Mother Elf's Arc

Chapter 10 of 11

Mother Elf stood in the middle of Mother's Day Corner the evening before the mothers were set to leave. The eight cottages glowed with lamplight behind her. She had spent three days watching the mothers rest, watching them accept the crowns she had placed on their heads, watching them remember they were worth honoring. But she had not planned for the goodbye, and now it felt wrong to let them leave without marking what had happened here. She wanted them to see each other, to know they were not alone in their exhaustion or their worth. She walked to the clearing between the cottages and began setting up wooden picnic tables beneath the trees. Daddy Elf helped her arrange benches in a wide circle so every mother could see the others. She covered the tables with white cloths and brought out platters of roasted vegetables, warm bread, honeyed fruit, and soft cheeses. At the center, she placed a bowl of wildflowers from the meadow. When the mothers arrived, they hesitated at first, unsure whether they belonged at a table set with such care. Mother Elf placed a hand on each shoulder as they sat. Mrs. Robin perched on the edge of a bench, her feathers smoothed and eyes bright. Agnes adjusted the crown still resting on her hair. Mother Cat sat beside Mrs. Hansen, her kittens settled for once. The mothers began to talk quietly, their voices mixing with the evening breeze. Then musicians stepped onto the bandshell at the edge of the clearing, and soft music filled the air. The mothers stopped talking and listened, their faces turned toward the sound. Mother Elf stood at the edge of the circle and watched them. She had honored each mother individually, but this was different. This was the moment they honored each other simply by being together, by accepting rest at the same table. She felt something release in her chest, a certainty she had not known she needed. The cottages would empty tomorrow, but the mothers would leave knowing they had been seen. She picked up her own plate and sat down among them, no longer the giver of crowns but a mother herself, resting beside the others.