#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

with other kids. Besides… With the baby coming, having

point — I was confident that I could easily handle both a baby and Ella on my own, so long as I had just a little help — but I wasn’t about to argue with Edrick. I was just glad that

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

planter boxes 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

“You must be Mr. Morgan, Miss Ella, and…” she turned toward me, pausing and waiting

my hand. The old

replied, then turned and held open the heavy wooden door for us. “Come on in. Let’s

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 library, and before we knew it we had spent well over an hour just touring

the art room,” the headmistress said, gesturing to a closed and rather dusty looking door. “Well… It

of the furniture covered

not being used?” I

and nodded. “I’m afraid our art program isn’t what it used to be,” she replied. “And by that I mean

I frowned. “What happened?”

beloved art teacher passed away a couple of years ago,” she said. “She was getting on in age. We haven’t found a good

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 good art program, and now I wasn’t so sure if this would

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