A Family Stronger Than Steel

Chapter 17

"Noceda, you got mail!" A camp counselor shouted across the cabin, interrupting Vee's daydreaming. She quickly snapped out of her thoughts and rushed to grab the envelope with her-technically Luz's-name on it. It had been only a short time since Vee had taken Luz's place in the Human Realm after she came to the Boiling Isles. The young basilisk did feel guilty about having to steal Luz's identity and lying to everyone about who she was. But the alternative was to continue living in fear on the Isles, being hunted by the Emperor's Coven like an animal.

"Thank you," Vee said to the counselor as she took the letter. Once the counselor had left, she carefully opened the envelope from her... Luz's mother, Camila.

"Hola, mi querida hija," Vee read, roughly translating to "Hello, my dear daughter," in her mind. She needed to work on her Spanish to keep up this charade. Fortunately, the rest of the letter was in English, oddly similar to the common language of the Demon Realm. Some languages are just widespread, even across worlds.

"I hope you are doing well and staying safe. I greatly appreciate all the letters you've sent me; they mean the world. I can't wait for you to come home. While at camp, I saw someone you would like. His name is John, and he is a kind man who keeps me company. I hope you give him a chance when you return.

Te amo,

Mamá"

"Whatcha got there, Luz?" Vee jumped as Masha suddenly appeared beside her, peering over her shoulder at the letter from her mother.

"Just a letter from my mom," Vee replied with a smile, folding it up carefully. "She told me about someone she's been spending time with while I've been at camp. His name is John, and she seems happy to have him around."

"Oh, man," Masha said.

"What's 'oh, man,' for?" Vee asked, curious about Masha's reaction.

"It's just that your mom is seeing a guy while you're at camp," Masha explained, giving Vee a sympathetic look. "I hope you're okay with it."

"Why wouldn't I be okay with it? I want my mom to be happy, and if John makes her happy, then I'm happy for her," Vee replied confidently.

"That... is surprisingly mature of you," Masha said, impressed by Vee's response.

"Well, everyone deserves to find happiness again," Vee said with a smile.

"Hey, Masha. Hey, Luz." A third voice interrupted. The friends turned to see Jimmy approaching them with a friendly smile. "What are you guys talking about?" he asked, joining the conversation.

"Just discussing some of Luz's family stuff," Masha replied. "What's up?"

"Noelle's brother sent her a copy of "Cosmic Frontier II: The Revenge of Zhan" and invited Oscar and me to join," Jimmy said excitedly. "You guys want to come too?"

"A classic sci-fi movie with friends; there better be popcorn involved," Masha said with a grin.

"Oscar's got that taken care of, and I have a VHS player ready to go," Jimmy said. "We'll sneak out of the cabins and watch it in the rec room later tonight."

"What if we get caught?" Vee whispered.

"That won't happen; you have a Jimmy Olsen guarantee," Jimmy replied confidently. "Trust me, we'll be fine."

"Then we'll see you tonight," Vee fist-bumped Jimmy and Masha before returning to their cabins. If there was something to come out of Vee moving from one world to another and rebuilding her life, it was the strong friendships she had formed with Jimmy, Masha, and others.