“People should focus on Asher or Felix. They are artists; they are amazing. Yolanda and Grigori. I’m just me.”
Lorelei pats my hand. “You are as special as any one of them and deserving of love, Cordie. So, this is your warning; we will be having a party.”
My heart fills my throat and tries to strangle me.
“But-”
“No buts, I want to do this for you. Every day, I see you running around helping people out, never a cross word or frustrated disposition. Let the people of Sunshine Cove show how much they care.”
I’m not going to win this; I know it. Sofia would tell me to pick my battles.
“Okay, no protests from me,” I concede.
We finish our ice cream, and I hug her goodbye before rushing home so I can avoid another run-in with Sebastian.
Mum is muttering and arranging the flowers in the room. I cock my head and watch her.
She turns as if she can feel me there and sees me, smiling in welcome. There is nothing more beautiful than my mother smiling.
“Hey, baby, do you want to help me tonight? I’m getting the flowers organised by colour so I can get them drying.”
“Are you making dyes now?”
“Yes, honey. I’m going to make soaps to go with the beads and necklaces I sell at the markets. Dye some material and make, well, I’m not sure yet, but I’ll figure it out.”
“Oh, they are so beautiful, they should do really well.” I mean it, too; my mother might not be able to commit, but she’s gifted at almost everything she tries.
My eyes drift, like they always do, to the old bond mark on her neck. It’s taken her most of my life to heal from the abandonment she went through with my father. My childhoodwas rough, and I was raised as much by Sunshine Cove as I was by my mother. But I got to witness her pain, hold her while she sobbed in her sleep. I will always be on her side. So, if she wants to do flower dyeing because it makes her happy, then that’s what we are doing.
Mum gives me a one-armed hug and then moves back to the flowers.
“I’ll help for a little while, then I need to go work.” My mum thinks I do freelance survey input at night. I don’t want to lie to her, but I don’t know how to tell her about what I really do.
“Okay, baby, whatever you need.” She glances at me and down at the white material she’s laying on the coffee table. “So, I heard you matched with Seb?”
I cringe and grab a bouquet of roses and separate the red from the pink.
“Yeah, I matched with Bas.”
“Maybe this is your chance. You two both have the most perfect synastry. If you both gave in and stopped fighting your connection, he could be one of your soulmates. He would be perfect for you.”
“He is my best friend’s older brother.”
“Pish posh,” my mum says, mocking me. “Good grief, when did you turn into a last-century lady?”
I gape at her, which just causes her to dissolve into giggles.
“Mum!”
“He is a very attractive alpha.”
“MUM!”
“How can you not have noticed? Look at him next time.” She turns back to her flowers. “Besides, he’s always around you,” she mutters under her breath.
“I heard that. Tell me about how to make soap.”
My mum forgets all about the problem that is Sebastian and starts telling me all about soap. After an hour, I excuse myself and go up to my room.
