Schoolhouse Shenanigans!

by Dragonborne Fox

Chapter XXXI- Letters

Anna was sorting the mail, making sure the box sat at the right hand corner of her desk.

Opening one envelope and unraveling the contents, she began reading the letter.

"Social security declares...that..."

"Junk mail." Anna scoffed as she crumpled the letter and tossed it into the waste bin. Next envelope.

"You win a free trip to..."

"W-Who'd send this to a married woman?" Anna froze stiff as what was before her face appalled her. She refused to look at it any longer than necessary, so she crumpled that up and into the bin it went. Next envelope...

"First Church of GodCat celebrates..."

"I...might actually consider this. Hope it doesn't involve holy water." Anna sighed as she set the invitation aside. Next!

"Free Date provided by..."

"My god!" Anna shrieked as she crumpled that and tossed it into the waste bin with a blush forming on her face. She drank a few sips of water she had in a nearby glass.

She took deep breaths in order to calm herself down. Good gracious, who'd want a free date with King Sombra? Besides, he's more or less gone now, so what was the point?

She slowly opened the next envelope. This was one reason she didn't like the mail system--a whole lot of people sent her and her family the strangest of things. She recalled one letter sent to Natz that was an invitation to a party that consisted entirely of Beholders. As expected, she flipped. Another invitation was directed at Katie and it requested she go to a meeting hosted by vampire hunters. Yes, Katie had enough vampirism in her the need to feed was evident. Good thing Lance didn't inherit that!

She unraveled the paper concealed in the envelope, not noticing a small papercut on the tip of her index finger.

"Hello..." Sighed the archer as her eyes went wide. She began reading this letter.

Dear Step-daughter-in-law,

I am writing this to you since I have just located my adopted son Lance. Ever since the day I told him his real mother had abandoned him many moons ago, I have grown very worried and my grief is unmeasurable. Not one day goes by without that pang of guilt that comes with the harsh truth hitting my very soul and cracking it a smidgen further. I felt horrible since the truth was revealed to him. I recall it like yesterday: He suddenly took off and I do not know what happened afterwards.

Recently, I heard you married him some odd 10 years ago. I have also gotten ahold of your address, so please pardon this letter and forgive me. It just hurts me so much that I don't get to see him at all, and what's worse is...what I have heard about his real mother.

I was told she was many things. A monster, a caretaker, a friend....I could keep writing about the endless possibilities.

I wonder how Lance is treating you. I wonder how he treats everyone. You could say that I wonder if he's treated anyone coldly since that fateful day.

I don't know when I will arrive, but I will show up in due time.

And I will make amends.

Sincerely sorry for this,

Aura

P.S. If you know his real mother in person, inform her of this and pray she isn't hostile in any way...

Anna shed a few tears. With all the adventures Lance had partaken in, who would have the time to pay the poor woman a visit?

Then, there was the sheer heartbreak. Was...was this what had driven Lance to make a world-wide conquest of everything? Was the anger of being abandoned more than enough to fuel his evils?

She quickly remembered when Katie flat-out said that Lance was going to be a big brother. But Isabella...forced the poor kitsune to carry out the deed, as much as she hated to do so. It was done so...he could live his life. It was done so he wouldn't...suffer the fate of his father.

But this would have to wait until the rest of the mail was sorted.

Junk mail, invitation to a god-forsaken illegal activity (which she set aside to take to the police)...and the rest consisted of letters from obsessed stalkers. Good god, couldn't they see she was already married to a murderous man who had a much more ferocious mother that could easily send them from here to Jupiter with one motion of her fuzzy pinky toe?

Anna picked up the brown box and shook it for a bit. Something...jingled within.

She opened the box--no, wait, she ripped it asunder and found a sleek, small, white box. Opening that box carefully, she saw a turquoise-studded gold ring and the pattern around the central gem flared out like the outer rims of the flower. Between the inner margins of the ring itself was a small piece of paper rolled up like a scroll. Whoever done that had paid some delicate attention to detail!

She took out the paper and unfurled it and her heart exploded in happiness.

Will you marry me for the eleventh time?

Lance

"I think....I do." Anna sighed with a smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So," Katie sighed as she finished reading Aura's letter, "We're gonna have....a discussion."

"More or less. I talked with Lance about it and he agreed to hold off the anniversary until Aura shows up." Anna answered with a nod.

"I knew it was coming sooner or later. But I didn't predict when it would slap me in the face." Katie sighed, eyes squinted.

The door was being knocked on.

"W-Who's this woman?!" Matt shouted from the house entrance.

"I think she's here already." Anna stated.

"I think that's why Matt's trying not to freak out." Katie replied with a nod.