#Chapter 66: The Star

Elara The cold nipped at the edges of the window as I fastened the buttons of my coat, tugging it tighter around my waist. Outside, winter was finally beginning to set in for the year, blanketing the grounds in a layer of frost that shimmered faintly in the pale afternoon light. I glanced at the clock by the door. I had just enough time to pick up the girls from school and take them out for the hot cocoa I had promised them. The thought alone brought a small smile to my lips. It had been a long week—one too full of small, uncomfortable moments that left me feeling out of place in my own home. The wedding, the marriage certificate, Sarah’s return. But the girls always made things feel a little easier, and I was looking forward to spending a little time with them. But I had just reached for my gloves on my way out the door when footsteps padded softly down the stairs. “Elara.” Sarah’s voice carried that same disarming lilt she used whenever she wasn’t being