"Opehlia, love," Isabella called out gently, her voice like a soft melody. Opehlia's head snapped up immediately, her eyes wide with innocent curiosity and a hopeful smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Isabella couldn't help the small, almost imperceptible sigh that escaped her. How could she ever be mad at this girl?
The thought weighed heavily on her heart. Originally, she had planned to change Opehlia—teach her to be shrewd and sharp, so that no one could take advantage of her innocent nature. So that the world wouldn't chew her up and spit her out. But as Isabella watched the girl now, her heart softened, and all those plans seemed to slip away like sand through her fingers.
Opehlia's wide eyes glittered, waiting for the answer that seemed to hang in the air, a delicate moment suspended between them. And in that instant, Isabella couldn't bring herself to crush that innocent enthusiasm. The girl truly was a walking bundle of hope and curiosity.
