#Chapter 99: First Aid

As the day goes on, the girls grow tired of planting trees and want to start playing in the nearby wide open field with other kids their age. “Is it okay?” Violet asks me. Iris stands nearby, glaring at the ground like I’m about to say no. “Just stay where I can see you,” I tell them. They agree and rush out to play tag with the others. With this new moment of quiet, Miles comes to stand beside me. “They really are great girls,” he says, as we both watch them run across the field with the other children. “You must be proud.” “I am,” I tell him, meaning it with all my heart. Even with Iris’s recent dislike of me, she is still evolving into a capable, independent woman. I could only be more proud if she didn’t also feel the need to cut me out of her life like she is. But with Garnar filling her head with lies, I guess I can’t blame her. “I miss how close I was with Iris,” I say, opening up to him a bit. “I know every teenage goes through a phase where they hate their par