Gabriela
Iâd been happy enough when Lenora rang me to see if Iâd have lunch with her, but Iâd been waiting
during the entire meal for her to question me about what had happened with Stella. So far, she hadnât
said a word. Finally, I decided I couldnât stand it any longer.
âSometimes, wolf pups have a double doubling.â The words shot out of me without me fully knowing
why I said them. It wasnât true, and I couldnât be sure Lenora knew that.
Iâd just lied to her face. It felt terrible, but also like the only choice I could make.
Lenoraâs eyebrows rose, and her teacup stopped halfway to her lips. She put the cup down without
drinking. âOh, my. That sounds like quite the surprise.â
âYou heard about it, didnât you? What happened at the school. Iâm sure the rumors are flying.â My
laugh. rasped in my throat without much humor. Heat blazed in my cheeks.
My friend leaned forward with a look of concern. âI wasnât going to ask you about it. But if you want to
talk
about itâ¦â
Oh, I did, didnât I? I needed to unburden myself to someone about my worries, but I didnât dare.
I couldnât reveal that my granddaughter was a Celestial, not without also having to explain what that
meant. It would have to be enough just to start a rumor of my own.
âItâs very rare, but as Iâm sure you also know,Stella is a hybrid.â
âIâd heard. I donât know much about hybrids,â
Lenora admitted with a gentle smile. âBut here in Brightsky, we welcome everyone as equals.â
A burst of relief flooded me. I hadnât really been afraid my friend would somehow reject my
granddaughter,
but it was still good to be assured of it. Lenora and I had experienced a lot together all those years
past. It was
good to feel like I could trust her.
Sheâs a Celestial.
The words fought to come out, and I held them back by gritting my teeth.
âGab? You look upset.â Lenora reached to pat my hand. âIs this double doubling, this rare thingâ¦
harmful?â
âNo, nothing like that. Shocking, thatâs all. One minute she was a little girl, and now sheâs a lovely
young woman. Time flies the older we get,â I said with a rueful laugh. âBut this is too fast.â
âWhatâs done canât be undone. She has her family around her to support her. Iâm sure sheâll be able to
weather this change without too much trouble. As will you.â Lenora tilted her head to give me a curious
look.
âAnd I hope you know, Iâm here for you. Whatever you need.â
For the next hour, we chatted about other Brightsky gossip. Lenora relieved my mind that the news
about Stella had spread, but nobody was saying anything unkind. In an enclave open to anyone, a child
who grew into an adult within hours wasnât even close to being the most scandalous event.
We parted ways with a hug, and for me, a much lighter heart. On the way back to our quarters,I thought
Iâd stop off and pick up a few things for Stella. Her mother had bought her an entire new wardrobe, but I
had
some ideas about other things she might need.
A birthday cake, for one. How many had she missed? I wasnât even sure she could count them, or if
sheâd really be able to ever name her accurate age again. Would she continue to age, or would she
stay forever
locked into the appearance of a young woman, never going gray or getting wrinkles?
all.â
âMoon Goddess,â I murmured to myself as I looked over the bakery case at the cakes for sale. âGuide
us
For a moment, my vision swam. Doubled.
Quadrupled. I closed my eyes tight and pressed my fingers to the spot between my eyes. The small
flare
of pain there faded under the pressure, and when I opened my eyes, my vision was fine.
Iâd been meaning to check in with an enclave eye doctor for the past few weeks but had been putting
off
the appointment. I knew my vanity wasnât going to help me, but I hated even the thought of needing
cheater
glasses for reading.
So far, Iâd been able to ignore the small issues with my sight, but I had to admit they were getting more
frequent.
âThat one,â I said to the clerk, pointing at the tall chocolate cake festooned with pastel flowers. âPlease
write, âHappy Birthday, Little
Starâ on it.â
I paid for the cake and carried the box with me toward home. Wanting to avoid crowds so I could get it
back as fast as possible, I decided to take a different route home. Just as I turned the corner to a new
hallway Iâd never used, the lights got so bright it was like a flash of lightning. Then, the hallway plunged
into darkness.
At home, I put the cake on the table and cursed myself for dropping it. It could be salvaged, but the
icing was smeared along the inside of the lid. I definitely needed to make that appointment with the eye
doctor. The flash of light and dark hadnât been the lamps along the way, but my own eyes.