#Chapter 163: Art Department

Moana

Both Ella’s and my eyes widened when Edrick came out into the dining room early the next morning and announced his plans.

“Get dressed, both of you,” he said. “We’re going to look at a school today.”

Ella’s jaw dropped. “A school?!” she shrieked, jumping up from her chair excitedly. “Really?”

Edrick nodded with a slight smile. “Yep. We’re gonna look into sending you to school like all of the other kids. Would you like that?”

With a wide, ecstatic grin, Ella nodded vehemently and ran over to her father. She threw her little arms around his legs and hugged him tightly. “Yes, daddy!” she shouted. “I really really want to go to school!”

Ella’s excitement made me smile, and I could tell that Edrick was trying — and failing — to hide a smile of his own. “Go get dressed, then,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of time. I told the headmistress we’d be there soon.”

Ella took off at a full sprint toward her room. I thought I heard the sound of her tripping, falling, and skidding across the floor on her way, but she seemed fine. I stood, smiling, and placed my hands on my hips.

you really did think about it, huh?”

Besides… With the baby coming, having her at school during the day will be a good thing

about to argue with Edrick. I was just glad that he had decided to send Ella to school after all. It was about time that she had a chance to make

three of us headed downstairs. It turned out that Edrick chose the school that was within walking distance, which made me happy, and so we walked to meet the headmistress. Ella walked between us,

for fruit and vegetables. As we walked up the long pebble pathway to the front door, an elderly woman stepped out onto the front stoop and waved to us. She had long white hair that was piled into a neat bun on top of her head, and wore an elegant suit jacket with a matching pencil skirt. As we approached, I saw that she had the school emblem — a golden crown —

woman said with a bright smile. “You must be Mr. Morgan, Miss Ella, and…” she turned toward me, pausing and waiting

holding out my hand. The old woman shook it with

the heavy wooden door for

as she showed us everything. The inside of the school was even more lovely, with tile floors, high ceilings, and a lot of natural light. There was a gymnasium, auditorium, countless classrooms, a cafeteria, a beautiful inner courtyard with a fountain, and plenty of recreation spaces. She showed us the music room, the science lab, the daycare room, and the

the art room,” the headmistress said, gesturing to a closed and rather dusty

of the furniture covered by white sheets. The curtains were closed and there were

not being used?” I asked, turning to face

isn’t what it used to be,” she replied. “And by that I

I frowned. “What happened?”

and lowered her voice a bit. “Our beloved art teacher passed away a couple of years ago,” she said. “She

nonexistent now put a bit of a damper on my opinion of the school. Of course it was out of the headmistress’s control, but I wanted to make sure that Ella went to a school with a

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