Chapter 26
A/N Apologies in advance for any mistakes??
"-and that's why I think squirrels would become way too powerful if they ever figured out how to cooperate with each other," Elowyn was saying as they walked through the automatic doors of the store. "Like individually, they're manageable. But together? They'd take over the world."
Seraphina reached for a basket near the entrance, listening with the same calm attention she always gave the girl no matter how ridiculous the topic became.
"You've thought about this quite a bit," she observed.
Elowyn looked pleased by the response and kept walking beside her while she continued talking about squirrel politics like it was completely normal.
"I have a feeling I know what we're here for."
Elowyn looked up at her. "What?"
"A snack."
"No," Elowyn said immediately. "I'm here for some stickers."
Seraphina nearly stopped walking. "Some what?"
"You don't know what stickers are?"
"I know what they are. Why are you trying to buy them in a supermarket?"
"I don't know if they actually have any," Elowyn admitted. "But wouldn't it be exciting if they did?"
"Although..I do like your thinking. What kind of snack does a CEO like yourself enjoy?" Elowyn continued.
"Snack? I'm tragically ordinary."
"How much do you want to bet I know what your favorite is?"
"Go on then."
Elowyn stood in front of the woman, preventing her from moving forward. Her arms crossed and furrowed her brows, looking Seraphina up and down with an intensity that was far too serious for the topic at hand.
"Dark chocolate. You seem like a dark chocolate kind of woman," she concluded with a firm nod.
"And why do you say that?"
"Just the vibes you give off."
"I give off dark chocolate vibes?" Seraphina scoffed playfully.
"Yes. Very strong vibes," Elowyn smiled. "So, am I correct?"
With a roll of her eyes, Seraphina shook her head and started walking again. But this time at her normal pace, making Elowyn have to jog to keep up with her.
"I'm right, aren't I?" Elowyn giggled while she chased after Seraphina.
She got no response as Seraphina kept her pace, not even sparing the girl a glance.
"Are you mad?" Elowyn asked, trying to decipher the tall woman's expressions.
Not wanting Elowyn to get the wrong idea, Seraphina looked down at her with a sly smile, hoping that would be enough to let the girl know she was just teasing.
"I know that look, you're just joking! So I did get it right!" Elowyn beamed, her breath now slightly uneven from trying to keep up. "You can mess with me if you want, but not with walking please. Not everyone was blessed with long legs."
Seraphina let out a small laugh. "You got it exactly right," she admitted, slowing her walking to match Elowyn's pace.
That quickly became its own challenge.
Without her previous pace keeping Elowyn focused forward-just like the walk to the ice cream shop-the girl's attention started drifting everywhere at once. Bright packaging seemed especially dangerous.
One second she was walking normally beside Seraphina, and the next she had slowed near a display of colorful dragonfruits, staring at them with narrowed eyes like she was trying to solve something.
"I feel like these came from a different planet," Elowyn murmured mostly to herself before continuing on again.
A few feet later, her attention shifted toward a shelf lined with perfectly stacked oranges, then toward some kiwi before locking in on a stand of brightly colored energy drinks that looked radioactive under the store lights.
Seraphina watched the pattern develop with growing amusement.
Elowyn moved through stores the way people wandered through museums, constantly getting caught by the smallest details around her. Nothing held her attention very long, but everything seemed to grab it for at least a second.
"I've always wondered what energy drinks taste like," Elowyn said, grabbing one off the shelf to examine it.
Seraphina took the can out of Elowyn's hands without hesitation. "Absolutely not. You already speak like your thoughts are trying to outrun each other. I'm not giving them chemical assistance."
"I wasn't actually going to buy one," Elowyn rolled her eyes, immediately giving Seraphina a mischievous smile afterward.
"You know what you're doing," Seraphina rebuked.
"Why does it bother you so much?" Elowyn snickered, looking back at the drinks.
"You're getting far to comfortable testing me," she said smoothly, resting a light hand against Elowyn's upper back, steering her away before the girl could get distracted by something else shiny and unnecessary.
Which lasted approximately seven seconds.
"Oooh, tiny spoons," Elowyn breathed.
Seraphina didn't even bother looking this time. "No."
"You didn't even see them."
"I don't need to."
Elowyn glared at the woman but allowed herself to be guided farther through the store anyway, though her focus kept drifting everywhere except forward.
By the time they reached the small craft section tucked near the back of the store, Elowyn had already forgotten whatever she'd been looking at two aisles ago. Her attention latched onto the stickers immediately, eyes widening while leaning closer to the display.
"Look at that," she whispered. "There they are."
Seraphina glanced at the rack, then back at her. "There they are."
Elowyn turned to her with a grin that was far too pleased for someone who had just spent the last few minutes getting distracted by everything in the store. "See? I told you this would be exciting."
"Thrilling," Seraphina said dryly, watching Elowyn immediately start flipping through different sticker packs with complete seriousness. "I can hardly contain myself."
"I don't know if you're mocking or not," Elowyn murmured, already crouching slightly to inspect a lower row, "but these are important."
Seraphina shifted the basket onto her arm. "What exactly do you even use this many stickers for?"
"Anything." Elowyn picked up a sheet covered in glitter. "Notebooks, containers, random things. I actually need to decorate my charger so it feels pretty."
"Pretty..." Seraphina repeated, watching her hold two different sticker packs side by side like she was making a life altering decision.
Elowyn hummed distractedly while continuing her search before suddenly looking back at her. "Do you use stickers?"
"No."
Elowyn turned toward her slowly, her eyes narrowing in visible disbelief.
Seraphina had come to realize the girl had developed a habit of side eyeing or glaring at her whenever she disagreed with something. Not genuinely irritated, just deeply judgmental in a way that was strangely entertaining coming from someone currently holding glitter butterfly stickers.
"Not even for notes?" Elowyn asked.
"No."
Elowyn continued staring at her.
"Not once?"
"No, Elowyn."
A soft smack of her lips followed before she sighed dramatically and turned back toward the display again, flipping through another sticker book with clear disappointment.
"Honestly, I'm not even surprised anymore."
"Why do you say that?"
Elowyn didn't answer immediately. Instead, she slowly looked Seraphina up and down with blatant evaluation before returning her attention to the stickers again.
"I'll keep it to myself."
"That look rarely leads anywhere flattering," Seraphina watched her. "Do tell."
"You're boring," Elowyn said at last.
Seraphina let out a quiet laugh under her breath, far less bothered by the accusation than Elowyn clearly expected her to be.
If anything, the comment seemed to entertain her more than offend her.
"And yet," Seraphina said smoothly, stepping closer until she could pluck the stickers from Elowyn's hands for inspection, "you keep voluntarily spending time with me."
The corner of her mouth lifted as she glanced down at the ridiculous amount of glitter covering the sheet.
"I can only assume you find me interesting in other ways."
Elowyn looked like she was about to argue with that, but her attention caught on another sticker sheet hanging slightly lower on the rack instead.
Pink flowers and hearts this time.
Her eyes moved between the flower stickers and the glitter butterflies still in Seraphina's hand, indecision settling over her expression almost immediately.
"Just take both," Seraphina said simply, grabbing the second pack of stickers from Elowyn's hand.
Elowyn looked very pleased by how easily that problem had been solved.
"Are you ready to go now?"
"No," Elowyn answered immediately.
Seraphina watched as Elowyn's attention drifted somewhere past her shoulder again, expression changing with sudden realization.
"You mentioned snacks earlier," she said, already starting to walk away from the craft section. "And now I'm thinking about a movie snack."
"Of course you are."
Elowyn ignored that entirely, continuing toward the food aisles while Seraphina followed after her at a much calmer pace.
As they made their way farther into the store, Elowyn thankfully stopped veering toward random aisles every few seconds. Her attention was still everywhere at once though, constantly shifting around them while she walked beside the cart.
"Do you normally go grocery shopping by yourself?" Seraphina broke the silence.
"Occasionally."
"How long does that usually take?"
Elowyn went quiet while thinking about it. "Last time I came for milk and eggs, I think it took around an hour and a half."
That pulled a restrained laugh from Seraphina. Frankly, she would have been more surprised if the answer had been anything else.
A few more aisles passed before Seraphina finally glanced down at the watch resting beneath the cuff of her sleeve.
"We should probably get something to eat," she said. "It'll be dinner time soon."
Seraphina adjusted her hold on the basket before continuing toward the next aisle. "We can make something simple. Do you like grilled chicken and rice?"
"Yeah," Elowyn agreed easily, falling into step beside her. "But we don't need to buy rice. I have a whole bag at home. We just need the chicken."
They veered toward the refrigerated meat section.
Seraphina reached for a small pack of chicken breast, but before she placed it into the basket, she hesitated.
Her gaze flicked down to the glittery sticker packs resting at the bottom, afraid they would get crushed.
With a careful motion, she plucked the stickers out and held them firmly in her free hand, clearing a spot for the meat.
"Now," Seraphina said, nudging Elowyn's shoulder playfully. "Let's get a snack. If we're going to watch a movie, we need something good. Ice cream... or should we do popcorn?"
"Ice cream is perfect," Elowyn agreed, her eyes lighting up.
They made their way to the freezer aisle, but just as Seraphina began scanning the rows of tubs, Elowyn pulled up short. "Oh! I forgot something. I'll be right back."
She didn't wait for an answer, already walking off toward the far end of the aisle.
Seraphina watched her go, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. She turned back to the freezer, scanning the labels until her eyes landed on a familiar tub of Cookie Dough. She reached for it with her free hand and dropped it into the basket.
A moment later, she felt a light thump against the side of the basket.
She looked down, expecting to see Elowyn's hand. Instead, she found a small, crinkly pack of trail mix sitting squarely on top of the ice cream.
Seraphina lifted her gaze just in time to see Elowyn was already ten feet away, darting off with that signature frantic, bouncy run of hers, letting out a sharp, joyful laugh that sounded like she just got away with the biggest heist in the world.
Not being able to help it, Seraphina let out a deep, genuine laugh, her shoulders shaking as she watched the girl's awkward, waddling sprint.
"She runs like a duck," she murmured to the empty aisle, the fondness in her voice undeniable.
She looked back down at the trail mix, her thumb tracing the edge of the packaging. The memory of Elowyn's blunt, slightly cheeky observation from weeks ago about how "older people" like trail mix.
Seraphina's lips quirked into a private, guarded smile as she tossed the pack into the basket beside the ice cream, tucking it in carefully.
There was absolutely no way she was ever going to tell the girl she actually enjoyed them.
Once Seraphina stepped out of the ice cream section, it didn't take long to spot Elowyn, who was now waiting near the end of the aisle, looking entirely too innocent.
As Seraphina approached, Elowyn held out a hand expectantly. "Can I have the basket?"
Seraphina narrowed her eyes, keeping the basket-and the stickers safely tucked in her other hand-out of reach. "I think not. I don't trust the look on your face."
Elowyn puffed out her cheeks, offended. "It's not like that! I just want to try this trick I saw on YouTube for carrying it. Just let me show you!"
Seraphina remained skeptical, but the sheer, earnest curiosity in Elowyn's expression was enough to crack her resolve. With a sigh, she handed over the basket. "Fine. Show me this 'trick.'"
"Okay, so you put the handles up like this, and then-" Elowyn didn't finish the sentence. The moment the basket was in her grasp, she pivoted and took off once again toward the front of the store.
Seraphina didn't even chase her; she just shook her head, a soft, resigned smile touching her lips. She had known the "trick" was a ruse the second the words left the girl's mouth. She followed at a leisurely pace, still clutching the sticker packs tightly.
By the time Seraphina reached the registers, Elowyn was already standing in line, focused intently on the items moving along the belt.
Seraphina drifted up quietly, stepping directly into the space behind her. Elowyn didn't notice her until she felt someone's presence at her back. She jumped, her eyes going wide while she prepared to bolt, but Seraphina caught her gaze and offered a calming, steadying look. "It's fine. Stay."
Elowyn relaxed, though she fidgeted with her sleeves. "I invited you, so I'm paying."
Seraphina rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to argue, but caught the determined set of Elowyn's jaw and decided to let it slide.
However, while Elowyn was busy looking toward the checkout screen, Seraphina deftly palmed the small bag of trail mix from the basket and kept it hidden in her hand alongside the stickers.
When the cashier, a woman with a bright, professional smile, finished scanning the chicken and ice cream, she looked up and caught Elowyn's gaze. Elowyn gave a quiet, shy, "Hi," then retreated into herself, staring intently at the floor.
"Your total is $16.42," the cashier said, her voice dropping an octave as she openly stared at Elowyn's face. She leaned over the counter slightly. "By the way, you have beautiful eyes."
It was blatant, textbook flirting.
Elowyn, however, didn't even blink. "Thank you," she murmured, her voice barely audible, entirely oblivious to the tension the cashier was trying to build.
Seraphina stood directly behind her, perfectly still.
Her expression was the picture of cool, collected politeness, but her eyes were fixed on the cashier with a sharp, predatory focus.
She watched the woman's performance with detached observation, her jaw barely tightening as she stood there, playing the role of the silent observer while the cashier continued to beam at the girl who had absolutely no idea what was happening.
The cashier didn't stop. Instead, she slid the bag across the counter, her attention still on Elowyn. "You're all set. Have a great day-hopefully I'll see you here again soon."
"Thanks," Elowyn gave a small, awkward nod, already turning away to wait by the automatic doors, blissfully unaware she'd just been hit on.
Seraphina stepped up to the counter next, her movements clipped and precise when she placed the trail mix and stickers on the belt with a deliberate, firm tap.
When the cashier turned to the new transaction, the warmth in her eyes dimmed slightly-she was clearly more interested in the girl who had just walked away.
Seraphina didn't mind. In fact, she found it rather convenient.
"Will that be all?" The cashier asked.
"That will be all," Seraphina said, her voice smooth but devoid of any actual warmth.
She tapped her card against the reader with almost aggressive efficiency.
And
when the cashier looked up, Seraphina gave her a polite, tight-lipped smile-the kind one reserves for a stranger they have no intention of ever speaking to again.
She didn't offer a 'have a nice day' or a friendly nod; she simply waited for the screen to clear, collected her items, and turned to leave.
Elowyn was standing by the exit, looking slightly relieved to be finished with the interaction. Before she could say a word, Seraphina reached out and effortlessly plucked the grocery bag from her hands.
"Hey-" Elowyn started, reaching for it.
Seraphina didn't even break stride. She shifted the bag to her side, tucked her hand against the small of Elowyn's back, and nudged her firmly toward the sliding glass doors.
"Let's go," Seraphina said, her tone leaving zero room for debate.
?
The grocery bags made it through the front door before Elowyn abandoned them entirely in favor of kicking off her shoes.
Seraphina slipped out of her heels and shrugged off her coat, instinctively looking toward the coat rack she'd seen last time only to see the spot where it normally stood was empty.
"Oh. Sorry," Elowyn said when she caught her looking. "I accidentally broke it this morning."
Seraphina looked back at her. "How did you manage to break an entire coat rack?"
"It was an accident."
That word carried very little reassurance when it came from Elowyn.
She reached for the coats while continuing the story. "I was on a mission trying to get a balloon off the ceiling..."
"With the coat rack?"
"No. The coat rack got involved later."
"Elowyn..." Seraphina started.
"It wasn't even my fault," she defended immediately. "I climbed on a chair, the balloon moved, I moved, the chair moved, and then the coat rack fell over."
"You fell off the chair?"
"Yeah," Elowyn looked down, ashamed. "I tried to grab the coat rack on the way down to stop the fall, but it just fell with me."
Seraphina was somehow not surprised, though concern started to settle in. "Are you hurt?"
"I think I'm getting a bruise on my side, but I'm okay."
Seraphina crouched a little in front of Elowyn, her expression smoothing out into something gentler, more serious.
"Let me see the bruise, sweetheart," she said. "Did you hit your head at all? Were you dizzy?"
Elowyn's mouth opened, ready to make a joke out of it, but Seraphina's look stopped her before it started. The woman wasn't playing anymore.
Elowyn's shoulders dropped. "I wasn't dizzy."
"Good."
"And I'm not dying."
"Also good."
That got the smallest huff of a laugh out of Elowyn, but Seraphina didn't let the moment drift back into teasing. She reached for the side of Elowyn's shirt, pausing to check if it was okay with the girl.
Elowyn looked down at the woman's hand before giving a small nod.
"It's over here," she pointed to her right side.
Seraphina lifted the edge of Elowyn's shirt just enough to inspect the area.
The bruise was already forming near her hip, darkening into an ugly patch that made it clear the fall had been more than a simple stumble.
Seraphina studied it quietly, her attention narrowing as she checked for anything that looked concerning.
Satisfied, she let the shirt fall back into place and straightened.
"Keep an eye on it," she said. "If it gets worse, tell me."
"Okay."
"I'm assuming your mission wasn't successful."
"How did you know?" Elowyn tilted her head.
Seraphina didn't verbally respond, she just pointed up. "Happy birthday..." she read the words plastered on the pink balloon, narrowing her eyes at the hearts scattered across it.
Great, Seraphina thought with an eye roll.
"What's the balloon for?" The woman asked.
"Noah gave it to me with a gift. He wasn't sure if he'd see me again before my birthday," Elowyn explained, looking up with a smile.
"Who's Noah?" Seraphina asked casually.
"He works at the shelter sometimes with the vet."
"I see... so he's a friend?"
"Um, kind of? We don't see each other much, so maybe more of an acquaintance."
"Hm."
Silence stretched between the pair. But for the first time, it felt tense. At least to Elowyn it did.
She stood there, awkwardly rocking back and forth while watching Seraphina glare at the balloon, seeming like she was about to pop it.
"So... can you get it down for me, please?" Elowyn asked in a hopeful tone.
Seraphina genuinely considered leaving it there for a moment before she sighed and reached up, grabbing the string that hung from the balloon.
"Thank you," Elowyn smiled.
"We can start on the food whenever you're ready," Seraphina said after a while.
Elowyn gave an absentminded hum of agreement, though her attention had already wandered elsewhere.
More specifically, it had wandered to the coat still hanging from Seraphina's hand.
"I can take the coats and put them on my desk chair."
She grabbed her own first before reaching for Seraphina's. The difference in size became obvious the second she lifted it. The coat was long on Seraphina. On Elowyn, it was absurd.
A grin spread across her face as she draped it over her shoulders instead. The sleeves swallowed her hands entirely. The hem pooled onto the floor and trailed behind her by several inches, making her look less like a twenty-year-old woman and more like a child who had raided someone else's closet.
Seraphina watched the transformation, finding it endearing.
Elowyn looked down at herself, clearly delighted by the discovery, then gathered part of the coat around her shoulders with as much dignity as she could manage.
"There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class," she quoted while running to her room with the coat following dramatically behind her.
Seraphina stood there for a second with her hands in the pockets of her slacks, shaking her head with a smile.
There were very few people in the world who could steal a luxury wool coat, turn themselves into- whatever it is Elowyn was doing- and somehow make the entire thing seem completely reasonable. Elowyn, apparently, was one of them.
The sound of her footsteps disappeared down the hallway while Seraphina remained by the front door, the two grocery bags still hanging from her hands. Shaking her head with a lingering smile, she finally started toward the kitchen.
Crossing through the living room, her attention drifted toward the photographs she'd noticed during her previous visit.
She found herself slowing slightly as she passed them.
Last time, she could hardly see from where she was standing, and now that she was closer, curiosity immediately tugged at her.
For a moment, she considered stopping but decided against it and continued into the kitchen, setting the grocery bags down on the counter before going to put the ice cream in the freezer.
The task took all of a few seconds, but by the time she was finished, her thoughts had already returned to the photographs.
With Elowyn still in her room and dinner not yet requiring her attention, Seraphina left the kitchen and walked back into the living room.
This time she stood in front of the photographs, finally being able to look through them properly.
Her eyes landed on one that looked recent. It was a photo of William and Elowyn at Miss Loretta's Book Shop. William was sitting on an armchair with Elowyn curled up against him, watching something on his phone. They both looked like they had been caught mid-laugh.
Without warning, Elowyn's bedroom door opened and she peeked her head into the living room. "I'm going to change into more comfortable clothes."
"Take your time," Seraphina replied, watching Elowyn disappear again before she turned back to the photographs.
The next few frames were newer as well. One showed Elowyn sitting on the floor at the shelter with a dog sprawled across her lap.
Another had Daniel and William standing on either side of her while Daniel appeared to be making some sort of ridiculous gesture.
Elowyn wasn't paying attention to the camera in either picture.
That seemed to be a recurring theme.
While Seraphina continued looking through them, she realized Elowyn almost never looked directly at the camera. Most of the time, she was focused on something else entirely. A person beside her. An animal. A conversation happening just out of frame.
And when she did look toward the camera, her smile always looked the same-small, shy, and a little awkward. Seraphina found herself quietly charmed by it.
She moved farther down the collection toward older photographs where one picture showed a much younger Elowyn sitting cross-legged on the floor, focusing on lining up all her toy ducks perfectly- in the middle of the kitchen.
A different captured Elowyn as a toddler standing outside wearing rain boots that were clearly too big for her while holding a frog in both hands. Judging by the expression on her father's face in the background, he was in the middle of trying to get her to put it down.
The farther back the photographs went, the younger she became. School pictures eventually gave way to toddler ones. Then came the baby pictures, making Seraphina slow when she reached a hospital photograph.
Inside the frame was a newborn Elowyn lying in an incubator surrounded by wires and monitors. She was incredibly small. Too small.
The next image caught her attention even more.
Elowyn's father sat in a hospital chair holding the tiny infant against his bare chest. Wires still trailed from her body. His eyes were red and puffy with tears visible on his cheeks, but he was smiling at the camera as though someone had just handed him the most precious thing in the world.
Seraphina let her focus land on the next frame. This time Atticus wasn't looking at the camera at all. His attention was on the baby resting against him, her entire hand only being able to hold onto the tip of his finger.
For a while, Seraphina stood there quietly studying the photographs, her eyes moving between the incubator and the photo beside it.
She knew Elowyn was small now, but seeing just how tiny she'd been at the start of her life was something else entirely.
Seraphina pulled her gaze away from the hospital photos, her mind still stuck on how fragile Elowyn had been while scanning the rest of the display, tracing the timeline of those early years, but as her eyes traveled across the frames, a quiet realization settled over her.
There wasn't a single photograph of Elowyn's mother.
It was all Atticus, William, or Daniel. Every milestone, every casual moment, every snapshot of a life lived-they were all there, but the space where a mother should have been was just..
. empty. Seraphina's brows furrowed, her gaze lingering on a picture of Elowyn and her father.
It made her think, the silence of the room suddenly feeling a little heavier as she wondered where that missing piece had gone.
"Do you want comfy clothes, too?"
The question came so abruptly that it completely shattered the train of thought Seraphina had been following.
She turned toward the hallway and found Elowyn standing outside her bedroom in an oversized hoodie and comfortable sweat pants.
"I can lend you some if you want." The girl continued.
"You're clothes won't fit me, Elowyn."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Elowyn crossed her arms.
"It means I don't want my circulation to get cut off."
Elowyn shrugged with a small smile and turned to walk back into her bedroom, leaving the door open behind her, expecting Seraphina to follow because they were in the middle of a conversation.
Seraphina followed her inside, stepping into the space and looking around. It was exactly what she had expected Elowyn's room to look like.
The room was really small, but the very first thing that caught Seraphina's eye was a massive projector screen stretching across the wall opposite the bed.
The bed itself was covered in pink sheets patterned with small flowers, almost completely buried under a massive, meticulously organized mountain of plushies-frogs, ducks, and many other animals all lined up perfectly.
In the corner sat a simple white desk holding an older monitor that was covered in stickers around the edges. Shelves lined the adjacent wall, crowded with various action figures and completed Lego sets.
When Seraphina looked back at Elowyn, she was already at her dresser, pulling open a drawer and digging through a stack of folded shirts.
Seraphina crossed her arms, her eyes tracking the movement. Internally, a small part of her resisted the entire concept of shedding her tailored layers for whatever the girl was about to produce, but she stayed exactly where she was.
"Here," Elowyn said, turning around and holding up a light purple graphic tee against Seraphina's frame, evaluating the fit with total seriousness.
Seraphina looked down at the shirt, then up at Elowyn. "That one would suffocate me."
Without a word, Elowyn tossed it onto the bed and turned back to the drawer, pulling out a white t-shirt with an unfamiliar cartoon logo and held it up to Seraphina's shoulders.
"That would fit like a crop top," Seraphina observed dryly.
Elowyn hummed, completely unfazed by the rejection, and tossed that one aside too. She pulled out a third option-a dark grey shirt that looked tiny compared to the others.
Seraphina raised an eyebrow before Elowyn could even fully unfurl it. "Elowyn, I physically won't be able to fit my head through that collar. My arms wouldn't even make it through the sleeves."
Elowyn dropped it onto the pile with a tiny, defeated sigh and dug much deeper into the back of the drawer. Finally, she pulled out a larger, faded red Spider-Man t-shirt that could fit two Elowyn's inside it.
She held it up, looking it over one last time before offering it to the woman.
"Alright," Seraphina murmured with an amused smile, "I'll be right back."
"The bathroom is just down the hall," Elowyn said, already turning to head back toward the kitchen to get started on the rice.
?
Elowyn was still by the sink washing the rice when she heard the soft click of the bathroom door and the sound of measured footsteps approaching. She turned around, a genuine, wide-eyed beam breaking across her face the moment she saw the result of her search.
Seraphina stood in the hallway, looking like she was still processing her own existence.
The faded red of the Spider-Man shirt was a jarring, vivid contrast to her sophisticated dark brown slacks and the elegant, professional poise she usually carried.
She looked down at the graphic
and then back at Elowyn, her expression caught somewhere between complete bewilderment and a reluctant, stifled amusement.
"You look like a superhero," Elowyn announced, her excitement making her bounce slightly on her heels.
"I feel like a teenager on a weekend outing," Seraphina corrected, smoothing the soft cotton over her torso.
Elowyn's gaze drifted downward for a split second, catching sight of Seraphina's bare feet against the hardwood.
Her brow furrowed with immediate, practical concern.
"You're going to get cold walking around like that.
Do you want some socks? I have some with ducks on them, and I think I have a hoodie you could wear if the air conditioning kicks on. "
Seraphina's posture stiffened immediately, her professional barrier snapping back into place even through the ridiculous red t-shirt. "Absolutely not," she said, her voice dropping into a tone that brooked no argument. "I don't get cold, Elowyn. I'm perfectly comfortable."
"Suit yourself. If you start shivering, don't say I didn't warn you," Elowyn shrugged.
"I assure you, I won't be shivering," Seraphina replied, regaining her composure while she stepped into the kitchen.
She moved past Elowyn, her movements fluid and purposeful, and immediately reached for the chicken packaging.
She didn't look back, but there was a faint, lingering crinkle at the corner of her eyes-a sign that the absurdity of the situation hadn't entirely escaped her.
Elowyn watched her with a small smile before she turned back to the pot, giving the rice one last thorough rinse, before setting to cook.
She could hear the rhythmic thud of the knife against the cutting board as Seraphina began to prep the chicken, the domestic rhythm of the kitchen feeling strangely perfect, even with a superhero logo hovering over the stove.
"The seasonings are in the cabinet right next to me," Elowyn said, turning on the stove.
Since the cabinet was directly to her left, Seraphina stepped behind her and reached around to open it. The movement pulled the sleeve of the borrowed t-shirt slightly higher up her arm for a second.
Elowyn turned her head automatically when the motion caught her attention, then stopped completely.
A thin black line was inked along the inside of Seraphina's upper arm.
Without even thinking about it, Elowyn reached over and poked it with open surprise.
"Is that a tattoo?!"
"Mm-hm," Seraphina answered while reaching into the cabinet for the seasonings like the discovery wasn't particularly important.
Elowyn looked genuinely shocked by the revelation. "I did not think you were the type of woman to have a tattoo."
That pulled Seraphina's attention away from the cabinet. "What makes you say that?"
"You just seem like the type to not get one."
Something playful flickered across Seraphina's. "I have a few."
Elowyn stared at her in complete disbelief. "You're tatted up?"
A soft sound slipped out of Seraphina at the phrasing. "Not exactly. They're simple."
"So, when did you get this one?" Elowyn asked, poking the woman's arm again.
Seraphina glanced down at the line briefly before grabbing the seasoning she needed.
"Scarlett decided she wanted another tattoo when we were in college.
We'd all been out drinking already, so naturally she thought getting tattooed at two in the morning was an excellent idea.
Nadia agreed to get one as well, and then the two of them spent the rest of the night insisting I was too controlled to ever do something impulsive. "
Elowyn looked immediately entertained by that.
"It was irritating while drunk," Seraphina continued while opening one of the seasonings. "They kept saying I'd overthink it and back out if I actually sat down to do it, so eventually in my drunken state, I got tired of listening to them and told the artist to give me something simple."
Elowyn looked down at the tattoo again. "So you chose a line?"
"I chose something I wouldn't regret when I sobered up."
"And you were able to choose that while drunk?"
"I was more tipsy than anything."
Elowyn nodded, still observing the woman's arm. "Do you want to know something cool?"
"I'm listening," Seraphina hummed, letting Elowyn know she still had her full attention even though she wasn't looking at her.
"Well, you have to look," Elowyn said, struggling to take off her hoodie.
Seraphina turned toward her, leaning one hand against the counter as Elowyn continued fighting aggressively with the hoodie.
"Do you need help?" she asked.
"No, I got it."
That turned out to be questionable for another few seconds, but eventually, Elowyn managed to yank the hoodie off successfully, leaving her hair slightly disheveled afterward.
Without wasting any time, she pushed up the sleeve of her t-shirt on the same arm as Seraphina's tattoo and held it out toward her with obvious satisfaction.
"Look."
Seraphina stepped closer, leaning slightly toward Elowyn's arm for a better look without touching her.
She saw absolutely nothing.
Her eyes lifted back to Elowyn. "What exactly am I looking at?"
Elowyn immediately pointed toward a tiny black dot near the inside of her upper arm.
"My tattoo."
That finally made Seraphina spot it, and a smile immediately tugged at her expression. "You have a dot tattoo?"
Elowyn gave a small, nonchalant shrug. "Yeah, I got it done a while back."
Something about the calm confidence in her delivery made it significantly harder for Seraphina to keep a straight face.
"Exactly how long ago was 'a while back'?" she asked with an amused smile.
"Earlier this year."
That nearly broke whatever composure Seraphina still had left.
She pressed her lips together for a second, clearly trying not to react too strongly before looking back down at the microscopic tattoo again. "Tell me the story behind this dot."
Elowyn seemed completely unbothered by how ridiculous the sentence sounded. "I went with Mikey when he was getting more tattoos," she explained. "I wanted to get over my fear of needles, so I decided to get one too."
Seraphina was already struggling.
"It was supposed to be a smiley face," Elowyn continued casually. "But the second the needle touched me, I passed out."
A quiet chuckle escaped Seraphina, making her turn around quickly, pretending to check on the cooking chicken in an attempt to hide her laughter.
"It still counts as a tattoo," Elowyn informed her suspiciously from behind.
"I'm sure the artist was very proud of their work."
When she looked back at Elowyn again, her attention dropped toward the tiny dot once more before she stepped closer and lightly took hold of Elowyn's arm to inspect it properly.
Her thumb brushed over the tattoo absentmindedly, turning Elowyn's arm slightly toward the kitchen light. In the process, Seraphina realized her hand wrapped completely around the girl's arm, her fingers able to touch each other against Elowyn's skin.
"Wait," Elowyn looked down at where Seraphina's hand circled her arm.
Before Seraphina could ask what she meant, Elowyn suddenly flexed her arm with complete seriousness.
"Can you tell I've been carrying cat litter at the shelter?"
A quiet breath left Seraphina while she kept her hand around Elowyn's arm.
"You realize I can fully wrap my hand around you," she said with a smile, lifting the girl's arm.
Elowyn looked, then flexed again. Harder.
"You're going to give yourself a hernia, Elowyn," Seraphina laughed, finally letting her go.
Elowyn immediately looked offended on principle.
"I'm not," she said. "I'm bulking."
That made Seraphina pause mid-motion. Moments like these made her think she was right in her suspicions- Elowyn was raised by men.
"Bulking?"
"Yes," Elowyn said, half serious.
Seraphina turned her head slightly, trying to figure out how that qualified as a system, while Elowyn nodded once as if it were all very logical.
"I flex after," Elowyn added. "You should flex too."
"No."
Elowyn tilted her head. "It's okay if you're intimidated."
That got a reaction out of Seraphina-not irritation, just a look that made it very clear she found the entire idea ridiculous in a very specific way.
"You think I'm intimidated," she raised a perfectly groomed brow.
"I don't know. Are you?" Elowyn began jokingly flexing and posing again.
Before Seraphina could respond, Elowyn stepped closer, reached up, and lifted the older woman's arm by the wrist like she was testing it for herself.
Seraphina allowed it without resistance, but she also didn't flex as Elowyn requested. She just stood there, happy with how comfortable Elowyn was becoming around her.
Her arm came up easily, sleeve shifting, making Elowyn immediately focused on the toned upper part of her arm, right at the bicep.
She stared at it longer than expected, then let go of Seraphina's wrist like she had just touched a hot stove.
"...oh," she said quietly.
Seraphina's mouth curved. "Oh?"
Elowyn, still staring at her arm, looking both flustered and deeply offended.
"That's not fair," she grumbled, her cheeks tinted pink.
"What's not fair, Elowyn?" Seraphina teased.
"Do you bulk too?" Elowyn squinted up at the woman in accusation.
"No," Seraphina laughed, turning back to the stove and giving the chicken one last turn in the pan.
The sizzle was loud in the quiet kitchen, a sharp contrast to the sudden silence that had fallen between them. She didn't press the subject or offer an explanation for the tone of her arms or how she achieved it; she simply let the word hang there.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Elowyn still standing there, frozen in place. Her face was a warm, vibrant shade of pink, her eyes darting between Seraphina's back and her arms as if she were waiting for the woman to crack and offer some sort of justification for the physical disparity.
Seraphina kept her expression neutral, focusing intently on the chicken to hide the way her own lips were twitching with suppressed amusement.
She could feel the girl's lingering gaze like a weight, heavy and flustered, but she didn't turn around.
Instead, she reached for the plates, and began serving.
"Chicken is done," Seraphina said, her voice steady and pleasantly casual. "If you could grab the bowls for the rice, we can finally eat."
She heard a small, huffed breath from behind her-the sound of Elowyn trying to shake off the awkwardness-followed by the shuffle of footsteps as Elowyn retreated toward the cabinets.
The rest of the meal passed in a comfortable, domestic blur. They ate at the small table in a quiet, rhythmic way, with the conversation drifting toward small idle observations about work and the shelter's upcoming schedule.
Seraphina watched Elowyn across the table, noticing the way she meticulously paired every bite of chicken with a specific amount of rice, her focus entirely on her plate.
When the last of the food was gone, Elowyn gathered the plates and brought them to the sink.
Seraphina moved in to wash, and Elowyn took up the drying towel, both of them settling into the familiar, easy cadence of cleaning up. There was no need for conversation, just the soft sound of water, the clink of plates, and the occasional brush of their arms as they handed dishes back and forth.
When everything was finally cleared and the kitchen was put back in order, Elowyn wiped her hands on a towel and looked over at Seraphina with a new, sudden burst of energy.
"Okay, dinner's done," Elowyn announced, grabbing the ice cream from the freezer. "It's time for the movie. I have the projector all set up in my room."
She didn't wait for a response, already heading for the door, and Seraphina followed, feeling that same sense of curiosity she'd had earlier-not just about the movie, but about the space where this girl spent her time.
When Seraphina made it into Elowyn's room, the space felt transformed by the soft hum of the projector.
A large, vibrant logo of Disney Plus flickered across the wall, casting a cool, blue light over the room.
Elowyn was in her element, buzzing around the small space with an intensity that made her earlier 'it's okay if you're intimidated' comment seem even more laughable.
"Here," Elowyn said, patting a spot at the head of her bed as she maneuvered her ice cream tub and a pair of spoons. "This is the best angle for the screen."
Seraphina sat down, the bed dipping under her weight, and watched as Elowyn scrambled to position their ice cream, balancing the tub with care on the woman's lap.
She watched as Elowyn settled in beside her, crossing her legs and digging into the Cookie Dough with an air of profound focus.
"So." Seraphina gestured to the projector screen. "What exactly is this film about?"
Elowyn looked at her, her face completely serious.
"Well, it's about this world of monsters who power their city by scaring children.
They have this factory where the employees go through doors into kids' closets to collect screams, but they're actually terrified of the kids themselves because they think they're toxic.
It's all about the top scarer realizing that a little girl who accidentally follows him back isn't actually dangerous at all, and then he has to figure out how to hide her while trying to expose the whole corrupt system run by his boss. "
Seraphina didn't respond, her gaze fixed on the screen, trying to process the description.
The movie started, the upbeat music and colorful animation filling the room immediately.
Seraphina watched the screen for a solid minute, her brow arching as the vibrant monsters started popping up. She glanced over at Elowyn, then back at the screen, her composure wavering.
"Elowyn," she murmured, leaning in slightly. "This is... a children's movie."
From the description the girl had given her, she had been almost certain that the film was going to be a thriller of some sort. Though she should have known better based on the conversation they had earlier about whether or not Seraphina had a good childhood.
Elowyn didn't even look away from the screen. "Shh. Pay attention or you'll miss the character development."
Seraphina let out a breathy, bewildered laugh, leaning back against a pile of plushies, conceding to the demand.
"My apologies. I wouldn't want to miss the depth of a plot involving monsters in a closet."
"Exactly," Elowyn whispered, her focus glued to the projector screen.
As the movie progressed, Seraphina found her amusement shifting. She wasn't watching the screen as much as she was watching Elowyn. The girl was completely absorbed, her face illuminated by the flickering light of the projector.
Every so often, Elowyn would mutter a line of dialogue a split second before the characters said it, her voice barely a whisper but full of genuine affection.
"Twenty-three nineteen!" Elowyn chirped right on cue when a sock appeared on a monster's back.
Seraphina couldn't help it; a soft, genuine smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, warming her expression far more than the light from the screen ever could.
She sat there, a tub of cookie dough in her lap, watching the absurdity of her evening unfold and realizing she didn't mind the turn it had taken.
?
The final credits began to roll, the upbeat music lingering in the quiet room. Elowyn stayed hunched forward, eyes glued to the screen until the very last name faded to black. She let out a long, satisfied sigh, finally slumping back against the plushies.
"See?" she said, pointing to the screen. "I told you. A masterpiece."
Seraphina set the empty tub of ice cream aside with a quiet chuckle before licking a drop of melted ice cream from her finger. "It was cute."
Elowyn whipped her head around, her expression one of utter disbelief. "Cute? That is peak cinema."
Seraphina shrugged, though her eyes remained soft. "I don't know if I'd go that far, but it was an enjoyable little film."
"You're impossible," Elowyn countered, gesturing at the blank wall. "They don't make original storylines like that anymore. The world-building alone is top-tier."
"That, I can agree with," Seraphina conceded, standing up and stretching her arms over her head making the shirt ride up, revealing a sliver of her stomach. "It had a certain charm."
As Seraphina moved toward the doorway, her foot brushed against something metallic near the base of the wall.
She paused, squinting in the dim light at a jagged, dark object propped up in the corner-a twisted, wickedly sharp-looking piece of metal that seemed entirely out of place among the stuffed animals.
"Elowyn," Seraphina said, pointing toward the corner with a frown. "What in the world is that? It looks like a torture device."
Following her gaze, Elowyn's expression brightened as she reached over to straighten the object. "It's just a small replica of the Mace of Sauron."
Seraphina blinked, her brow knitting together in confusion. "The Mace of who?"
Elowyn let out a long, dramatic sigh, slumping her shoulders. "You don't know The Lord of the Rings either, do you?"
"I've heard the name, of course," Seraphina replied, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe with an amused smirk. "I know it's a series of books and films, but I've never actually read or watched them."
Elowyn just looked at her, staring with the most disappointed expression she could muster.
"Guess we'll have to have more movie nights," Seraphina winked then walked out of the room, leaving Elowyn to scramble after her.
?
The quiet of the living room felt heavy compared to the bedroom. Elowyn dropped onto the sofa and pulled a pillow into her lap, watching Seraphina stand there still wearing the Spiderman shirt.
"I'm going to change back into my blouse," Seraphina said before she headed to the bathroom.
Elowyn just nodded, resting her chin on the edge of the pillow. The house felt strangely still while she waited, the only sound the distant, rhythmic ticking of a clock that she always hated.
When Seraphina stepped back into the living room, she was back in her own blouse. She didn't say anything, just held out the shirt-folded so neatly it looked like it had come straight off a shelf.
Elowyn reached out, her fingers grazing the fabric as she took it. She didn't look down at the shirt, though; she kept her eyes locked on Seraphina, who was already glancing toward the darkened window.
With a subtle shift, Seraphina opened her arms. It was a silent invitation-a quiet hope that Elowyn would be comfortable enough to bridge the distance between them.
Elowyn hesitated briefly before she shyly stepped into the space Seraphina had cleared, pressing forward until she was tucked securely against her. She let out a small, content sound and buried her face against Seraphina's chest, hiding away from the rest of the world.
Seraphina's arms came around her, pulling her in even tighter. She held her there for a long moment, the silence of the living room wrapping around them, neither of them eager to break the hold.
"I really should head out," Seraphina murmured, though her grip didn't loosen, her hand resting firmly against the back of Elowyn's neck, playing with the baby hair.
"It's late, and I've got work in the morning.
" She paused, that familiar, teasing glint returning as she looked down at the top of Elowyn's head.
"But, thank you for the cinematic experience. I really enjoyed it."
Elowyn shifted, looking up with a bright, knowing smile. "So you're admitting it was one of the greatest films you've ever seen?"
Seraphina rolled her eyes, letting out a small laugh. "Don't push it."
"It's okay, you don't have to admit it," Elowyn giggled, ducking her head back down to bury her face in Seraphina's chest again. "I know it's your favorite movie now."
"I enjoyed it," Seraphina repeated, wrapping her arms more securely around the girl, pulling her even closer. "Goodnight, love."
Once they finally broke the hold, Seraphina put on her heels and looked back at Elowyn once more before leaving.
"Don't forget to lock up."
"I know," Elowyn smiled.
Seraphina stepped out, the cool night air hitting her face as she pulled the door closed.
But she didn't move. She stayed right there on the doorstep, waiting until she heard the lock click into place.
And when she did, she reached back, giving the knob a firm, testing twist, but when she was about to pull away-just like the other night- the knob rattled back.
Letting out a soft, low laugh, Seraphina's hand stayed pressed against the metal for a second before she finally turned to walk away into the night.