Page 193 of His Sunshine Baby

“You believe in reincarnation?”

“Yes. Our souls live on in other witches to guide them. We carry the souls of our mothers and ancestors with us.”

I keep listening to her, but my heart just feels numb right now. As Sylviana comforts me, I see my uncle and Chris running into the hospital, but I don’t go in with them.

We sit outside in the little hospital garden. Despite the cold, I feel better here than within the hospital’s white walls. Daniel is on his way, but I have no idea what I’ll say. I just feel numb right now. My father just died, and my heart is as cold as ice. I can’t think of anything else. I want to cry again, and I do every time I need. My eyes are red and puffy, my head hurts, and I’m a mess.

I lost my parents… twice. I really am an orphan now. When my dad was alive and hanging on, I was okay, but… damn, I’ve never felt so alone.

I put a hand on my tummy, thinking about the baby girl growing in there. Will I be a good mother? It seems so hard. I want this child so badly, yet my confidence is plummeting. Will I be able to do it on my own if Nate rejects her, rejects me?

I take a deep breath in. It will be fine. As long as I love my baby, it’ll be okay. I’ll do my best for her, be the mother I’ve always wanted to be.

I suddenly feel a hand on mine. It’s not Sylviana or Danny, it’s Reagan. She looks at me with a sorrowful expression, not saying a thing. I gather all my courage and nod.

“Dad’s gone, Reagan.”

“I know, kid. How are you holding up?”

“I…”

No words can explain what I’m going through. I just end up shaking my head and holding my tears back. She puts an arm around me, probably the nicest gesture she has ever done for me.I rest my head on my mentor’s shoulder, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths so as not to fall apart again.

“You’ll be fine, kid. Sam knew how strong you are. You’re a woman now.”

I listen to her words, and it’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Why are Reagan’s words so effective on me?

“… There’s something else I never told you.”

I sit back up and look at her, confused. Reagan looks around, making sure we are alone. Sylviana wandered off somewhere, so we are.

“When I took you from your mother’s arms, she asked me to protect you,” she whispers. “I had to hide who you were, any bond you had to the Royals. I also… changed your name.”

“My name?”

“I’ll say it only once, because it’s a blessed name, and you should hide it for now. It would easily expose your link to the Royals, so only reveal it to people you trust, alright?”

I nod, despite my confusion. She gets close to me and whispers it in my ear, so low I barely hear it. However, when I do, something lights up inside of me.

“… That’s my real name?”

“I didn’t do much, but I thought it would be better to hide it for now. It makes your identity too obvious.”

I agree. It’s such a simple thing, yet…

“Elena!”

I see Daniel running toward me, out of breath. He pulls me in for a hug, holding me tight and close for a few seconds.

“Babe, I am so, so sorry about your dad. Are you okay? You weren’t alone, right?”

“I’m okay, Danny. Thanks for coming.”

“Actually…”

He seems uneasy for a while, hesitating. I frown.

“Danny, what is it?”

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