Chapter 2

Two years after Elli's departure seemed so long for Grace's little family. Harold worked hard to take care of everything, working in the city and raising his two children. The man realized he needed help, sometimes Aunt Golda came to the house. A kindful granny who contributed greatly helping Elli's two deliveries, and is always happy to be asked to help look after the Grace sisters.

She said she already considered Phillip and Lillian as her grandchildren. However, now the woman was too old to work. Her feet could no longer stand up to the Grace family's house which had to go through small hills. When Aunt Golda was sick, Phillip and Lillian took turns visiting Golda Farm every day and even helped take care of the livestock.

When the old granny finally died, the presence of the Grace Siblings was no longer wanted by the Golda family. They often act cynical and complain about how much they spend each month in front of the siblings, making them hesitant to visit.

Once again Harold had to rely on Phillip, whos now ten years old, to take responsibility. Fortunately, Phillip is a capable child who takes care of everything, especially looking after his younger sister. Even so, Harold didn't want to keep taking away the childhood of his two children. They do not go to school or take classes, not even any children their age around to make friends with.

Phillip starts to become gloomy, while Lillian often mentions someone named Chatter-Boy as her best friend even though its form has never been seen. His children were lonely and bored, Harold realized that. Sooner or later someone has to take care of them.

Perhaps moving to Briston City was the right solution. If they still can't go to school, at least Briston is dense enough to feel lonely. The children can make lots of friends, interact with residents, and then become cheerful again.

If only he could work more focused so that money would be collected quickly. After all, Harold himself was getting tired of this situation, he felt lonely every night. The man missed his wife terribly and needed someone to complain to. Harold had been in a terrible state of war over the past few months and didn't know whom to share his problems with.

Until one day a woman at the Navis Farm — where Harold worked — approached him at lunchtime. At that time Harold did not bring lunch, and a woman in charge of the storage barn came to invite him to eat pumpkin pie together. Since then, they have always spent time together.

The woman was very generous, even loving and motherly in Harold's eyes. Her sweet smile always shows a line of pearl-like teeth, and the smell of morning dew that comes out when her platinum hair is blown off does not want to disappear from the man's head. He didn't know what had happened, the woman broke into his empty heart, and was forced to stay.

Maybe it's time to find a new moon, a replacement like his wife's message before her pass. Harold once swore that he didn't want anyone to take Elli's place in his heart. However, if he looks at the current condition, and heart that beats fast every time he thinks of that woman, with all the good thing she has, is like hypnosis.

Harold rubbed his face, bought a large bunch of lilies and white roses at the market. Place the beautiful flowers on the mound carefully, then gently caress the white headstone in front of him.

"Elli, I know you asked for this, but I also know that this will hurt your heart, even mine," he whispered, staring at the headstone closely as if staring into a pair of eyes that he loved so much. “I can't handle this alone. But don't worry, I'm doing this for our kids. Believe my love is only for you Forever."

***

After making up his mind, Harold finally came home with the woman who had been in his mind. It's not easy, but the man has made up something to tell his two children that this woman will be a new mother. The woman's name was Miranda, she was tall and slender with a pointed nose and narrow petals adorned with bright purple beads, wavy platinum hair hanging over her shoulders.

Phillip and Lillian stood like statues in front of them. Their faces didn't look happy, even gray, incompatible with the bright clothes they were currently wearing. Before that, Harold had the two of them wear the best clothes in the wardrobe because they were going to meet a special person.

At first, Phillip and Lillian were very excited, Phillip thought a royal knight that his father knew from the city was coming. Meanwhile, Lillian hopes that her father will invite the beautiful Princess or the Fairy Godmother. However, when faced with the special person their father meant, their expressions changed completely.

"Introduce yourselves, kids," pleaded Harold.

They didn't answer, didn't even make a single gesture.

"Maybe they're embarrassed, honey," whispered Miranda.

"Fine then let me introduce them." Harold walked to the middle of his two children and embraced them. "This is my hero Phillip, he was eleven years old last week," said Harold as he patted Phillip's right cheek, "and this is my little daughter Lillian. She is nine. Greetings, kids."

Phillip looked at the woman from top to bottom. Miranda is very beautiful, no wonder his father is attracted to her, but from the aura that surrounds her, Phillip isn't sure she's kind. She looked more like Aunt Golda's niece, a very talkative and pristine woman.

Aunt Golda once brought her niece home, she made bad comments about everything in the Grace house, and always nagged to come home. Phillip immediately disliked her, as much as he dislikes the woman his father brought.

"Why did my Daddy call you a special guest, Miss Miranda?" asked Lillian, and it wasn't the question Miranda had hoped for. However, she still smiled.

"Why am I special? I do not know ... maybe because soon I will have the same last name with you, I will be in charge of you, and I will read you fairy tales before you sleep. "

"What does it mean?" Phillip exclaimed curtly.

"I will be your new mother!" exclaimed the woman, with a little prance. "Are you happy to meet me?"

"Sorry, Miss, but no one can replace my mother."

The smile on Miranda's face faded due to Lillian's words, although a second later the woman was grinning again. “Your mother must be very important, right? I will try to be a good mother, you two are really cute! "

Phillip shook off Miranda's hand as she tried to pinch his cheek. The boy was very annoyed to see his father kiss Miranda's forehead gently, he felt his mother had been betrayed. They had dinner together with laughter that only came from Harold and Miranda.

There is no reason for Phillip or Lillian to be happy, they will have a stepmother. Both of them know how stepmothers, many fairy tales tell it — Cinderella, Snow White, The Match Girl — none of the stepmothers of the three fairy tales have good characters.

Lillian squeezed her brother's fingers hoping her feelings would be calmer, but she didn't get that feeling, because Phillip was nervous himself. The boy did not think that his father would remarry and betray his mother like this. Thinking about what would happen next, Phillip had no idea.

***

Harold's marriage to Miranda took place only a week later from the first time he introduced her to children. The man no longer asked his two children for their opinion, because Phillip's face always looked cold, while Lillian, who was usually a chatterbox, wouldn't speak a word when his father was talking about his future wife.

The marriage took place in a small building near the city of Briston, only a simple wedding attended by the ruler and a few witnesses. Phillip and Lillian joined as bridesmaids.

The anger that had filled Phillip's chest all this time faded at the beauty of the little marriage, especially the big smile of his father, the smile that had long disappeared since his mother's passage.

Like it or not, Phillip smiled too, trying to enjoy the wedding. If he can't be happy having a new mother, at least he will try to be happy for the sake of his dad. After all, Miranda might be a good person, maybe she just deserves to be the second mother of the Grace family.

Seeing the way she kissed the back of her father's hand with a look of joy afterward, it seemed that was enough for Phillip. Nothing can replace the mother's position in his heart. Never will be. However, there is nothing wrong with allowing Miranda to try.

***

Several months have passed since Harold and Miranda's wedding. They all live normal lives, Miranda is nice to the children, Harold has also found a job that earns more. However, like a cliché fairy tale, whenever they were alone with Miranda, the caring woman disappeared.

Her sweet smile vanished into her eyes as sharp as an eagle. The soft intonation of her voice turned into a thunderous yell as she told the Grace siblings to do all the household chores.

Phillip and Lillian had never done single housework. In the past, Phillip used to get the job of keeping the house, but that was all. They often get scolded when they make mistakes, even the slightest mistakes.

Lillian was the one who suffered the most in this situation. The girl often slipped while mopping, got blisters from holding a duster and broom too long, and even accidentally cut her hand with a knife while cooking, it must have been painful. Lillian is often seen crying in the kitchen but never shows it to Miranda. It's useless to complain if afterward, you get a worse scolding for doing work that Miranda thinks is unsatisfactory.

Sometimes the girl ran outside, approached her brother who was in charge of chopping firewood to complain about every little accident that had happened to her. There wasn't much Phillip could do for his younger sister apart from washing or dressing the wound with a torn cloth.

His conditions weren't great either. There was only one job for Phillip to do, unlike Lillian's many chores, but the mountains of firewood seemed endless, and Miranda wouldn't let the boy in until all the firewood was split open. The job make Phillip never in the house unless it was sunset.

All of this was delirious, but Phillip could not possibly fight back. What can eleven and nine-year-olds do against their parents? The father does not know everything going on at home, the man is busy working at the bank in downtown Briston, leaving early, coming home late at night.

Miranda told him not to think about anything but work. She was as sweet as an angel when it was eight o'clock in the evening. She had Phillip and Lillian stand aside, and made her two stepchildren smile as they welcomed their father home. Miranda could always do that, or rather she could always force them.

Seeing his two children smiling happily at his return, Harold became very happy. The man turned to Miranda, looked at his wife full of gratitude for taking good care of his children, a warm kiss landed on her forehead in appreciation. Miranda is very good at playing the role, the atmosphere of the family dinner is warm, Phillip and Lillian even forget about all the bad things that happened to them all day, and enjoy dinner as a happy family should.

When the night was getting late, Miranda gently asked her two stepchildren to go to sleep. The woman led them to the room. A warm smile still appeared on her face so Lillian without hesitation took a brown book from under the pillow and handed it to Miranda.

"Will you read me a bedtime story, Mommy?" asked Lillian.

A warm smile immediately faded from Miranda's face, replaced with an icy gaze. "No."

"But I can't sleep without a bedtime story."

"Then it will be a long night for you!"

"I beg you, Mommy ..."

“Listen, don't be spoiled in front of me, you are not babies anymore! Better save your energy for tomorrow. A lot of work awaits,” She snapped before slamming the bedroom door.

Lillian's face looked very disappointed, also sorry that she had dirty her mouth with that ridiculous request. Phillip got out of bed and approached his younger sister.

"It's okay, let me read it for you." Lillian didn't answer, only gave her storybook to Phillip. "Which story do you want to hear?"

"Cinderella."

Phillip took a deep breath to start reading, but his sister muttered again. “Phill, do you think all new mothers are as bad as Cinderella's? Are we going to have the same fate as Cinderella?"

Phillip was silent at his sister's question. Miranda is not evil like Cinderella's mother, she is worse. More like a wolf disguised as a sheep. "Of course not, if we are nice to Miranda maybe she will love us back gradually. After all, Cinderella's story had a happy ending. At least if we are the same fate as Cinderella, we will be happy in the end."

"Are you sure?"

Phillip fell silent again, "Not really."

"I miss Chatter-Boy." Again the girl interrupted when Phillip took a deep breath about to start the story. He scratched his head, Lillian never looked so sad, not even when their mother left.

"Maybe it's because you're nine years old." That was the only sentence that could occur to Phillip.

"What is the relation?"

"You know ... imaginary friends disappear with age."

Lillian let out a disappointed sigh. "So, he is just my imagination, huh?"

"Only you can see it, Lill. I never saw a glimpse of things, even though we always spent time together in this house."

"Maybe because he only wants to be my friend ...."

"Maybe because he's only inside of your head."

The girl punched her pillow, then lay down. "Even though I believe he is real, I wish he was real. I want to have friends. "

"Hey, I can be your friend."

Lillian smiled wistfully at the tone of disappointment in her older brother's words, realizing that the boy also wanted the same thing. A friend. After that brief conversation, Phillip started the Cinderella story, starting with 'Once upon a time'. However, his sister's attention was not on him, nor Cinderella's story.

***