A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust by Sally Garcia

Zelda was pacing back and forth in the stark hospital hallway, her heels clicking impatiently on the linoleum. She cornered the young nurse, clearly irritated by her calm answers.

"You don't know what's really going on with us!" Zelda snapped, her voice rising. "Calliope isn't exactly Mother Teresa, you know. For all we know, she could be plotting something, trying to hurt us!"

"She's heartless! Absolutely heartless! She'd stab her own brother in the back if she had the chance!

And don't even get me started. She's a total jinx. She attracts disaster like a magnet. Ever since she showed up, our family's luck has gone straight down the drain! I almost died giving birth to her, you know! From the second she took her first breath, she's been nothing but trouble for me!"

The nurse blinked, struggling to process what she was hearing.

Wait, Calliope's her daughter? She thought, stunned.

How could anyone blame a baby for a difficult birth? Most mothers, she thought, would have risked anything for their child, even their own life. But Zelda seemed to hold a grudge against her own flesh and blood just for being born.

The nurse found it almost impossible to wrap her head around this woman's logic. Still, she'd dealt with plenty of irrational people during her years on the job. She knew just how to handle Zelda.

"Ma'am, I understand," the nurse said smoothly. "Why don't you wait here? I'll go check on the doctor's progress, alright?"

Calliope to hurry up as

let me know!" Zelda replied, hovering

far as family can go. Please wait here. I'll keep you updated as soon as there's any news,"

Zelda huffed,

nurse disappeared behind the swinging doors, Zelda resumed her anxious pacing, her

no sign of the nurse. Zelda's impatience

stringing us along.

you heard them. It's a tough surgery; these things take time,"

wants us to sit here and stew, to get all worked up and worried!" She

out of options, she never would have let Calliope anywhere near Horatio. The thought of her precious son

hesitated, not entirely sure

both on

finally, the doors swung open and Calliope appeared, looking exhausted

hell took you so long? What kind of surgery drags

screw it up? Where's Horatio?