Page 41 of Nocturne

“Thank you,” Harley says.

“For what?”

She shakes her head, “just…thank you.”

I return the smile. Both of us turn when Cas walks toward me, holding a sheet.

“For you,”

I look down to see a charcoal sketch of mine that has me gasping.

“That’s so beautiful,” Harley praises.

But Cas looks at me, his pretty eyes vulnerable. My own eyes water, and I can do nothing but hug the little boy close, showering him with praises.

“When did you learn to sketch this beautifully?”

“Last week,” he admits.

Done with my smothering hugs and wet kisses, Cas bolts back to his corner, his little feet padding across the floor. I glance downat the sheet in my hands, still amazed that someone so young could create something so beautiful.

It’s a sketch of me, caught mid-smile, the kind of smile I didn’t think I was capable of anymore. Cas has drawn with careful hands—every detail done with love. The soft curve of my dimple, the tiny glint of my nose stud, and even the faint creases that appear at the corners of my eyes when I smile.

It isn’t polished like the work of a seasoned artist, but it’s perfect in its own way.

And for a moment, I’m stunned. I didn’t know I could look this beautiful. Not until I saw myself through his eyes.

Is this how he sees me? Like I’m sunshine, like I’m someone worth smiling at?

“Is it okay if I ask you something?”

I turn to Harley, who looks unsure and apprehensive.

“Sure.”

“Why was Ellie mad at you when you were holding the little kid?”

If she is going to stick around, she might as well know the reason behind the friction between me and Ellie.

“Cas has been rejected by five families for adoption. And she is angry that I won’t adopt him given our obvious bonding,”

“Why won’t you?”

I let out a disbelieving chuckle.

“I’m screwed up in ways more than one. I’m not the right fit to take care of the child.”

“Ellie said that he is some kind of genius, is that true?”

I nod.

“She also told me that you are a professor at Vanderlyne Institute,”

I nod again.

“Excuse me for saying this, but how can you ever think that you aren’t right for him, Ara? You can understand him, and you can nourish his brilliance.”

Talking to her is surprisingly easy. Maybe it is because I know she can understand the fear and pain that I go through.

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