Flora’s Guide to a Second Chance at Love and Life

"Get in? Not a chance! Stay outside!" Flora had reached her limit and shouted at the top of her lungs. The hallway immediately fell silent. With a scowl on her face, Flora climbed off Connor and tidied up her clothes. "Connor, hang tight here for a bit." With that, she

stormed out the door.

In the yard stood Jacob and Carly, shivering in the chilly breeze. Each of them had a military-green backpack strapped on, so big it seemed to swallow them whole. In one hand, they held a wooden stick, and in the other, a worn-out bowl. Paired with their pitiful faces, they looked just like little beggars. "What in the world are you two up to?" Flora's initial anger gave way to surprise at their get-up.

"Flora! We're here to say goodbye," Jacob said, wiping his tears. "We're heading off for the elite academy trials."

"...If you hadn't said anything, I'd have thought you were joining some kind of street gang," Flora remarked, struggling to suppress her annoyance. "What's all this stuff you're lugging around?"

"Well," Carly chimed in, "my mom packed all this for us! The backpacks are stuffed with jerkies, snacks, and some emergency gear. It's got everything we might need!"

Ah, the classic motherly worry when kids are off on a journey. Flora could relate.

"But what's with the stick and the broken bowl?" Flora asked, puzzled.

"Oh, those aren't for anything useful," Carly shrugged. "My mom just thought they matched our look and insisted we take them to make her happy."

Flora shook her head, amused. This family sure had its quirks.

"Flora, listen," Jacob whispered as he leaned closer, pulling out a pack of spicy snacks from his jacket and handing it to Flora. "Keep it hush-hush. The Enforcement Division says no food allowed, but they usually don't frisk us."

Once inside the Enforcement Division, meals were basic and communal, so sneaking in snacks was par for the course. The staff there often looked the other way.

Flora raised an eyebrow. "They usually don't search you, huh?"

Oh, Jacob was in for it. She'd make sure they gave him a thorough check for interrupting her earlier.

Jacob remained clueless about Flora's plan, only noticing her slightly mischievous grin.

...

After dinner, with tears flowing,

Jacob and Carly bid the family farewell. Flora joined Mae, Joey,

Gerald, and the rest of the Gilbert

clan at the door to see them off.

Mae was dabbing at her tears with a tiny handkerchief, sobbing quietly.

Joey wrapped an arm around Mae's waist, whispering, "It's alright,

swn.

sweetheart. They're worry

couple of weeks. No need to worry."

Gerald stood stoically to the side, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

"Enough with the tears, love," Joey said, his heart aching at Mae's distress. "If you keep crying, that headache will return."

Mae often struggled with headaches, a long-standing issue that sometimes kept her up at night.

"Got a headache, Aunt Mae?" Flora asked, catching Mae's eye.

"Flora, you can just call me Aunt Mae," Mae sniffled. "It's an old problem."Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

elbet

In their world, without outside medical help, only Tara could ease her pain, but it was never a permanent solution. The headaches came back often.

"Let me take a look for you," Flora offered warmly.