Haven Whitmore's Arc

Chapter 12 of 13

The next morning, Lucy was still asleep against Haven's shoulder when Rapunzel knocked on the kitchen door. She had a folder under her arm and didn't waste time. "My art tower needs a teacher two days a week," she said. "Kids from the school. I thought of you." Haven looked down at the baby, then at the long table, then at the small shelf of bright books she'd been meaning to sort for the children's corner. Her first instinct was to say no — one more thing, one more night with less sleep. But Cherry was already pouring coffee, and Jacob was already nodding from the doorway like he'd been waiting for someone to hand her something that wasn't a crisis. Haven flipped through the folder. Class lists. A schedule. A small paycheck line that made her throat tighten. "Okay," she said again, the second okay in two days. Rapunzel smiled and slid the contract across the table, and Haven signed it before she could talk herself out of it. Rapunzel left. Haven sat down hard. The job was real. The sanctuary would have steady money now, and she'd have somewhere to be that wasn't only here — but two mornings a week were suddenly gone from the repair list, and Lucy stirred in her arms like a reminder of everything else she'd just said yes to.