“Quite the turnout,” I murmur to Alice.“Told you,” she says, snagging two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and handing one to me. Goddess knows I’ll need it tonight. “Everyone who’s anyone is here. And they’re all talking about the art program. You did it, Iris.”I can’t help but feel a f
Iris“You’re fidgeting again,” Alice says from the doorway of her office, which she’s graciously loaned me as a dressing room for the night.I catch my own reflection in the full-length mirror, and realize that yes, I am indeed fidgeting—smoothing down my dress for the thousandth time, running my fi
The Beta shifts uncomfortably. “Well, sir, given your recent absence, and the, uh, public perception of your… vacation, it would be… inadvisable to miss an event of this magnitude.”Beside me, Veronica straightens. “Public perception? What are you implying, boy?”The Beta’s face reddens. “Nothing, m
ArthurThe airplane finally touches down on the runway with a gentle bounce. I blink slowly, consciousness returning in fragments as the fog that’s been clouding my mind momentarily thins.For a split second, I wonder where I am and how I got here.Then Veronica’s hand squeezes my thigh, and the fog
“Thank you,” I say softly.My mother gives me a watery smile. “No need to thank me. It’s what mothers do.”Finally, my mother comes to stand next to me and looks up at the mural. She studies it for a long moment, then says, “Is this meant to be symbolic? The girl walking into the ocean?”I turn to l
IrisMy mother’s face is unusually grave. I know right away that something is wrong.Alice glances between us, then clears her throat. “I should probably head out. It’s getting late, and you two clearly need some privacy.”With that, Alice quickly leaves. My mother and I stand in silence for a few m