《Heirloom》 Shattered and Worn A shattered sage-green lavaliere lays on a black velvet bust. A beautifully thin and bony palm reaches towards the broken pendant. A woman wearing a dark dress with a dark brown bag draped from her shoulder walks up the dull, concrete steps of Oxford campus. She stops at a massive, bronze idol of Oxford¡¯s most recent chancellor, Miriam Elbe Fennell. She looks up and smiles at the shining statue. An odd spark of sage green sparkles from its solid glasses. ¡°A lovely morning to you, Ms. Fennell.¡± She shallowly curtsies and walks to her class. The woman walks into her classroom; a rounded room, riddled with rigid wooden desks and wiry rolling chairs. She walks towards her desk; a tiny table teeming with jades and jewelry scattered along the skirt with a white vase sitting on the corner. She sets her bag beside the bottom of the desk. She turns to the blackboard behind her desk and grabs a piece of chalk. Her hand chases the chalk as it creates the curves of a charming chandelier woman. ¡­ RIIIIIINGG!! ¡­ ¡­ Her students start filling the classroom. Her hand decorates the woman¡¯s dress. ¡­ ¡­ The students¡¯ murmur. ¡­ RIIIIIINGG!! ¡­ She sets the chalk down and takes a step back, admiring the woman. ¡°Been practicing, Ms. Wallaker?¡± a student asks. ¡°Not at all.¡± She grabs an eraser and wipes away the drawing. ¡°Why¡¯d you erase it?!¡± another student asks. ¡°I need the board for today.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve let us take a picture of that masterpiece before killing it!¡± Ms. Wallaker chuckles. ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep that in mind the next time I draw something.¡± ¡­ The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. RIIIIIINGG!! ¡°I wish you all an easy afternoon!¡± Most of the students walk out of her classroom. ¡­ A small group of students walk up to Ms. Wallaker¡¯s cluttered desk. ¡°Why did you choose to teach history, Ms. Wallaker?¡± one of the older students asks. ¡°Umm,¡± Ms. Wallaker thinks. She looks at her desk. ¡°I chose to teach history to learn more about everything I had.¡± She picks up a small wooden box with an emerald pendant sitting atop a small black velvet bust. ¡°For example, this was given to me by one of my old friends as a birthday gift.¡± She sets the box down and turns it towards the students. ¡°She said it was one of her old family heirlooms but her dad didn¡¯t want to pass it down because it was all shattered and cloudy. When I-¡± The students pick the box up and pass it around. ¡°How is it so clean now?¡± Ms. Wallaker stands up. ¡°I cleaned it.¡± ¡°How do you know how to clean this stuff?¡± one asks. ¡°I own a jewelry and metallics shop down in Cowley.¡± ¡°Greenquill Inc.?¡± another remembers. ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been there a few times!¡± They set the box back on Ms. Wallaker¡¯s desk. ¡°I had to go there to get my parents'' wedding rings fixed.¡± ¡­ ¡°How do you manage the store and teaching here?¡± One of the students admires the chaotic arrangement of her desk; ¡°I have employees during the week-¡± a pile of papers to the right of her laptop, ¡°-and I go in on the weekends.-¡± a basket of pens and pencils behind it, ¡°-They¡¯ll usually have stuff saved for me-¡± a small, wiry, mosaic snail to the left of the basket ¡°-to do because I¡¯m the only one-¡± a lonely lily laying in a white, rose-patterned vase on the corner of her desk ¡°-that knows how to fix the cloudiness and roughness-¡± and an old, thin, black journal leaning against the vase, ¡°-of old gems and rocks that people bring in.¡± The student picks up the journal and skims through it. One of the other students nudges them. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Ms. Wallaker says. ¡°Where¡¯d you get this from?¡± the student holds up the journal. ¡°My grandmother left it to me after she died a few years ago. I barely use it, I don¡¯t even know I keep it around anymore.¡± The student sets the journal back against the vase. ¡°I suppose none of you want to miss lunch, do you?¡± Ms. Wallaker stands up and starts to lead them out. The journal starts to push the vase. ¡°And I¡¯ve got a few papers to grade anyway.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± each of them say. The group of students walk out of the classroom. Ms. Wallaker starts to close her door. ¡°Ms. Wallaker!¡± One student yells. Ms. Wallaker peers back out of the door. ¡°Are you married?¡± She smiles. And nods. The door closes. KKRRSSSS!! The silver-rimmed emerald rolls up to Ms. Wallaker¡¯s foot. Parts of the silver pendant are spread across the floor in front of her desk. She crouches down, picks up the gemstone, and walks to her desk. She sets the gemstone down. She cleans up her desk and picks up the rest of the broken pendant. ¡­ She grabs the pendant¡¯s box and sets the pieces onto the indented bust. She closes it. ¡­ ¡­ With Fair Bloom She walks up the dark brown stairs of her front porch. One of her black cats brushes up against her leg. ¡°Good evening, Hestia.¡± She waves her hand, as she crouches down to pet the cat; ¡°P¨®s e¨ªsai, ¨¢di?¡± Crumbs of crocodile green crawl around the carved lock, magically unlocking the maroon door. Ms. Wallaker stands up and opens the door. She steps out of her Chelsea boots. ¡°Welcome home, baby!¡± her wife says. She sets her bag onto a small, tan couch and walks into the kitchen. ¡­ Her wife is putting a few round-bottomed glasses into a beige cupboard. ¡°How was your day?¡± ¡°Pretty good. I got all my stuff packed up but that old pendant broke.¡± She closes the cupboard. ¡°From Teri?¡± ¡°Yeah. But that thing was old anyway.¡± She walks up to her wife and hugs her from behind. ¡°It wasn¡¯t from you either, so I don¡¯t care about it too much.¡± They smile. ¡­ ¡°Do you want help unloading?¡± They grin. ¡°Your car,¡± she adds. ¡°If you want.¡± Her wife unwraps herself and guides them to the door; she grabs the car keys. They walk out. ¡­ She opens the trunk. She picks up a cheap, plastic nameplate; ¡°Professor Sirena Wallaker.¡± ¡°We should really get you a new nameplate,¡± she says. ¡°We¡¯d have to get you one too, Mrs. Erin Wallaker, just so we could match.¡± Erin blushes. They start unpacking the cardboard boxes and plastic tubs. ¡­ ¡­ Erin takes a few boxes inside. ¡­ ¡­ Their black cat comes over and sits down. ¡­ ¡­ Erin comes back out. Sirena carries a few boxes in. ¡­ ¡­ The black cat jumps into the trunk. ¡­ ¡­ Sirena comes back out. ¡­ The cat starts knocking stuff out. Thmm-puh-puh. ¡­ Ffffkkaahh! ¡­ Sirena takes a few more boxes in. ¡­ ¡­ CRASSHSHSH!! Sirena comes back out. Erin is picking up the shards of her white, rose-patterned vase. Her shoulders slump. She kneels down and helps pick up the pieces. ¡­ Sirena¡¯s eyes start to water. ¡­ You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Erin sets the shards into one of the plastic tubs sitting beside the trunk. She kneels back down and scoots closer to Sirena. She hugs her. ¡­ ¡°I was gonna go to the store later to get you new flowers anyways.¡± Sirena looks to Erin. ¡°Now we can go together.¡± Sirena sets her head on Erin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Do you wanna get ice cream tonight too?¡± she asks. ¡­ ¡°Yes, please.¡± A red-roofed shop with cyan walls and a white sign above the doorway, reading ¡°Iris¡¯ Ice Cream Cartel,¡± sits between slim, apartment buildings as Erin and Sirena walk out with small, half-empty cups of ice cream and tiny wooden spoons in their hands. ¡­ ¡­ They walk across the street. ¡­ ¡­ They arrive at the large, domed ceramics shop. Sirena opens the ballroom door for her wife. ¡°Thank you.¡± Sirena follows. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, lovely.¡± The two of them browse the crowded shelves of blue and cream-shelled pots and cups and pans. ¡­ Sirena locks her arm with Erin¡¯s. ¡­ ¡­ Erin picks up a stout, frog-green vase with petals painted across its wall, as if the pot was shedding its leaves for winter. ¡°Do you like this one?¡± Erin asks. ¡°I think the petals would look better if they were pink, instead of white.¡± ¡°I know where some pink paint is at home, if you want to add painting to the date night.¡± Sirena smiles. ¡°Absolutely.¡± They walk to the counter. Sirena throws her empty cup away. The cashier looks at them. Erin sets the vase on the counter. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t dating, are you?¡± The cashier takes the vase and checks it out to them. ¡°We are. You have a problem with that?¡± Erin defends. ¡°No. But you¡¯re sinning against God, you know.¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up.¡± Erin pays, takes the vase, and guides them out of the store. ¡°M¨¢tia pou ka¨ªne,¡± Sirena mutters. AAAGGHHH!! She grins. Erin chuckles. They walk into a janky, stone shop with an old wooden sign hanging above the door, reading ¡°Ravdi¨¢ ag¨¢ou Chlor¨®s.¡± TUHH-RINGGG-DINGGG! ¡°Greetings, traveler!!¡± an upbeat voice shouts! ¡°Hello, Ms. Chloros,¡± Sirena says. ¡°Ms. Wallaker!¡± Ms. Chloros comes out, ¡°How are you? Are you finally back for a new wand?¡± She sets her elbows on the counter, holding her head up. ¡°Yes, we are!!¡± Sirena smiles. ¡°Ohhh, is Mrs. Wallaker coming for her wand as well?¡± Ms. Chloros walks out from behind her counter. ¡°Do you have an odig¨®s, Mrs. Wallaker?¡± ¡°I do not.¡± Ms. Chloros directs Erin to a directory of animals across the room; five pictures above five descriptions are spread in front of a large, gridded window. ¡°Take a look, then, dear.¡± ¡°Sirena-¡± Ms. Chloros turns to her, ¡°-we shall find you a wand!¡± ¡­ Erin is sitting on the counter, petting a purple-striped cat lying beside her. Sirena walks out from the hall with a long, thin osier-wood wand, centered by a carnelian gem above the handle of green-tipped lilies. ¡°¡®Tis your turn, Mrs. Wallaker!!¡± Erin stands up and follows Ms. Chloros to her wandsmithing table. Sirena admires the soft cement outside of the wandmaker¡¯s shop. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ She sees a faint painting in the glass: a few children running past the window, followed by different horses and cats with their parents following behind them with rams and dolphins. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°That was much quicker,¡± Ms. Chloros remarks. Erin comes out wielding a thick, fir-bodied wand with thin metal armor patterned with sickles and centered by a topaz. ¡°How¡¯s your odig¨®s, Ms. Wallaker?¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably doing pretty well.¡± A little orange owl sparkles into the air beside Sirena¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Yup!¡± She looks to her shoulder. ¡°Doing pretty well!¡± She chuckles. The owl looks at Erin and hops closer to her. ¡°Hello,¡± Erin says. The owl hops onto her shoulder. ¡°Traitor,¡± Sirena teases. The owl nuzzles into Erin¡¯s neck. Erin¡¯s purple-striped odig¨®s swats at the bird. The owl jumps back and stares at the cat. They laugh as the two guides play with each other. ¡­