Moongrace

Part 51

"Oh, we're here! I'm home again!!", she exclaimed delighted.

"They must be inside having dinner." Evan stated.

"Is it that late already?", Eleeza asked. She had lost complete track of time over the last hours.
"Dusk is settling. But it's cloudy, so no sure telling the time", Cathryn answered as they hurried towards the farm trying to avoid getting too wet. They stopped in front of the door under the cover of the roof.

"Are you sure you don't want to change and keep pretending to be a human? Don't get me wrong, I'd appreciate it, if you told them the truth about you. But it won't be easy explaining it to them, especially my dad."

"I know, Evan. I've thought about the same on our walk here. But I am in no state to use the magic required. And I have set up my mind to tell them the truth. I guess it'll stir up as much trouble now, then it'll do anytime."

Evan gave her a kiss on her forehead, accepting her decision.

Cathryn then gave something important into consideration "Probably you should change your dress, though. It no longer covers anything of your body. It's a pity, but I think you can throw it away. I don't you how you want to present yourself in front of Evan's parents..." Cathryn was nervous herself, hoping to be at least allowed to stay the night. She felt uncomfortable asking those strangers for help. Nervous she fidgeted with the seam of her dress.

"I guess, I should. I didn't know it was this bad." Eleeza felt along the torn edges of her dress, realising only now that it was indeed torn at every possible spot. It must reveal every part of her body. Ashamed she tried to cover her most intimate parts of herself.

"I can go inside and get on of your dresses. Till then you might take my blanket." Evan said and started rummaging through a bag by the sounds of it. A rough blanket was pressed against her hands and she took it grateful. Like a cloak she wrapped the cloth around her.

"Will this not do?", she asked the other two.

"I guess. But I should probably still get you a proper dress", Evan said and opened the door.

He hadn't even taken one step inside, when Eleeza heard footsteps on wooden floor approaching from the kitchen.

"Evan where have you been? We almost ate without you. We know you miss her, we all do. But you should...", Zoe's worried tirade came to an abrupt stop: "Oh, we have guests?" Her tone had changed now to slightly disapproving and disappointed, but also curious. She stared at Eleeza with her mouth slowly opening. Evan was glad, that Eleeza couldn't see her rude reaction.

"Zoe, don't you recognize her?", Evan started, while being interrupted by Eleeza.

"Zoe, it's me. I know I look different, but I'm still April. Look into my eyes..." And she lifted her face to direct her eyes in the direction of Zoe's.

It took a while: "April?", Zoe said unbelieving: "You have the same eyes, but... you can talk, and your looks are very... different. Is that really you?"

"It's really her, Zoe. I found her in the forest just hours back. I told you she wasn't dead!"

Eleeza could only imagine his happy smile and smiled along. Heavier footsteps approached now: "Zoe? Why didn't you come back in? Is everything al..." Aren's voice broke into silence.

"Aren, April has returned. She looks a bit different, yes, and she can talk now, but it's nevertheless her." Evan immediately explained happily.

"Hi Aren!", Eleeza said simply, gripping the blanket hard with her fingers. The distrust of Evan's family wore hard on her. It affected her more than assumed, that Zoe and Arent didn't recognize her.