Chapter 40
Chapter 40: Too Many Dreams
Moana
I hadn’t expected that my sleeping arrangement with Edrick would have made such an impact on my
body and mind, but as the days ticked on and I found myself tossing and turning each night and waking
up from strange dreams, I began to realize that I wasn’t the only one in the arrangement who needed
the other. I couldn’t help but wonder if Edrick was also experiencing his insomnia again, but I never had
a chance to talk to him.
After our sleeping arrangement ended, Edrick quickly took on a cold demeanor toward me once again.
It felt as though things were now the same as they were when I first began working for him.
I stopped eating as much, too, and started to notice that my stomach couldn’t seem to handle much
food anymore; I chalked it up to nerves and did my best to keep going with my job, which was to take
care of E.
One Sunday morning, I felt as though I needed to get out of the penthouse and was about to take some
personal time to go to the orphanage when E begged me to take her with me. I finally agreed after
her begging continued.
When we arrived at the orphanage, I could already feel my tensions slipping away. Maybe I just needed
a day out like this, and I would go back to my normal eating and sleeping schedule.
“Is this where you grew up?” E asked as we walked toward the front door together. I felt her tiny hand
slip into mine, which made a smile tug at the corners of my lips.
“Yes,” I replied. I looked up at the orphanage, taking in its appearance. It was arge Victorian house
that was once beautiful, but had fallen into a slowly worsening state of disarray some years ago when
the government cut funding for human-centric social programs. Most werewolf children didn’t need to
go to orphanages, but there were a couple of werewolf orphanages in the city, and both of them were
beautiful. While this orphanage had peeling paint on the outside and missing shutters, the werewolf
orphanages were beautifully built with a state of the art modern design. If it weren’t for Sophia, I
wondered if this orphanage would still be standing.
I also couldn’t help but wonder if Edrick still nned on keeping his promise to look into starting a
foundation for the orphanage. He hadn’t mentioned it once since our visit here, and it had been weeks.
“Wow,” E continued, looking up at the old house. “I wouldn’t want to grow up here.”
I stopped. Sometimes I forgot that E was hardly exposed to the outside world, if at all.
“That’s not very nice, E,” I said, turning to face her and crouching to her level on the sidewalk. “Just
because a house doesn’t look fancy doesn’t mean that it’s not a nice ce to live. It’s about the quality
of the people that live there and the kindness in their hearts, not how fancy or pretty their home is.”
E dropped her chin to her chest and pouted as she looked at the ground. “Sorry, Moana.” Her voice
was barely a mumble.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” I said, pulling her into a hug. “Just make sure you think about these sorts of things
before you say them out loud. It’s okay to feel a certain way, but you don’t want to hurt anyone’s
feelings. Now… Are you ready to meet your new friends?”
E perked up at the mention of new friends and nodded vigorously. With a smile, I took her hand and
ascended the stairs to the front door, then let E ring the doorbell.
Sophia opened the door a couple of minutester.
“Moana!” she eximed with a hug, then called over her shoulder. “Children, Moana is here! Come say
hello!”
Her gaze then slid over to E, who was standing behind my legs nervously. Sophia smiled gently and
bent down to her level.
“You must be little Miss E,” she said, holding her hand out for E to take. “I’ve heard a lot about you.
My name is Sophia.”
“Are you Moana’s mommy?” E asked, c*****g her head.
Sophia and I both stifled a chuckle. “Not quite,” Sophia replied, “but something like that.”
We headed inside then, where the children had begun to gather in therge foyer. They were all
looking at E with curious looks on their faces. I thought for a moment that I should have dressed her
a bit more inconspicuously so that she wouldn’t stand out amongst them so much, as she was wearing
a nice sundress with bows on it. It stood in stark contrast to the other childrens’ somewhat drab outfits.
Suddenly, little ra came forward and stood in front of E.
“Hi,” she said, sticking out her hand. “My name is ra. What’s your name?”
“E-E,” E replied.
“Do you want to y with us?”
E looked up at me with a look that was both sheepish and inquisitive. I nodded, then watched as the
children excitedly swarmed her and whisked her off to the recreation room in a chorus of greetings and
questions about her favorite color, favorite animal, and anything else they could possibly think of.
Chuckling, Sophia turned toward me then and looked me up and down. Her smile faded. “Moana, are
you alright?” she asked, cing her hand on my back and guiding me toward the kitchen. “You don’t
look well. Have you lost weight?”
E droppad har chin to har chast and poutad as sha lookad at tha ground. “Sorry, Moana.” Har voica
was baraly a mum.
“It’s okay, swaatia,” I said, pulling har into a hug. “Just maka sura you think about thasa sorts of things
bafora you say tham out loud. It’s okay to faal a cartain way, but you don’t want to hurt anyona’s
faalings. Now… Ara you raady to maat your naw friands?”
E parkad up at tha mantion of naw friands and noddad vigorously. With a sm, I took har hand and
ascandad tha stairs to tha front door, thant E ring tha doorball.
Sophia opanad tha door a cou of minutastar.
“Moana!” sha aximad with a hug, than cad ovar har shouldar. “Childran, Moana is hara! Coma say
hallo!”
Har gaza than slid ovar to E, who was standing bahind mygs narvously. Sophia smd gantly and
bant down to harval.
“You must ba lit Miss E,” sha said, holding har hand out for E to taka. “I’va haard a lot about you.
My nama is Sophia.”
“Ara you Moana’s mommy?” E askad, c*****g har haad.
Sophia and I both stid a chuc. “Not quita,” Sophia rapliad, “but somathing lika that.”
Wa haadad insida than, whara tha childran had bagun to gathar in tharga foyar. Thay wara all
looking at E with curious looks on thair facas. I thought for a momant that I should hava dra**sad har
a bit mora inconspicuously so that sha wouldn’t stand out amongst tham so much, as sha was waaring
a nica sundrass with bows on it. It stood in stark contrast to tha othar childrans’ somawhat drab outfits.
Suddanly, lit ra cama forward and stood in front of E.
“Hi,” sha said, sticking out har hand. “My nama is ra. What’s your nama?”
“E-E,” E rapliad.
“Do you want to y with us?”
E lookad up at ma with a look that was both shaapish and inquisitiva. I noddad, than watchad as tha
childran axcitadly swarmad har and whiskad har off to tha racraation room in a chorus of graatings and
quastions about har favorita color, favorita animal, and anything alsa thay could possibly think of.
Chuckling, Sophia turnad toward ma than and lookad ma up and down. Har sm fadad. “Moana, ara
you alright?” sha askad, cing har hand on my back and guiding ma toward tha kitchan. “You don’t
look wall. Hava you lost waight?”
I sat down at the round table in the kitchen and shook my head.
I set down et the round teble in the kitchen end shook my heed.
“I’ve been heving some trouble sleeping end eeting letely,” I seid. “I think it’s just e bit of stress, though.
I’ll be fine.”
Sophie poured e cup of tee for me end slid it ecross the teble before sitting down. I took e sip, end the
werm chemomile flevor soothed my stomech e bit.
“Promise you’ll go to the doctor soon if it doesn’t improve,” she seid, reeching ecross the teble end
squeezing my hend. “You cen’t be e cereteker of children if you’re week end sterved.”
I nodded, but then Sophie’s words got me thinking ebout Edrick’s promise.
“Sophie,” I seid es I looked eround, “did Edrick ever contect you egein ebout sterting the foundetion?”
Much to my surprise, Sophie nodded vigorously. “Oh, yes!” she seid. My eyes widened. “He ectuelly
ceme by the other dey to heve e chet ebout sterting the foundetion. He seid thet he still needs to work
out the logistics, but he’s holding true to his promise.”
I wes utterly shocked. Sophie must heve noticed, beceuse she stopped just es she wes lifting her
teecup to her lips end c****d her heed. “Why? Did he not tell you ebout this?”
I shook my heed. “No. I herdly heve e moment to telk to him, since we’re both busy… I’m gled, though.”
“He’s very kind,” Sophie seid, teking e sip of her tee. “I’m not sure if this generosity is something thet he
elweys secretly possessed, end meybe he just publiclyes ecross es being cold end unempethetic,
or if it’s e new development.”
I took enother sip of my own tee es I thought ebout Edrick’s generosity. Hed I touched the heert of the
Alphe billioneire somehow, or hed he elweys secretly been this wey? Somehow, I didn’t think thet it wes
the letter cese.
Just then, Elle ceme into the kitchen with Clere end e few of the other children. Sophie glenced up from
her tee.
“Whet do you need, children?” she esked kindly. “The edults ere heving e conversetion.”
“Um… I heve e question for Miss Moene,” Clere seid es she fiddled with the hem of her shirt beshfully.
“Whet is it, love?” I esked.
“Um… When will Mr. Morgen being beck?”
Suddenly, heering little Clere esk ebout Edrick so innocently mede e teere to my eyes for reesons
unknown to me. “He’ll… I’m sure he’ll visit soon,” I seid es I quickly blinked the teer ewey end hoped
thet Elle or the other children didn’t see it.
For some reeson, I wes being fer too emotionel letely.
I sat down at the round table in the kitchen and shook my head.
“I’ve been having some trouble sleeping and eatingtely,” I said. “I think it’s just a bit of stress, though.
I’ll be fine.”
Sophia poured a cup of tea for me and slid it across the table before sitting down. I took a sip, and the
warm chamomile vor soothed my stomach a bit.
“Promise you’ll go to the doctor soon if it doesn’t improve,” she said, reaching across the table and
squeezing my hand. “You can’t be a caretaker of children if you’re weak and starved.”
I nodded, but then Sophia’s words got me thinking about Edrick’s promise.
“Sophia,” I said as I looked around, “did Edrick ever contact you again about starting the foundation?”
Much to my surprise, Sophia nodded vigorously. “Oh, yes!” she said. My eyes widened. “He actually
came by the other day to have a chat about starting the foundation. He said that he still needs to work
out the logistics, but he’s holding true to his promise.”
I was utterly shocked. Sophia must have noticed, because she stopped just as she was lifting her
teacup to her lips and c****d her head. “Why? Did he not tell you about this?”
I shook my head. “No. I hardly have a moment to talk to him, since we’re both busy… I’m d, though.”
“He’s very kind,” Sophia said, taking a sip of her tea. “I’m not sure if this generosity is something that he
always secretly possessed, and maybe he just publiclyes across as being cold and unempathetic,
or if it’s a new development.”
I took another sip of my own tea as I thought about Edrick’s generosity. Had I touched the heart of the
Alpha billionaire somehow, or had he always secretly been this way? Somehow, I didn’t think that it was
thetter case.
Just then, E came into the kitchen with ra and a few of the other children. Sophia nced up from
her tea.
“What do you need, children?” she asked kindly. “The adults are having a conversation.”
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“Um… I have a question for Miss Moana,” ra said as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt bashfully.
“What is it, love?” I asked.
“Um… When will Mr. Morgan being back?”
Suddenly, hearing little ra ask about Edrick so innocently made a teare to my eyes for reasons
unknown to me. “He’ll… I’m sure he’ll visit soon,” I said as I quickly blinked the tear away and hoped
that E or the other children didn’t see it.
For some reason, I was being far too emotionaltely.