"How was school, sweetheart?" Elena asked, passing a bowl of roasted potatoes to Rowan. Her eyes sparkled with barely contained excitement, like a child waiting to open presents.
"It was alright,"
"Just alright?" Elena pressed, leaning forward slightly. "Do you like your new school?"
Astra's hand paused mid-cut, her fork hovering over her plate for a fraction of a second. She looked up at Elena, who was practically vibrating with anticipation, as if sending Astra to Zenith Crest Academy was her crowning achievement as a mother.
At the head of the table, Atticus observed the interaction with quiet interest. He wasn't a man of many words - never had been, really. The divorce from his first wife had only made everything worse. Sometimes he wondered how he'd managed to raise two boys largely on his own. Well, not entirely on his own. There had been Nanny Rosetta. Speaking of whom, he realized he hadn't seen her all day. But the thought appeared in his mind for only a second. His attention was more focused on this new daughter of his.
"Can I ask why, of all the schools in South City, you chose Zenith Crest Academy?"
Before Elena could respond, Rowan cut in, his mouth full of potatoes. "That's because-" He hastily swallowed before continuing, "Everyone in our family went there. Calix graduated from there, Dad too. Even Grandfather was a student there."
Calix gave his brother a disgusted look.
"That place is ridiculous," Astra muttered under her breath, stabbing a piece of chicken with more force than necessary.
"Did you say something?" Elena questioned though she had a fair idea of what she had mumbled.
"Nothing." Astra took a bite of her chicken before continuing. "I made some friends today. At least, that's what they claim we are. I can't be entirely sure about that." She paused, then added as an afterthought, "I also made some enemies."
"Aww...look at that, Atticus!" Elena clasped her hands together in delight. "Our little star is growing up. First day at the academy and she's already making friends AND enemies!"
Atticus let out a soft hum of acknowledgment, the corner of his mouth twitching in what might have been amusement.
"I wonder what other surprises you have in store for us," Elena mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully before her eyes lit up. "Oh! Maybe you'll finally experience your first love!"
The reaction around the table was immediate and dramatic. Calix's elbow slipped off the edge, nearly sending his face into his mashed potatoes. Rowan who was taking a sip of his juice started choking violently. Even Atticus's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
Astra, for her part, merely tilted her head and fixed her mother with her usual flat stare. "You should probably throw those strange thoughts out of your mind."
Atticus felt the corner of his lips curve upward at her response. Such a clever girl he had. He was fairly certain he wouldn't have to worry about her getting into relationships anytime soon but that did not stop him from feeling a surge of protectiveness. He'd only just gotten this daughter of his. He wanted to keep her around and enjoy the feeling of being a girl's father.
"What?" Elena looked genuinely puzzled. "Did I say something wrong? You're at that age where it's natural to experiment with romantic relationships. Get a boyfriend or two, have some heartbreaks-"
"I think my phone is ringing," Astra announced abruptly, rising from her chair. Thankfully, she had already finished her dinner. "I should go check it."
"But your phone is right there in your pocket," Elena called after her retreating form.
"It's my other phone," Astra replied without stopping though they all knew Astra only had one phone with her.
Elena chuckled and turned back to the table, only to find herself pinned under three identical stares of disapproval.
"What?" she asked, suddenly defensive.
"She's too young to fall in love," Atticus stated.
"Absolutely," Rowan nodded vigorously. "She shouldn't date until she's at least fifty."
"Make that sixty," Calix chimed in. "Just to be safe."
Elena rolled her eyes. "With her personality, I'd be surprised if she dated anyone in this lifetime."
"Good," all three men responded in unison, their faces showing identical expressions of satisfaction.
Elena couldn't help but laugh at their reaction. "You three are impossible. You know you can't keep her forever, right?"
"Watch us," Rowan muttered.
"Elena, dear," Atticus said in that dangerously calm voice of his, "perhaps we should change the subject."
"Fine, fine," Elena conceded, though her eyes sparkled with mischief. "But you can't protect her forever, you know. One day—"
"That day is not today,"
And just like that, the topic was closed and the dinner soon ended. Upstairs in her room, Astra stood in front of the mirror. The silver-haired girl in the reflection stared back at her with those unusual metallic eyes, familiar yet somehow foreign.
Her mother's mother from earlier echoed in her mind.
Love? What exactly was it?
She had read about it countless times in books - how the protagonist's heart would race at the sight of their beloved, how time would slow down and the world would fade away until only that special person remained. The butterflies in the stomach, the constant thoughts about them, the way their eyes would follow their love interest's every move.
But was that really all there was to it?
Astra traced her reflection with her fingertips, watching as her mirror image did the same. How could she possibly understand love when she struggled to identify even the most basic emotions within herself? Happiness, sadness, anger. They all felt like distant concepts, theoretical constructs she could recognize in others but never quite grasp for herself.
[What exactly am I?] The question formed in her mind, not for the first time. [A mirror that reflects others' feelings? Or just an empty vessel pretending to be human?]
The soft evening breeze drifted through her window, carrying with it the faint scent of the garden below. Tomorrow would be another day at that ridiculous academy, another day of pretending to be normal, of trying to fit into this new life she'd been given.