Chapter 16 Eleanor
ELEANOR
Dropping Ava off at rehearsal had become one of my favorite little rituals, not because of the chaos inside the community center, but because of the expression on her face when she walked in.
She didn’t cling to my hand anymore. She scanned the room for her mentor, for Leo, for the kids she was slowly, carefully letting into her orbit.
She was blooming.
And as I walked out into the hallway, tote bag over my shoulder, something in me felt like it was blooming too.
The air outside was warm with that spring sweetness, a little damp, a little bright, full of promise. I took a breath and headed toward the coffee shop, letting my thoughts wander.
Things at home were . . . complicated.
Mom barely looked at me this morning. She’d managed to be cold and polite at the same time, which was honestly an Olympic-level feat. I didn’t have the bandwidth to unpack how much that still hurt, how much I still wanted her approval even though I knew better.
But everything outside that house?
Everything else felt like it was falling into place.
Ava was thriving.
My sketchbook was filling up with ideas that actually excited me.
Alex made me feel . . . warm. Wanted. Hopeful.
And every time Belle hinted that I should join the Grimm Reapers—
Well. That thought made warmth spread all the way down to my toes.
Belle had mentioned it in her usual dramatic fashion: “You’ve got the heart of a Reaper, babe. You just don’t know it yet.”
I’d laughed her off. Because joining a roller derby team? Me? Eleanor Tremaine?
It felt ridiculous.
But . . . also . . .
Somewhere deep inside, a part of me whispered: What if it’s not ridiculous? What if it’s something you could actually do?
I’d watched those women skate. They were fierce, powerful, and unapologetic. I’d felt something light up inside me that I hadn’t felt since I was a teenager sneaking off to punk shows with Ethan, blue hair dye staining my fingers, unapologetically myself.
Roller derby was wild and loud.
My mother would probably faint if she discovered I was even thinking about it.
Maybe it was me.
Or maybe it was the version of me I was slowly rediscovering. The version I had buried somewhere under grief, expectations, and the never-ending pressure to be a perfect mother and daughter.
As I pushed open the door to the coffee shop, the bell chimed overhead. The familiar scent of espresso and baked sugar washed over me.
I wasn’t the girl I used to be. But maybe I was becoming someone new.
And maybe that someone could skate.
The moment I stepped into the coffee shop, the familiar warmth wrapped around me, the hum of the espresso machine, Belle arguing with the pastry case, the soft clatter of mugs. It felt like a tiny safe haven carved out of my chaotic life.
Then my eyes landed on our table.
And there he was.
Alex Prince.
Sitting there already, coffee in front of him, tapping the lid lightly like he was trying to keep his hands busy. His head was slightly bowed as he fiddled with something on his phone, brows knit in concentration.
My heart actually skipped. A real, fluttering skip like I was a teenager again.
The ridiculous warmth that spread through me nearly knocked me over.
Belle was waiting behind the counter when I made it to the register, her expression already smug.
“Latte for my favorite blossoming troublemaker,” she said, sliding the cup toward me with a flick of her wrist.
I rolled my eyes. “Please don’t call me that.”
“Oh, honey,” she said with a wicked grin, leaning in conspiratorially. “I’m just calling it like I see it. Now go join him before I start charging you rent for hogging that corner table.”
I lifted the cup, trying not to let my smile give everything away. “Thanks.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She waved me off. “Now go have your cute little coffee date with Prince Charming.”
I nearly choked. “Belle!”
She just winked. “He got here early, by the way. Like very early.”
My cheeks burned. “Belle.”
She darted behind the espresso machine before I could argue
I took a steadying breath, smoothed a hand down my shirt, and crossed the room toward him.
Alex looked up before I even reached the table, like he could sense me coming.
And when his eyes met mine?
He smiled.
Soft. Warm. A little shy around the edges.
“Hey,” he said, standing slightly as I approached like the gentleman he was. “I didn’t mean to steal your spot.”
“It’s not stealing,” I said, heat rushing to my face. “I like that you’re here.”
His expression softened even more, like that simple sentence meant something to him. Like maybe he’d been hoping to hear it.
I slipped into my seat, heart still doing that stupid fluttering thing.
He took his seat across from me, leaning forward just a little, his voice low, almost tender.
“I hoped I’d see you.”
Any doubt I’d had about whether this thing between us was real evaporated completely. And just like every rehearsal, we had been lost in easy conversation until rehearsal was over.
“Well, I think we should probably go pick up our little trouble makers,” Alex said as he gathered up dishes.
“Yeah, it’s about that time,” I agreed.
As we headed to the door, his hand rested on the small of my back, sending shivers through my whole body. I was glad he was honoring my need to take it slow, but other needs were starting to pop up a lot more often.
The sun set as I drove Ava home.
“Where do you go when I’m at rehearsal?” she asked.
“I go to the coffee shop next door. The one where Belle works to get some work done.”
Ava nodded. “I like Belle.”
“Me too.”
“Maybe someday, when I’m old enough, I could be a Grimm Reaper. I think it would be so awesome. I would have skulls all over my helmet.”
I nodded. “I can totally see it, baby, you would knock’em all down.”
We drove the rest of the way home in peaceful silence, but my mind was anything but. Maybe Belle was right. Maybe somewhere inside of me hid the heart of a Reaper.
That night as I sat in bed, I decided it was time to take a risk. I took my phone from the nightstand and pulled up Belle’s contact.
Eleanor - So, how does one go about becoming a Reaper?
Belle - Don’t toy with me, Tremaine.
Eleanor - Forget I said anything.
Belle - Neverrr! Come to the rink. I’ll talk to Mel and find out a good time.
I put the phone down and tried to breathe. Was I actually going to do this? Being impulsive like this was something I’d given up long before I’d settled down. And now I had Ava, but maybe showing her how to take risks was important too.
I picked my phone back up.
Eleanor - I have kind of a weird question.
Alex - I’m intrigued.
Eleanor - Do you want to meet me at the rink sometime? I’m considering trying out for the reapers, and I might need my personal medic on call.
Alex - That’s amazing! It would be my pleasure to bandage any scrapes you may get with my medical expertise, complete with pokemon bandaids.