Chapter 13


    Chapter 13: Birthday Outing


    Moana


    Despite everything that happened that day, Edrick still requested that I spend the night with him. I made


    sure to put more distance between us this time, hoping that we wouldn’t wake up in each other’s arms


    again in the morning.


    When I woke up, my cardigan was still on and Edrick’s side of the bed was empty. I heard the shower


    running in the bathroom, so I let out a sigh of relief and took it as my chance to get up and leave the


    room before I would have to talk to him. Not only was it still awkward to look him in the eye with our


    new arrangement, but I was admittedly still a little upset with him for yelling at me publicly the day


    before.


    I quickly got up and made the bed, opening the curtains out of habit to let some sunlight into the room


    before I put my slippers on and headed out.


    “Moana?” E’s little voice said, the second I walked out of the room. It made me jump a bit. I wasn’t


    expecting her to be standing right outside the door.


    “Good morning, Miss E,” I said, managing a smile. “Are you feeling better today?”


    E nodded, but her eyebrows were scrunched together and her eyes were narrowed suspiciously.


    “What were you doing in my daddy’s room again?”


    “I, um…” I stammered, realizing that I couldn’t use the crepes for breakfast excuse two days in a row.


    “Good morning, Princess!” Edrick said from behind me, brushing past me to scoop E up off the floor.


    Her look of concern and confusion quickly turned into a wide grin.


    “Daddy!” E eximed, giggling as Edrick blew a raspberry on her cheek. “Where are you taking me


    for my birthday?”


    I let out a sigh of relief to know that E seemed to havepletely forgotten about seeing meing


    out of her father’s room; I had also forgotten that today was her birthday. It had been mentioned in the


    packet of instructions given to me on my first day, but I had admittedly been too busy to look at it too


    closely since then.


    “Well, Princess,” Edrick said, carrying E toward the dining room for breakfast, his muscles bulging


    through his white button-down shirt and his hair still a bit damp at the ends from his shower, “Daddy


    has to work today.”


    E’s smile faded and she began to pout. “On my birthday?”


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    “I know, sweetheart,” Edrick replied. “But Moana will do something fun with you today. And I’ll be home


    later to have dinner and give you your presents.”


    “And cake?” E asked.


    “And cake,” Edrick replied.


    …


    After Edrick left that morning, E was — unsurprisingly — quite sad that her father couldn’t spend her


    birthday with her, so I tried toe up with something fun to do that would lift her spirits.


    “How about we y a game?” I asked, to which the little girl shook her head and folded her arm across


    her chest, sticking her lower lip out in a pout.


    I sighed, trying to think of something else, but every option I offered her was met with indignant refusal.


    I knew she just wanted to spend the day with Edrick, and nothing would really make up for that.


    Finally, I resorted to looking at some local attractions on my phone; although Selina and the maids


    were nervous about what happened before, they did finally concede to E’s begging and told me that I


    could take her out so long as I stayed with her the entire time and didn’t let go of her hand for one


    second, which was understandable. I knew that Selina still didn’t trust me, but when I suggested going


    to a theme park for her birthday, E was too excited for even Selina to say no to the outing.


    “The driver will take you there,” Selina said to me as I put E’s sun hat on to protect her face. “And the


    bodyguard will be watching at all times. Don’t lose her again.”


    “I wasn’t nning on it,” I replied with a sigh, feeling a little annoyed at the housekeeper’s tant


    mistrust of me. I knew I messed up royally by leaving E’s training to visit the orphanage when I


    should’ve been keeping an eye on her, but I wanted to prove to everyone — and myself — that I


    wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.


    Selina shot me a worried look as I got on the elevator with E, and I was relieved to see her face


    disappear as the metal doors closed. Now, I could just focus on giving E a nice birthday.


    “Have you ever been to the theme park?” I asked E as we watched the floors on the elevator slowly


    tick down.


    E shook her head, which made the big blue bow on the back of her sun hat wiggle adorably. “Nope,”


    she replied, sticking her foot out to admire her brand new matching blue sandals — she clearly liked


    the color blue, as I was quickly learning. “I don’t really get to go anywhere except for special asions


    and to my training.”


    I frowned, imagining what it would be like to be a little girl who wasn’t allowed to go anywhere. Even


    growing up in the orphanage, Sophia took us on the asional field trip or ice cream outing. We even


    went to the local swimming pool twice a month in the summer.


    “Howe?” I asked.


    “Daddy says it’s too risky,” she replied, practically dragging me across the lobby as soon as the


    elevator doors opened. “He says that too many people will know who he is, so he has to stay hidden.


    Because of the… pa… pa-pa–”


    “Papa ra zzi?” I asked, stifling augh at E’s childishnguage.


    E nodded her head affirmatively, appearing very serious. “Yes, that,” she said. We left the building


    and climbed into the back of the town car where our driver waited for us, and the bodyguard shut the


    door behind us before getting into the passenger seat.


    The driver took us to the theme park and bought our tickets, and soon E was bursting with


    excitement as we looked around.


    Getting off from the roller coaster the second time, I started to feel sick. And it was broiling hot outside


    in the summer sun, so hot that I had resorted to fanning myself with a pamphlet I picked up at the


    information booth. But E hardly seemed to notice the heat and my sickness as she was too excited


    about all of the rides.


    “Hey,” I said finally, spotting an ice cream stand. “How about some ice cream first?”


    E stopped in her tracks suddenly and squealed excitedly before running off toward the ice cream


    stand, pulling me along behind her with surprising strength for a little girl. We stopped at the ice cream


    stand and the man in a striped red and white uniform and a straw boater hat smiled down at her.


    “What would you like, little girl?” he asked.


    “Vani, please!” E said. The man looked at me next.


    “I’ll have the same,” I replied.


    E waited patiently while the man got her ice cream, sticking her grabby little hands out greedily as he


    handed it to her and immediately starting to lick it as it was already beginning to melt.


    “That’ll be five dors,” he said, looking at me expectantly.


    I smiled and patted my pocket, my eyes widening as I realized that I hadpletely forgotten to bring


    any money with me. In fact, it had been so long since I had needed any money of my own that I didn’t


    even have any, and would have to ask the driver to spare me some cash until I got my first paycheck


    and could pay him back.


    “Oh…” I murmured, “I’m so sorry… I left my wallet in the car. I’ll be right back — is that okay?”


    The man narrowed his eyes and gave me an icy stare. “I’ve heard that trick a thousand times,dy,” he


    growled, his sunny demeanor quickly turning sour.


    I stammered as I tried to exin that I really did have money, I just had to get my wallet, but was


    quickly interrupted by a familiar voiceing from behind me.


    “I’ll pay,” the voice said.


    E and I both turned around to see Edrick standing behind us with his face covered by sunsses


    and a surgical mask, holding out his credit card.