The older woman beside her reached out and patted her hand gently. “Don’t mind the girls,” she said kindly. “We’re glad you’re here, truly. It’s not every day we get to see someone from your world, and… well, it takes some getting used to on both sides, doesn’t it?”
Seraphina nodded, grateful for the small gesture of understanding.
She glanced down at the curtain in her hands, the repetitive motion of scrubbing starting to ease some of the tension in her chest.
As the morning went on, the group fell into a comfortable rhythm, their laughter and chatter filling the air.
Seraphina found herself relaxing, if only slightly, as the work distracted her from the storm of emotions still swirling inside her.
But even as she scrubbed and rinsed, her thoughts kept drifting back to Adolphus—to the intensity of his gaze, the warmth of his touch, and the maddening way he seemed to unravel her without even trying.