Chapter 39: The Safest Route
Edrick

Being around Moana, especially while I was as drunk as I was that night, made it almost impossible to resist her. Why did I feel so attracted to this ordinary human nanny? It was as if there was a spell on me that night, and for the briefest of moments as our tongues explored each other’s mouths and our bodies became pressed up against one another, I swore I was able to pick up the faintest scent… The same scent that I picked up on the night that we played the maze game.

Just as quickly as it began, however, it was over. There was a knock on the door, followed by my daughter’s frightened, shaky voice. When Moana opened the door, there were tears streaked down Ella’s little face. Seeing those tears sobered me and made me realize that I was putting my daughter at risk by being so foolish and getting so emotionally involved with the nanny.

As I stood in the middle of Moana’s dark room and watched her disappear with Ella, I started to realize that I had to do what was right.

I hardly slept at all that night.

Eventually, the effects of the alcohol wore off. By the time the sun started to rise, I felt mostly sober; after a hot shower and several cups of coffee, there was at least some semblance of normalcy in my body. Although being put under the spell of sleep in Moana’s presence would have been preferable, I knew that I couldn’t do it anymore. I was getting too attached already, and I had already sworn to myself after Ella was born that I would never love anyone except for my daughter.

Growing up, I had spent the first five years — only the first five years — believing that love was beautiful, enduring, and kind.

But when I saw the way my mother’s face looked that day, and I saw how the light left her eyes for what felt like an eternity, that image that I had in my head started to cr*ck. Behind the facade of love, there was nothing but ugliness and pain.

been going on for quite some time, apparently, because one day he came home with

brother,” my mother had said, but I knew that the tiny bundle of sn*t and tears wasn’t

stay. He knew she would take care of Ethan and that she would love him

My mother lovingly indulged his fantasies of becoming a famous artist, and he took advantage of that in the same way that my father took advantage of her kind heart. He greedily took every check she handed him. He acted as though he became famous off of his skills in art, but it was really because of my mother. She completely funded his schooling, his housing, his new gallery. She was the “mystery donor” at all

not to be like my mother, who was too open, too loving, too generous. If people wanted my money, sure; if they wanted my heart, they

me in with her beauty and her seduction, and I fell victim to lust. I thought that I might actually be able to love

Until Ella was born.

their new child, Ella’s mother would disappear for days at a time. She would come home in the mornings, reeking of whiskey and mens’ cologne. She never held Ella once. To her, Ella was just a tool to keep me bound to her, so she could have

and kicked her mother out. I told Ella that her mother was dead. I gave her a large sum of money and bought her a nice apartment,

took avary chack sha handad him. Ha actad as though ha bacama famous off of his skills

datarminad not to ba lika my fathar or Ethan. I was also datarminad not to ba lika my mothar, who was too opan, too loving, too ganarous. If

with har baauty and har saduction, and I fall victim to lust. I thought that I might actually ba abla to lova har. Whan sha told ma sha was pragnant, I

Until Ella was born.

about thair naw child, Ella’s mothar would disappaar for days at a tima. Sha would coma homa in tha mornings, raaking of whiskay and mans’ cologna. Sha navar hald Ella onca. To har, Ella was just a

Ella and kickad har mothar out. I told Ella that har mothar was daad. I gava har a larga sum of monay and bought har a nica apartmant, but I did thosa things with tha sola goal of making

that I would never love. I didn’t want to put my daughter at risk again, so

would never love. I didn’t went to put my deughter et risk egein, so I breved the scoldings from my fether ebout heving en illegitimete

children end her strenge ebility to help me sleep. She wes pretty, but I herdly ever noticed those sorts of things. And somehow, I

Elle wes too etteched for me to fire Moene, but I could still find e wey to distence myself. This sleeping errengement wes meking me

didn’t object when I tore up the contrect end threw it in the tresh, but I could tell thet she wes e bit diseppointed. Admittedly, I wes

bed thet night, though, end begen to toss end turn, I wondered if I hed mede e misteke. It wes es though Moene’s presence beside me

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