Ch. 3
Ella was correct—the trip was different—but not in the miserable way she'd expected. It turned out that Elijah thought Sarah could help her.
"Ella," Sarah said excitedly, "when we get back to Elijah's place, I'm going to show you my pet toad!"
Ella raised her eyebrows. Finally, she realized what sounded so familiar. "Oh, I get it, you're a witch too!"
"Yup!"
"And you went to Hogwarts when you were eleven?" Ella was getting more and more excited.
"Yup! And I was the worst troublemaker since Fred and George Weasley!"
"Really?"
"Yup!"
"Wicked." Over the next few weeks, Sarah taught Ella many things about being a witch. And, after her first day spent with Elijah and his girlfriend, she found herself realizing that sometimes, when things don't go according to plan, you have to follow your heart. So she decided that, no matter what her father said, she would be the witch that she was, and go to Hogwarts.
A few days after her arrival, her mother called from her business trip in Seattle, which was in a state called Washington.
"Ella dear, your father called me and told me about your—erm—news." Ella couldn't tell if her mother was angry or not.
"I'm sorry Mum," she said slowly.
"Ella dear, how could you ever think I would be mad?"
"Well, Dad was," Ella muttered.
Her mother laughed softly. "Your father is stubborn. He wants you to follow in his footsteps, and this just messes everything up. You know what he said to me? He said, 'Kass, love, I won't have her flying away from home for the whole school year.' But you know what I think? I think he's just scared because he knows the kids you'll be in school with won't know who he is!"
Ella laughed. Mum always made her laugh, no matter what the circumstances.
As she hung up, she realized that no matter what her father did, he still loved her. And he always would.
------------------------------------------
Back in England, Orlando sighed as he carefully folded the newspaper. You're thinking too much again, mate. Not to mention talking to yourself. He grunted and stood up, rinsing his dishes in the sink. This is what you wanted, after all. A normal life. A life where you could do things for yourself, and have children. You wanted to be a normal man, don't you remember? But Orlando hadn't counted on this. He hadn't counted on his daughter turning out to be a witch. And it wasn't something he was sure he could tolerate. But it was Ella's decision, and he knew he couldn't make it for her. All he could do was support her, in whatever future she chose, in whatever life she chose to lead.
Just as Orlando was putting his dishes into the dishwasher, his phone rang. He picked up the phone and said, "Hello."
"It's me," his wife Kassidy's voice filled his ear and he relaxed.
"Hullo love," he said softly.
"Dear, you sounded worried a moment ago."
She never misses anything, he thought. "It was nothing love, I was just worrying about Ella again."
"I told you to stop worrying. And I also told you to stop sending her away. It does neither Ella or yourself any good."
He sighed. "I'm sorry Kass. I guess I just—I need some time alone every now and then. Raising a child is work."
"I told you that Orlando."
"I know love. And I'm trying."
"But this is another reason why her going off to the wizard school will be good for you. You'll have time to yourself to think." She paused for a moment. "And maybe I could come home and think with you."
Orlando nodded. "I'll talk to you soon Kass love."
"Bye honey."
Ella was correct—the trip was different—but not in the miserable way she'd expected. It turned out that Elijah thought Sarah could help her.
"Ella," Sarah said excitedly, "when we get back to Elijah's place, I'm going to show you my pet toad!"
Ella raised her eyebrows. Finally, she realized what sounded so familiar. "Oh, I get it, you're a witch too!"
"Yup!"
"And you went to Hogwarts when you were eleven?" Ella was getting more and more excited.
"Yup! And I was the worst troublemaker since Fred and George Weasley!"
"Really?"
"Yup!"
"Wicked." Over the next few weeks, Sarah taught Ella many things about being a witch. And, after her first day spent with Elijah and his girlfriend, she found herself realizing that sometimes, when things don't go according to plan, you have to follow your heart. So she decided that, no matter what her father said, she would be the witch that she was, and go to Hogwarts.
A few days after her arrival, her mother called from her business trip in Seattle, which was in a state called Washington.
"Ella dear, your father called me and told me about your—erm—news." Ella couldn't tell if her mother was angry or not.
"I'm sorry Mum," she said slowly.
"Ella dear, how could you ever think I would be mad?"
"Well, Dad was," Ella muttered.
Her mother laughed softly. "Your father is stubborn. He wants you to follow in his footsteps, and this just messes everything up. You know what he said to me? He said, 'Kass, love, I won't have her flying away from home for the whole school year.' But you know what I think? I think he's just scared because he knows the kids you'll be in school with won't know who he is!"
Ella laughed. Mum always made her laugh, no matter what the circumstances.
As she hung up, she realized that no matter what her father did, he still loved her. And he always would.
------------------------------------------
Back in England, Orlando sighed as he carefully folded the newspaper. You're thinking too much again, mate. Not to mention talking to yourself. He grunted and stood up, rinsing his dishes in the sink. This is what you wanted, after all. A normal life. A life where you could do things for yourself, and have children. You wanted to be a normal man, don't you remember? But Orlando hadn't counted on this. He hadn't counted on his daughter turning out to be a witch. And it wasn't something he was sure he could tolerate. But it was Ella's decision, and he knew he couldn't make it for her. All he could do was support her, in whatever future she chose, in whatever life she chose to lead.
Just as Orlando was putting his dishes into the dishwasher, his phone rang. He picked up the phone and said, "Hello."
"It's me," his wife Kassidy's voice filled his ear and he relaxed.
"Hullo love," he said softly.
"Dear, you sounded worried a moment ago."
She never misses anything, he thought. "It was nothing love, I was just worrying about Ella again."
"I told you to stop worrying. And I also told you to stop sending her away. It does neither Ella or yourself any good."
He sighed. "I'm sorry Kass. I guess I just—I need some time alone every now and then. Raising a child is work."
"I told you that Orlando."
"I know love. And I'm trying."
"But this is another reason why her going off to the wizard school will be good for you. You'll have time to yourself to think." She paused for a moment. "And maybe I could come home and think with you."
Orlando nodded. "I'll talk to you soon Kass love."
"Bye honey."