Petals For Brains | Number Five Book II

CHAPTER 4: An Orphan Amongst Orphans🌹

The headmistress of the White Willows Orphanage in the Dallas was enamored to say the least as she look onwards, adoration filling her heart as she watched the children, her children, laughing wholeheartedly as they played. The warm oranges, pinks and purples in the background perfectly fitting such a sight. The chorus of giggles was a sound that, despite the more than 30 years she had been presiding over the home, would never ever grow old. For someone with a heart as pure as Mrs. Collins herself, it was a life well lived having had opened her arms and her heart to the hundreds upon hundreds of children who had to call the White Willows home. For the past couple of years, the home got only warmer with the somewhat tragic and mystic arrival of a fairy-like young lady who had effortlessly captured all of them in the palm of her hand. Head adorned with her flowers and, smile as sweet as freshly made pastries, and her eyes, her wonderfully green eyes, so alluring and impeccable, able of calming any child from the most horrid of tantrums.

All was happy in the home. Ellie despite her aching and longing for her husband and the rest of the Hargreeves, along with her displacement in this unfamiliar era was content with the life she led. It was joyous at the very least. She'd opted to help around the home, quickly becoming the headmistresses' right hand woman. She was the oldest of the children after all, the youngest of them only being twelve. The only one remotely close to her age being a boy named Steven who was only seventeen.

It hadn't always been this way from the day she had arrived. Ellie was after all, by marriage, a Hargreeves, and it came with your bouts of misfortunes. The first three months were hard. Unlike Vanya whose memories were completely wiped, Ellie became frozen in her usual daze. Her battered and bruised body was concerning enough, but the far-off look in her green eyes told an obvious enough story some severe torture she had endured.

Even with her decades of experience Mrs. Collins had in taking care and nurturing children hailing from different backgrounds with vast experiences, none astounded her more than the girl who was now carrying three toddlers in her arms as she laughed with them. For a while that sweet smile had been unknown to them, she used to be restricted to her expressionless face and the soft murmur of her name. Much like a young child, she wandered off, unaware of anything and everything around her. The children being curious tried to help out, holding her bigger hand in theirs, guiding her into one of the rooms, sitting her down by the window where she would sit looking outside at the quiet streets of the outskirts of Dallas, while they sat around her, pieces of paper and paint trying to capture the flowers that peculiarly stay fresh all the time.

Like I said, it would happen for a whole of three months before everything changed one seemingly normal night in the home. It was a relatively quiet night and every single person in the home had gone off to bed a couple of hours ago, with the lone exception of Ellie who had awoken mere minutes shy of midnight only to sit by the window sill. An occasional car would pass by and it's whizzing through the cold air and the chirping of crickets were the only noises that could be heard. The moon illuminated the dimly lit room, casting the green-eyed lady in an undeniably ethereal glow. She would remain sat there for the better part of fifteen minutes before she was distracted by a shuffling by the front door.

Mindlessly, she walked towards the double doors, her footsteps silent, her hands working swiftly to unlock the all the locks. Once all of them were undone, Ellie carefully pulled the door open, and there she was met with a basket, slightly rocking when the bundle inside began to fuss in its sleep, tossing their little head from side to side, looking as if bad dream had plagued them. She knelt down and began cooing, no hesitation when she softly picked the little one in her arms, settling them there before she knelt down to get the basket and clumsily closing the door with a loud thud, one that was definitely heard throughout the whole house. Ellie who had now become quite enamored with the little being in her arms, chuckled when it began fussing, trying to move and find a much more comfortable position. It snuggled for a little more before halting and sighing, breath evening out and falling into yet another deep sleep.

Still in front of the closed door, and still completely distracted by the baby, Ellie failed to notice two pairs of eyes on her, watching from half way down the stairs. Curiously, both were startled awake, terrified by the sudden and familiar thud of the heavy front doors. Both Mrs. Collins and Steven had hurried themselves, preparing for some kind of intruder, locking the children from the outside to keep them safe. Much to their surprise and relief, they only discovered young Miss Ellie with the baby in her grasp.

"Ellie?" The girl looked up, her eyes no longer looking empty, they were brighter and focused, her airy aura no longer there and instead was replaced by her warm energy, the girl with the blank stare long gone, her face now sporting her small, shy smile.

"I'm sorry ma'am, I meant to lock it I promise." The older woman could not help the chuckle that came from her chest, smiling softly at the doe-eyed young woman in front of her, whose eyes were back on the baby in her arms, bringing up a finger to caress the apples of its cheeks. Her smile was soft, so caring and loving that it looked like a silent assurance that she was there, and she was not going anywhere. The giant family was growing, and the young woman had found her in the heart of it. Her eyes shifted to the boy next to her, gaze transfixed on Ellie, and she chuckled once more, his gawking halted at the sound.

"That is no way to look at a woman, Steven my boy. Would you be a lamb and prepare a cot for the babe?" She instructs with a hand to his shoulder, her voice tinged with a little bit of teasing, her dark eyes mischievous behind her half-moon glasses. She whispers a thank you to him before guiding the young woman and the baby into the room. Steven had been in the middle of fluffing up two small pillows. Upon noticing the two, he hurried his action and made way for Ellie to place the baby snuggly in between them. She touches its cheek once again, stepping back and handing the headmistress a piece of paper, one that she had found in between the folds of the swaddle.

"Juno. That's his name, I reckon ma'am."

"Okay then. Welcoming little Juno would have to be done in the morning. We could all do with some sleep, especially you Miss, on with you." Ellie nods, turning around and making a beeline to her room and leaving the pair with the sleeping infant. They stood there in silence before they heard her door shut behind her.

"I don't know about you my darling boy, but the ring she never takes off is awfully suspicious isn't it. I'm afraid there is no way any boy would pass up the gem that she is.... Lucky bastard."

The very next morning, the rest of the home had been introduced to the little Juno and the actual Ellie. All of them needed no time to adjusting to the bright disposition of the young woman, who turned out to be just as ethereal as her appearance. Ellie's episodes still happened and through time they lessened and lessened until they had become sparse enough and rare. The children, the angels they were caught on and adapted quickly whenever she had them, sitting her down until she would come back.

Ellie had found a little slice of heaven in White Willows. The children were a mix of angels and gremlins and it was all good, she loved them all the same. There was so much joy in the playing and the learning and even in the times when one of them was off to be with a family to want them, it was happy. Work was difficult but it had filled her heart. Even as she was occupied heavily by her role, Ellie still thought and hoped for the day Five would arrive and find her.

And find her he will.