I spotted her quickly- the female witch I'd smelled. She clearly sensed my presence as well, as her head snapped in my direction, just as she'd been saying goodbye to another mother that was leaving. She looked towards a young girl, about Hope's age, playing in the sand.

"Let's go talk to her, Rose," Esme urged. "This is a great opportunity."

I gave the other woman a wary smile as I pushed Hope forward in her stroller. "Hello. You have a beautiful daughter," I greeted.

"Your daughter is quite lovely as well. I guess she must take after you," she replied, trailing off at the end.

"My name is Rosalie McCarty, and this is my sister Esme Cullen," I told her. "We moved here a while back, but things have been complicated, so we haven't had much chance to get out, so this is Hope's first time at the park." I felt like i was rambling, but I was nervous for a number of reasons. She didn't seem like a threat, and she probably thought I was, but this witch was still dangerous. At the same time, Esme was right. This was a great opportunity for Hope to make a friend.

"I see. I'm Laura Clyde, and that's my daughter Maddie," she told me. She looked around, and then a look of focus came over her. "We're cloaked now, so I'll speak freely. Don't take this the wrong way, but why exactly do you have that child? And what's with your eyes?"

I forced down a snarl at her tone and the implication that I was a threat to Hope. "I'm not sure how much I can tell you, but my great niece, Brielle- the Grand Witch Protégée- helped us adopt Hope and her older brother. He's currently attending his first day at The Academy."

She blinked and seemed taken aback.

"I know it must seem strange, but Rosalie and Emmett are wonderful parents. And as for our eyes, it comes from our diet. In our family, we refuse to drink human blood. We survive off of animal blood," Esme explained. She laughed a little. "We like to call ourselves 'vegetarians'."

"I see. Sorry about that. I bet it came off pretty harsh," Laura said, seeming relieved.

"You believe us?" I pressed.

She nodded. "Yeah, nobody who knows about Lady Brielle would drop her name for a lie."

Hope and Maddie ended up having a blast together, and once Laura had assured herself that we were safe to be around, I found her to be a wonderful person. Her older daughter was in her third year at the academy, and she was able to explain a lot about the school's culture from a parent's perspective. I was glad that I could get information from someone in the same situation. Brielle and everyone were great, of course, but none of them had children, so they didn't have the same concerns I did.

"It's really great for the kids. I taught Lydia some basics before she went to The Academy, but I tend to lead a more human life, so I'm rusty on the more advanced material. The Academy gives the kids a lot of options for life as a witch, from more human lives like mine, to the magic-centered lives of Council employees. And there's no judgement for what you choose. They encourage kids to follow a path that feels right. They also expose the kids to a variety of different beings, so that they can learn to work with the entire supernatural community," she told me. A slight grimace passed her face at the last part.

"Beings like vampires?" I teased.

"Not my best moment as an alumni," she winced.

We chatted more and eventually once she had to leave, we exchanged numbers and agreed to set up a playdate soon.

I knew there were witches who chose to live mostly human lives, and keep mortal lifespans. Brielle's mother, Allison, was like that, but she still lived with one foot firmly in the door of the more dedicated magic community. With two kids and a daughter-in-law that were high ranking members of the community, she really had no choice. But Laura was different. Her husband Alan was fully human, worked as a successful accountant, and while he knew about witchcraft, it wasn't a focus of their lives. According to Laura, there was some minor magic used around the house, but mostly the family just lived as humans.

I had worried that the moment my kids graduated, they'd be swept away into Council jobs, and they'd leave us behind. Brielle had mentioned that they would both stop aging someday. And while I wanted them to be happy, I'd seen the relationship between Allison and her kids. There was always a distance. Even Chris and Ace, who technically lived with Allison and my brother Jack, weren't that close with their mother. The situation was different, since I had no choice but to not age, but I'd still been afraid that if they chose to go their own way, I'd lose them.

Laura showed me that there were other options.

Emmett was waiting when we got home, and Hope waddled over to him with her arms outstretched as soon as she saw him. "Papa, up!"

He swept her up, tossing her lightly in the air, and catching her with a big smile at her little giggles. "How was the park, princess?"

"Maddie's my friend!" she smiled.

"Maddie?" He looked at me curiously.

"We met a witch and her daughter there. We're going to arrange some playdates," I explained.

He nodded. "Cool. The more magic babies the better, they say."

I rolled my eyes.

"Nobody says that, Emmett," Alice chirped from the backdoor. She was staring at the dirt on Hope's dress disapprovingly.

"We just got back, Alice. I haven't had the time to change her," I sighed. "Besides it's lunch time. Whatever she's put in will only get messy." Alice seemed determined to make sure Hope wore at least five outfits a day, which even I found ridiculous.

"Well, there's time now, and that just means she gets to wear more adorable outfits," she said, carefully snatching my baby from Emmett. "Are you ready to pick a new dress, princess," she cooed. Hope giggled.

Back in Hope's closet, Alice tossed the old dress and bloomers into the laundry- which was really just a donation bin. Hope and Alexei weren't spared from the "never the same outfit twice" manifesto my sister lived by. We ended up putting Hope in a little romper with frilly sleeves and pink bows. It had depictions of cherry blossoms and birds scattered across it.

Emmett had already made her a peanut butter sandwich by the time we got down, and filled her sippy cup up with milk. She sat in her high chair happily munching, while Alice turned her attention to me.

"How was Laura?" she asked.

"She was good. Perhaps you'll actually meet her soon. If you're not in school that is," I replied. Once again, Alice had made a tiny recommendation, knowing it would have a big effect. And once again, I was glad for it.