Ella's Ally

My Mother and Step Father

By the end of the tour, I noticed a crucial difference between my mother and step father. My mother was a person who dressed and socialized with extravagance. However my step father was modest and a bit more reserved. I started to realize things like this more and more as our time here increased. It has now been about four months since we moved here and I gained new family. And the differences between my mother and step father keep becoming more and more noticeable.

I mean tonight, my mother was having a party with loud people and gambling and drinking stuff that smelled weird.

I was sitting on the steps, finishing the last page of my book, when I heard Ella say "we ladies must help each other." I looked up to see her open the doors to step father's study. I decided that seeing him and Ella would be better than listening to my mother make obnoxious laughs and clinking of glasses. So, I followed. 

Upon reaching the study I hear, "I imagine it's much like all the other ones."

"Don't worry, it is." They both turn to look at me, "you aren't really missing anything worth time."

He looks up at me and chuckles, before turning back to the sea of papers on his desk, "I leave first thing in the morning, girls."

Ella looks very saddened, I am too but not very, just sad. "No. But you're..."

I cut her off "You just got back!" I look around, noticing Ella's sad look, "sorry for interrupting..."

Ella does something no one has ever done after one of my outbursts and she pulls me into a side hug, looking from me to her father. She sighs, "Do you have to go?"

He looks up again, "It's just a few months, my darling." Ella sighs and sits down in a chair. I sit down on the arm of the chair she just took. He finally sets his quill down and looks fully at us, or rather, Ella. "What would you like for me to bring you from abroad? Now, your sisters, uh your step sisters," he turns to me, "your sisters," looking back at both of us, he continues, "have asked for parasols and lace. What will the two of you have?"

Ella leans forward, almost immediately, "Bring me the first branch your shoulder brushes on your journey."

"That's a curious request." That is what I thought, but Ella always has meaning behind things.

Ella laughs her amazing laugh. It sounds like bells and song, yet genuine and human. "You'll have to take it on your way... and think of me when you look at it. And when you bring it back that means that you'll be with it. And that's what I really want." I look up at her as she paused, she looked like tears were in her eyes, "For you to come back." She got up and so did he. "No matter what."

They hugged with tears in their eyes. I felt like I was intruding but, I wanted to make my older sister feel better. If it made my step father feel better too then bonus! I leapt up and hugged them around their waists. 

It is a moment before he breaks the silence, "I will." I hug them tighter. "Ella, while I'm away, I want you to be good to your stepmother and stepsisters." I looked up at them as they pull away to arms length and I cling to Ella's waist. Her father looks down at me and squats down to my height, "especially this adorable one," he says ruffling my hair earning a 'hey' from me as I giggle and it seems to make them both smile through their unshed tears. He looks back up at Ella, standing up and taking her hands, "even though they may be..." he glances at me then back to her, "trying at times." I frown and he looks at me again with soft eyes and in an equally soft voices utters, "your mother and older sisters," looking fully at Ella again, he is quiet.

Ella nods, "I promise."

"Thank you. I always leave a part of me behind, Ella. Remember that." I hug Ella's waist tighter. Her father stutters as he begins again, "and your mother's here, too, though you see her not. She's the very heart of this place. That's why we must cherish this house, always, for her." The tears in their eyes become more prominent.

"I miss her. Do you?" I hug Ella with all my might and bury my head in her dress.

"Very much." They hugs again, tighter and more closely, as I release Ella. She needs this moment.

After a bit, Ella turns to me, "I'm sorry Alexis."

Confused, I tilt my head, "what for? You are sad and needed a moment. That's ok."

She leans down to my height, "But we ignored that you were here, and that isn't ok."

"oh..." I look down then back up, "well I forgive you then." I wrap my arms around her in a hug and she reciprocates it. She stands up while I'm hugging her, picking me up. Despite me being eight, she does this with little difficulty. After all, Ella is stronger than she looks and I am a bit on the smaller end of eight year olds.

She turns us back to face her father and asks, looking at me, "what is it you want, little sister?"

I had completely forgot about that part! "hmmmmmmm...you want something inwardly valuable, my sisters want expensive value....hmmmmmm.......ummmm.... OH! I know!" I turn my head towards my step father, "may I please have a journal of the things you come across? Like you write it? I finished all the books here... and books take you on journeys, teach you things, and entertain imagination! Please?" Before either could respond, I realized I needed to say something else, "I know it is insignificant cause there isn't as much sentiment as Ella's or as much monetary value as Drizzella's and Anastasia's but it would be something completely from you. Meaning it would be genuine and tell of a real journey and it would be in your handwriting and it would just be so cool and amazing and--"

He chuckles, "of course! That is very sweet and kind of you. Both of you. So the first branch and a document of my travels."

"Yeah! Like things you see and people you meet!"

The three of us shared a laugh and hugs before I yawned and they said it was time for me to go to bed.

"I want..." I yawned interrupting myself (and I actually yawned writing this sentence which is funny), "...you and El to put me to bed..." my voice faded as I curled into Ella and looked at her father. As we had laughed and hugged we had gradually changed positions. I was curled in Ella's lap and we sat across from her father.

Ella picked me up and they both walked to the room I shared with Ella. I had insisted on sharing with my new sister, having grown so fond of her over the tour and conversations and so on.

Ella's father tucked me in and said good night. Ella sat next to me and sung as I drifted to sleep...

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Chapter two is 1200 words, wow!

Anyway, hope you like it! Bye Lovelies!