Mother Elf's Arc

Chapter 9 of 11

Mother Elf carried an empty basket through SC - Foothills the next morning. Seven cottages filled, one remaining. She had four days until Mother's Day, and she needed to find the last mother. She walked past the small shops and stone walls, her eyes scanning the paths for someone who needed rest. She turned a corner and nearly collided with Mother Cat. Bags of groceries tipped in Mother Cat's arms, fruit rolling toward the ground. Two kittens darted around her feet, trying to catch the apples and oranges before they fell. Mother Cat shifted the bags higher on her hip and waved one hand. "I'm fine," she said before Mother Elf could speak. "Just fine." The kittens grabbed at a bag that was slipping, and Mother Cat caught it with her elbow. Mother Elf reached out to help, but Mother Cat turned her shoulder away. "Really, I've got it." Her voice was firm, almost sharp. Mother Elf stepped back and watched Mother Cat gather the bags, refuse help from her own kittens, and walk away with her arms shaking under the weight. Mother Elf stood in the street and felt something settle in her chest. This was the mother for Cottage #8. Not because she asked for help, but because she never would. Mother Elf walked straight to the eighth cottage and told Daddy Elf what she needed. By afternoon, he had built a tall scratching post with platforms and hideaways where the kittens could play while their mother rested. Mother Elf placed a diamond choker on the table inside the cottage, the kind of gift a woman might wear when she finally believed she deserved something beautiful. She wove the eighth crown slowly, each stem placed with care. This crown honored a mother who carried everything alone, who said she was fine even when her arms were breaking. Mother Elf set the crown on the table beside the choker and stepped outside. All eight cottages were ready. All eight mothers chosen. She had four days to deliver the invitations, and she knew exactly who deserved to rest.