said physical reactions could indicate attraction."

"I'm sure he did."

"He sounded very informed."

"Elowyn," she said gently, "you are allowed to enjoy being around someone without immediately dissecting it."

Elowyn's brows pulled together slightly.

"Dissecting sounds so violent."

"Analyzing, then."

Elowyn absorbed that slowly, her expression caught somewhere between doubtful and intrigued.

"So William's method was wrong."

Seraphina considered that carefully. "I think William was trying to help you make sense of something."

Elowyn seemed satisfied enough with that answer.

After standing in silence for a few seconds, Seraphina glanced toward the front of the shop. "Miss Loretta is probably wondering if we vanished."

Elowyn glanced once more at the shelf beside her before finally stepping away from it. The two of them made their way out of the aisle together, the quiet creak of the old wooden floors following beneath their steps as they crossed back through the shop.

Near the front, Miss Loretta was already wiping down the table they'd eaten at, her glasses slipping lower on her nose while she was looking down.

"There you two are," she said without looking up. "I was beginning to think the mystery section swallowed you whole."

"It was the fantasy section," Elowyn corrected automatically.

Miss Loretta huffed a quiet laugh, already moving around the counter to start shutting things down.

"Alright, my dears," she said, gathering napkins and stacking the empty containers. "I'm going to start closing up before I forget how to operate a lock again."

Seraphina stepped in to help without needing to be asked.

Elowyn, meanwhile, turned toward the kitchen. "I'm getting my container."

"Go on, sweetheart," Miss Loretta said. "You left it on the counter."

The kitchen light was still on when Elowyn slipped inside. She grabbed her container, checked the lid twice like she always did, then turned back out toward the front.

Miss Loretta and Seraphina were still at the counter, speaking in low tones while tidying the last of the table.

Elowyn paused just long enough to adjust the coat on her shoulders. "I'm leaving now, goodbye," she said, already turning toward the door.

Her hand reached for the handle, but before she could open it, something caught the back of her collar and yanked her firmly backward.

Elowyn froze mid-step, her feet barely managed to correct themselves before she was pulled a half-step off balance, the door swinging back slightly in front of her.

Seraphina stood behind her, hand still holding the fabric of her collar.

"Elowyn," she said, calm but very final.

Elowyn slowly turned her head. "...Yes?"

Seraphina didn't let go immediately. "Did you not listen to anything we said at the table?"

Elowyn blinked once. "But I already walked here."

"That was before I knew you had started adopting strangers and auditing their cooking habits on the way," Seraphina replied.

From the counter, Miss Loretta made a sound like she was trying very hard not to laugh.

Elowyn looked between them, still held lightly by her collar. "...Well then how am I supposed to get home?"

Finally releasing her grip, Seraphina stayed close enough that the point didn't feel negotiable. "I'll take you."

Elowyn adjusted her collar where it had been held. "...fine."

Miss Loretta smiled faintly, shaking her head as she went back to closing up. "You two go on. I'm almost done here."

"Are you sure? Do you need help with anything else before we go?" Seraphina asked.

"I'm sure. Now get going, I know you wake up early for work."

Elowyn set her container down, and with a small bounce to her steps, she walked over to Miss Loretta, wrapping her arms around her in a quick, uncomplicated hug.

"Goodnight," Elowyn said.

Miss Loretta rubbed her back gently. "Goodnight, sweetheart. And try not to collect any more strangers on the way home."

Elowyn released her and stepped back, only to turn around and find Seraphina had already grabbed her belongings and was waiting by the door.

They stepped out together into the night air, Elowyn spotting the car parked a short distance down the street.

She walked close beside the woman without being told, hands tucked into her sleeves against the cold.

Seraphina reached it first and unlocked it, then moved to the passenger side and opened the door.

"Get in," she said simply.

"Bossy," Elowyn murmured, climbing inside.

Seraphina closed the door after her with a small smirk, then walked around to the driver's side and got in as well.

The engine started a second later, warm air slowly pushing through the vents as the car pulled away from the curb.

For the first few streets, neither of them spoke. The only sounds came from the low hum of the car, the occasional turn signal, and the soft rustle of Elowyn sinking deeper into the seat.

Streetlights passed over them in intervals, flashing briefly across the windshield before disappearing behind them again.

Then Seraphina exhaled quietly through her nose.

"I can't believe you walked all this way at night," she murmured, almost to herself.

Elowyn looked over from the passenger seat. "Nothing happened."

"That's not the point."

"I made it there safely."

"And then offered pasta to a stranger."

"He was having a hard day," Elowyn defended.

Seraphina glanced at her briefly before looking back at the road. "That does not make your decision-making process sound better."

Elowyn frowned slightly, pulling her sleeves farther over her hands. "He was nice."

"I'm sure he was."

"Is that sarcasm?" Elowyn asked.

Seraphina's fingers tapped once against the steering wheel. "Elowyn, nice people can still be dangerous."

That made her stop and think.

"He brought his own plate," Elowyn finally said.

Seraphina looked over at her. "...The only thing that tells me is he had access to a kitchen."

"It's supposed to tell you that the only thing he was prepared for was a delicious meal."

"Elowyn..." Seraphina looked genuinely baffled.

"You're supposed to read between the lines sometimes," Elowyn explained with a small smile.

Seraphina let out another quiet breath, somewhere between disbelief and reluctant restraint.

"I am reading between the lines," she said. "That's exactly why I'm concerned."

Elowyn looked over at her. "Why?"

"Because from my perspective, you met a stranger at night, stopped walking for him twice, waited outside his house while he disappeared inside, and then handed him food."

When Elowyn opened her mouth to respond, Seraphina continued before she could.

"And before you say it, yes, I know he turned out to be harmless."

"He did."

"That is not a reliable safety strategy."

Elowyn sank slightly farther into her seat, thinking it over while streetlights swept across the windshield.

"He said he didn't want me to think he was creepy," she said after a while. "And he sounded honest."

Seraphina's expression softened, though only slightly.

"I'm not saying your instincts were wrong," she said carefully. "I just- you need to be careful, Elowyn."

Elowyn went quiet again, staring out the window with a small frown.

"So what was I supposed to do?" she finally asked. "Ignore him?"

"You don't go out walking by yourself at night," Seraphina answered. "But if you suddenly need to, stay aware of your surroundings and you do not offer pasta to unknown men in the dark."

Elowyn glanced down at the container in her lap. "What if it had been soup instead of pasta?"

Seraphina looked at her flatly. "That changes absolutely nothing."

"It changes the level of danger. Soup is harder to carry. It's more liquidy."

Despite herself, Seraphina almost smiled.

A few more streets passed before the car finally slowed in front of Elowyn's house. The porch light was still on, casting a warm glow across the front steps and part of the driveway.

Elowyn gathered her precious container carefully before reaching for the handle, but before she could open the door herself, Seraphina was already stepping out, holding the door open for her.

"Thank you," Elowyn said, stepping onto the sidewalk.

The two of them walked up the driveway together, cold air curling around them as Elowyn tucked her chin deeper into her coat.

"Thanks for the ride," she said.

Seraphina stayed where she was, looking down at Elowyn thoughtfully.

"Elowyn."

She looked back. "Yes?"

"Give me your phone."

Elowyn froze immediately.

She awkwardly patted one coat pocket, then the other, before slowly looking back up at her.

"...I didn't bring it."

Elowyn looked down briefly before glancing back up again, suddenly much quieter. "It's inside."

A disappointed sigh left Seraphina as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Okay," the woman said at last, exhaling quietly. "That's alright. I'm sure you didn't intentionally leave it behind," she added more to herself than to Elowyn.

Elowyn turned awkwardly toward the door, fished her keys out, and unlocked it after a brief struggle with the right one.

"You can come inside if you still need the phone," she glanced back at Seraphina, who immediately followed her in.

Elowyn slipped her shoes off at the entryway, lining them up on the small shoe rack near the door. Then she was suddenly moving, container still in hand, disappearing down the hall.

"I'll find it," she called, voice fading as she turned the corner.

A second later, a door opened somewhere deeper in the house, then closed again in a hurry.

Seraphina stayed near the entrance, laughing quietly at how awkwardly the girl ran.

Turning to close the door fully behind her, she stepped just far enough inside to still be in the entryway, letting her eyes move over the hallway, the faint light spilling from what she assumed was Elowyn's bedroom, and the neat row of shoes by the door.

A faint rustle came from down the hall, followed by Elowyn's muffled voice clearly talking to herself as she searched.

Seraphina glanced toward the sound, seeing light spill out of what she assumed was Elowyn's bedroom, then returned her attention to the house.

There were a few books stacked near a side table, a coat hung neatly on a hook, and a faint warmth in the air that lingered even with the cold outside pressing against the windows.

Then, her gaze landed on the picture frames that covered the walls.

She couldn't exactly see from where she was standing, but they were clearly Elowyn's baby photographs.

The sound of a door suddenly opening made her cast her attention back down the hallway where Elowyn reappeared, holding her phone up like proof of survival.

"Found it," she said, slightly out of breath but satisfied.

"Where was it?"

Elowyn walked over and held it out. "In my sock drawer."

"Unlock it, sweetheart," Seraphina laughed, looking down at the phone being held out to her.

"4321," Elowyn wiggled her hand, waiting for the woman to take the phone.

"Are you serious?" Seraphina asked, finally taking the device.

"I had a more fancy password once, but I forgot it and locked myself out of the phone," Elowyn shrugged. "So I just decided to keep it simple. 1234 would have been too obvious, but what about backward? It's like hiding it in plain sight." Elown smiled.

Seraphina let out a breath of a laugh while rubbing her temples. "We'll work on that another time."

She turned the phone slightly in her hand and began typing with a focused, unreadable expression, eyes fixed on the screen with full attention.

Elowyn noticed the shift in her immediately. The seriousness of it made her curious in a way she couldn't ignore. So she stepped closer without thinking much about it, drawn in by the quiet intensity, then tipped up onto her toes, trying to see what Seraphina was doing.

Seraphina didn't look up right away. Her attention stayed on the phone for another moment before her eyes shifted subtly to the side.

Elowyn was right there.

Close enough that Seraphina didn't have to move much to see her.

Feeling the change in focus, Elowyn turned her head to look up, still slightly raised on her toes. The movement brought her face directly in front of Seraphina's, leaving only a small distance between them.

Seraphina held still, phone paused in her hand, looking at her without saying anything.

Elowyn didn't seem to register the closeness at all. She just smiled, curious and completely unbothered. "What are you doing?"

"Putting my phone number in," the woman snapped her attention back to the device in her hand.

"Your phone number? Do you want me to call you?"

"Yes. If you need to go somewhere or you need anything, you call me from now on."

"What if you're at work?" Elowyn tilted her head.

"It doesn't matter."

"Well, I think it matters. You're going to get fired."

A quiet buzz came from Seraphina's pocket, drawing Elowyn's attention down to her hands as they moved, pulling out her own phone to check what had just come through.

"You do realize I'm the boss, right?" Seraphina raised a brow.

"Oh, yeah-did you just text yourself?" Elowyn changed the subject now that something else caught her attention.

"I'm just making sure I have your number as well."

Seraphina handed the phone back over once she was done, slipping her own back into her pocket after a quick glance to confirm everything had been saved properly.

"Are you going to the office tomorrow?" she asked, tone shifting slightly as she looked at Elowyn again.

"Yes."

"Then call me when you're ready to leave," Seraphina said, turning towards the door. "I'll come pick you up."

Elowyn nodded, already accepting it without question.

"Don't forget to lock up," Seraphina added as she stepped out.

"I won't."

"Goodnight, darling," Seraphina said with a small smile as she looked down at her.

"Bye," Elowyn replied, giving a small wave.

The woman gave one last look in her direction before stepping out, closing the door behind her.

Elowyn waited until the door was fully shut before reaching for the lock and turning it firmly into place, hearing it click.

Immediately after, the knob shifted, a quick, subtle test as if someone was checking her work.

Elowyn stared at it for a second, confused, then gave it a small jiggle back out of pure curiosity.

From the other side of the door, a quiet laugh slipped through before footsteps finally faded away.