Moana
My eyes were wide with disbelief. There was no way that Olivia was Ella’s biological mother. Ella’s biological mother was dead! I didn’t know what to say or do. All I could manage was to stare back at Olivia, unblinkingly, as I tried to figure out if she was telling the truth or that she was simply playing a joke on me. But at the same time, the resemblance was uncanny. She really did look just like an adult version of Ella, aside from the color of her eyes. Everything else was almost exactly the same. Her face shape, her nose, her hair… If no one had ever told me that Ella’s biological mother was dead, I would have believed her instantly. Olivia must have immediately noticed the confusion on my face, because she let out a sigh and ran a hand through her dirty blonde hair. “I know it’s hard to believe,” she said. “I’m not sure what Edrick told you about me, but I am Ella’s biological mother.” “H-He told meEdrickWhile Moana slept, I secretly snipped off a small lock of her hair and stashed it away in my sock drawer. It was only a small piece, and I made sure to take it from a spot where it wouldn’t be noticed easily. Once I stashed it away, I was so exhausted from two days of no sleep that I couldn’t do anything else except climb into bed and pass out immediately.The next morning, I woke up earlier than Moana. I made sure to quickly get dressed and slip out of the room without waking her up, her lock of hair in a little plastic baggie in my pocket. On second thought, I turned back around and cautiously took the Alpha tooth out of its box, hoping that I would be home in time to put it back before she ever noticed it was missing.I didn’t need Moana, or anyone else for that matter, asking where I was going; if they found out that I was going to see the Mother Witch, then they would soon discover that I was investigat
MoanaI felt utterly shocked after my conversation with Olivia. At first, I thought that there was no way that she really was Ella’s biological mother, because Ella’s biological mother was supposed to be dead. But the resemblance was uncanny, and she even knew things that no one else knew, such as Edrick’s drinking problem. And the way that she cried when she talked about Ella… It was too real. She didn’t seem to be faking it, and if she was, then she was a hell of a good actress.But even then, I still didn’t know if I could trust Olivia enough to fully believe her. There was always a possibility that she was lying and wasn’t Ella’s biological mother, but was instead somehow related to Michael or Kelly. That would explain why she knew so much about Edrick and Ella, and why she called Edrick so much late at night. Maybe Michael or someone else wanted her to bother Edrick and lie to me to get me to leave. I had no way of knowing at this point.E
Moana“He has it.” My wolf’s voice was steady and even-toned, but also agitated. “Check his pockets.”I immediately trusted Mina’s instincts. She was too sure of it for me to even begin to question it, and she had never been wrong about these sorts of things before. And besides, by now I had spent so long frantically searching the apartment for my tooth that I was desperate. It was the only physical thing I had that was linking me to my past and my lineage. If I didn’t have that tooth, I felt lost, and I felt as though I might never find my parents or at least find out who they were.“Show me what’s in your pocket,” I growled, holding my hand out flat as I glared up at Edrick with narrowed eyes.Edrick looked taken aback.“Why?” he asked, sounding a bit confused. He seemed innocent, but my wolf was insistent that he had my tooth. And I could sense it, too. The way that Edrick’s eyes widened for just a split second as I
EdrickAs soon as I saw the hurt expression on Moana’s face, I knew that I messed up by taking her tooth. Obviously I still couldn’t tell her about the Golden Wolf, but I realized that maybe I should have asked if I could take her tooth ahead of time; I could have simply told her that I wanted to take it to have some tests done, or anything to not make her panic. She clearly had been frantically searching for the tooth when I came home, and I instantly felt like a jerk for making her feel that way.Even though Moana said that it was okay, and simply told me not to do that again, she was distant for the next couple of days. I noticed that she was being much more quiet than usual, and whenever she came to bed at night she would simply lay down and turn away from me. Maybe a combination of taking the tooth, getting upset with her over what happened with her ex-boyfriend, and not being there when she woke up for two days in a row made her feel upset.
MoanaAfter my conversation with Olivia as well as finding out that Edrick took the wolf tooth without my permission, I was a little distant for a couple of days. I just didn’t know how to feel about everything, and I needed some time to think.I still found it hard to believe that Edrick was really the type to use women as reproductive tools. I also found it strange that he would have told Ella that her mother was dead for no reason, which was why I couldn’t stop wondering if Olivia really was just lying to me. At this point, I didn’t know who to trust. All I knew was that I needed to make sure that my baby would be safe.Edrick must have noticed that I was acting distant. When he mentioned doing something outside with Ella and I at one point at breakfast on Monday morning, I glanced up to see that he was looking at me. His gaze was still apologetic, just as it had been on the day that he took the wolf tooth. Maybe he really did feel bad for w
MoanaOn the day of the painting class, Ella and I were both elated. Edrick kept his promise and took the day off of work, and after breakfast we were on our way.The class was held in a beautiful park in the uptown area of the city by a lake. Edrick parked the car on the street and we each held one of Ella’s hands as we walked over. I couldn’t help but smile as we approached, with my plein air easel folded up and tucked under my arm. The air that day was beautiful with a nice breeze, and as we approached the little lake I could see that it was teeming with all sorts of wildlife: ducks swimming around in search of breadcrumbs, little frogs jumping off of lily pads, and turtles sunning themselves on floating logs. The lake was surrounded by large weeping willow trees whose long fronds swayed in the breeze. It really was like a picture straight out of a storybook.As we approached, there was already a group of other families gathered by the picni
MoanaAfter Ella, Edrick and I went to the outdoor painting class together, it started to become more and more apparent to me that Ella was deeply craving more interactions with other children her age. With each passing day, she begged me more and more to bring her to the orphanage to play with the other children, and began to grow a little defiant when Edrick told her that she couldn’t be going out all of the time.My years of working with children and my career in early childhood education taught me that one of the most important things for any child to experience was socializing with other children. Ella had been mostly cooped up her entire life, and I even began to honestly wonder if she even had any interactions with other children before I came into the picture. Maybe she ran into children at training or saw her little cousins once or twice a year during family gatherings, but she didn’t have consistent chances to socialize with other kids. I saw the
EdrickWhen Moana brought up the idea of sending Ella to school all of a sudden, I felt my blood run cold. The thought of sending Ella away every day, where anything horrible could have happened to her, made me feel sick. Throughout the entire eight years so far of her existence, I had done such a good job of keeping her safe and away from the public eye. Even when I announced her existence to the news, I knew that I would eventually have to start bringing her to public events along with Moana, but I still didn’t think that I would ever send her to school. I had plenty of money to hire the best tutors for her, and her education so far was excellent.But, at the same time, I knew that Moana was right to an extent. School wasn’t just about learning; it was also about children being given the chance to socialize, form bonds with other children, and get exposed to different types of people and different environments.Even then, I still wasn’t sure
MoanaI couldn’t help but laugh as I thought back on the beginning of our relationship.To think that, just a year prior, I was just Edrick’s one night stand who also became his nanny… And now, here I was, standing in front of the mirror in my wedding dress.The dress that I picked out was beautiful. We planned to have a late summer wedding to commemorate our meeting,six months after little Daisy was born. My dress was a blush pink color. It was soft and flowy with a beautiful floral embroidered pattern, and sleeves that fluttered in the breeze. It hugged my waist in all of the right places and made me feel more beautiful than ever.Daisy was six months old now, and Ella often mentioned how she no longer looked like a squished little grape. Ella had just turned nine, and thought that she was a grown-up, although she still liked to
MoanaAfter ten hours of intense and grueling labor, little Daisy was born.“She’s so tiny,” I whispered as I held the little crying bundle in my arms. The doctor weighed her at just six pounds and twelve ounces, but she was as healthy as an ox.Edrick, who hadn’t left my side throughout the entire delivery, leaned over my shoulder with a wide grin on his face and held his hand out to touch her cheek. Almost instantly, Daisy’s little hand shot out and gripped his index finger with a relentless force for such a little thing.Her eyes were squeezed shut, and yet she still had an instinct to keep her father’s finger in a vice grip.I couldn’t help but laugh, but I also wanted to cry.When I was on the cliff with Michael, I saw my parents at my birth. I did the same thing to my father, and I also wouldn&
MoanaThe time between Michael going to prison and Daisy’s birth were such a whirlwind of activity that the months practically flew by.Ethan and Kelly wound up being transferred to a mental health facility. I think that was better for them in the long run, as the things that they did were ultimately the result of Michael’s brainwashing. I didn’t hold any grudges against them; in fact, Edrick and I visited them on a monthly basis, and the medication and therapy that they went through seemed to be helping a bit.Of course, Kelly could never get over her obsession with Edrick. Nor could Ethan get over his obsession with me. It was very likely that they would spend years in that place, but at least we could have somewhat normal conversations with them when we went to visit.Michael, however, had no visitors and I didn’t feel the least bit bad about it. Verona ev
MoanaThe months in between Michael going to prison and Daisy’s birth were a whirlwind of emotions and unexpected turns. After the incident with Michael, where he was sentenced to prison for his attempt on my life, my world took another astonishing twist.The news outlets revealed a shocking revelation: Moana, the seemingly ordinary girl who was raised in an orphanage, was, in fact, the legendary Golden Wolf.I never imagined my life could become so entangled in a web of fame and attention.Suddenly, everyone wanted a piece of me. All sorts of brands and non-governmental organizations bombarded me with invitations and tempting monetary offers. It was overwhelming, to say the least. My inbox was flooded with messages from high-profile companies and influential figures, all hoping to capitalize on my newfound fame.It felt like the world had changed overnigh
EdrickWithin an hour, Moana and I were nervously walking up the front steps to my parents’ mansion.We left Ella with Selina just in case we walked in on anything sinister. The house was mostly dark, which was out of the ordinary. As I slowly opened the front door, I felt my heart catch in my throat.“Hello?” I called out, holding Moana’s hand as I stepped into the large foyer. “Mom?”There was no answer. Moana and I exchanged nervous glances and walked in a little further.“Verona?” Moana called, cupping her hands around her mouth to make her voice travel further. “Are you there?!”Still no answer. We decided to head into the sitting room, where my mother often liked to be during her free time, but it was dark and empty. At this point, I was starting to get even more nervous.
MoanaA little while later, Edrick and I were standing in the front doorway of the mansion and looking out at the scene before us.The security guards were leading Michael, who was cuffed, over to the car. His nose was still clotted with blood from Edrick’s punch, but something about it was satisfying to see. I enjoyed seeing Michael finally face some consequences for his actions, and I especially enjoyed watching Selina scold him like a child.What was even more satisfying, though, was seeing him being shoved into the back of the car to be driven down to the police station.Kat was found by the guards, too. Not long after Edrick punched Michael in the face, Kat was found hiding in the woods. As it turned out, Michael paid her a pretty penny to get close to me and lead me off into the forest to get lost so that he could kill me. She looked ashamed as the guards cuffed her, and
EdrickI hated to say it, but Moana looked more beautiful than ever as she practically assaulted my evil father on the back lawn.“He’s no threat,” she said as she released her grip on his shirt and let him fall back to the ground, then turned and walked back to meet me. “The knife is gone. He’s just an angry old man now and nothing more.”Moana was right; the knife was indeed gone. It shattered when Michael tried to stab her with it.During those moments when the knife was plunged into her belly, it felt as though my heart stopped. I watched in horror as the knife disappeared into her belly. When my father pulled it out, it was covered in blood and he had a maniacal grin on his face.But something happened then. She became enveloped in that golden light again, only this time it was even brighter and more blinding than before.
MoanaEveryone froze and stared at each other with wide eyes as the sound of the groaning and shuffling came closer.“Daddy?” Ella whimpered. “Who is there?”Edrick slowly sat Ella down, then walked toward the door. He gestured to the security guards, but before anything could be done, the last person we expected walked into the doorway.“Thought you could kill me, huh?”Michael stood in the doorway with an evil smirk on his face. Selina, the maids and I all let out a collective gasp. Selina suddenly grabbed Ella by the arm and shoved her behind us to keep her protected.“Michael,” I said, taking a step forward, “you were dead.”Michael just laughed. “I was indeed,” he said. “But not for long. I guess you didn’t realize that I was waking
Moana“Can you trust me to take care of him?” I asked.Ella began to sob, but I somehow knew exactly what to do. It all felt so natural now… I didn’t even really need to think about it. I just knew to wrap my arms around Ella and comfort her, although whether it was my abilities or simply my nurturing instincts, I couldn’t be entirely sure.Suddenly, Ella stopped crying.“Okay,” she whimpered after a moment, stepping back and wiping her tears out of her eyes. “I trust you. Please take good care of my daddy.”I managed a weak smile and nodded at Ella, taking her little hands in mine. “I will take good care of him,” I whispered as I looked into her eyes, still using my pacifying ability to keep her calm. “Don’t you worry.”Ella nodded and stepped away, allowin