Chapter 9 - THE SECOND CAKE
Two weeks later.
The Blackwood mansion felt completely different. The oppressive, sterile silence that had plagued the halls under Beatrice’s rule was gone. The heavy velvet drapes had been pulled back to let the sunlight in. The expensive, untouchable antique vases had been moved to higher shelves so the girls could run through the halls without fear.
Marble Hall was no longer a museum. It was a home.
In the grand dining room, the massive oak table had been cleared of its usual formal centerpieces.
Instead, a brand-new birthday cake sat in the middle.
It wasn’t a three-tiered, extravagant masterpiece designed to impress hundreds of wealthy snobs. It was a simple, two-layer chocolate cake with thick, messy pink frosting. Victoria had baked it herself, with flour still dusting her nose.
At the top of the cake, twelve candles flickered brightly.
Written in the center, in slightly crooked white icing, were the words: Happy 12th Birthday, Amelia and Lily.
Lily sat on one side of the table, wearing a comfortable yellow sundress that fit her perfectly. Her hair was clean, shiny, and brushed out, falling in loose curls over her shoulders, framing the matching gold locket around her neck.
Amelia sat across from her, wearing a matching blue dress, bouncing excitedly in her chair.
“Okay, you two,” Daniel laughed, holding up a camera. “Make a wish.”
Lily looked at the candles.
For the first twelve years of her life, whenever she found a stray dandelion or threw a penny in a fountain, she had wished for the exact same thing. She had wished for a family. She had wished for a warm bed, for enough food to eat, and for a sister to talk to in the dark.
She closed her eyes.
She took a deep breath.
I don’t need to wish anymore, Lily thought, a peaceful smile crossing her face. I already have everything.
Lily opened her eyes, looked across the table at Amelia, and nodded.
Together, the twin sisters leaned forward and blew out the candles.
The room filled with the smell of sweet smoke and the sound of their parents cheering.
As Victoria began cutting large, uneven slices of the cake, sliding the first two pieces onto plates for the girls, Daniel walked up behind Lily’s chair and rested his large, warm hands on her shoulders.
Lily leaned back against him, feeling perfectly, completely safe.
She looked at the slice of chocolate cake in front of her. She picked up her silver fork, took a massive bite, and laughed as Amelia got pink frosting all over her nose.
The poor girl who had stood barefoot at the mansion gates was gone forever.
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In her place was Lily Blackwood.
And she was finally exactly where she belonged.
