The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0614

In the bedroom, Nicholas and Charlotte helped Elva and I pack our bags for our weekend homecoming trip. I pick out many subtle outfits for Elva and me. Back home, people would notice if we dressed too expensive. It might even have painted targets on our backs.

Elva, however, didn't understand. When she saw I was packing her plain shorts and tees, she crossed her arms, stuck out her bottom lip, and pouted, "I want to be princess."

"You are a princess, honey," I told her. "You don't need fancy clothes for that."

Elva frowned deeper. "It's not the same."

"It is." Nicholas lowered himself down onto one knee so that he could look Elva in the eye.

Elva glanced up at him through her eyelashes. She seemed sadder than anything and it broke my heart. I wanted Elva to have the things she wanted, but it was just too dangerous. We weren't from the best part of town. If we wore fancy clothes around, we would be robbed at worst.

At best, we just wouldn't fit in.

"Elva," Nicholas said. He placed his hand on her little shoulder. She always looked at him like he hung the sun in the sky, and now was no different. "What makes you a princess is not what you wear. It's what's on the inside that counts."

Elva glanced down at herself. "But I'm just a girl..."

"You are a girl with a very special ability," Nicholas said.

"What?" Elva asked.

Nicholas smiled at her so kindly my chest ached. "You have a big heart. Carry that with you, feed it and protect it, and you never need the fancy dresses to show you are a princess."

Elva's mood shifted somewhat, lightening. She smiled.

still get to

a little. A rare sound from him, I wished I could bottle it and listen to it again and again, whenever I was

all the dresses you want," he said. He glanced at me. "If it's okay with your

on me in a

"Of course," I said.

"Yay!" Elva cheered.

holding a few outfits. She smiled as she brought them to the two suitcases on the

she asked. Even knowing my background, she seemed uncertain with my

imagined all the other candidates dressed fancy and formally at their own mansions and estates. But those candidates weren't going to a two-bedroom apartment in a bad part of town like Elva

I told Charlotte. She nodded without further pressing and carefully folded the chosen clothes. As I went to help her,

you come with us, Nick-lass?" she

genuine, with hope in

her head. "I wish I could, princess. But it's against the rules for me

"Oh," Elva deflated.

make the trip with you and your mom, and then be there when time is up to bring you back here

"Great!" Elva said.

Nicholas said. He glanced up at me. "How does that

would help, knowing

better terms of my home. That very soon, very likely, I would be living

it was difficult to imagine

mood. Leaving Elva to her toys, he walked

going to be okay," he whispered. "I will

him. I didn't know how to properly convey that it

was so kind to worry, so sweet to care so much. I didn't want to ruin the moment with my fears, so I kept

to do it myself. Nicholas would likely offer himself,

I didn't want