3RD PERSON POV[FOR THE REST OF THE STORY]

" So," Sophie nervously plucked an eyebrow, resorting to her old habits, as Edaline handed her a packet.

" This is your match list." Edaline was serious.

" Mom-"

" Don't ' mom' me," Her foster mother snapped. Sophie recoiled. " W-what did I do?"

Edaline sighed and slumped into a chair. " You don't understand."

" Understand?" Sophie threw her hands up in desperation, " I've been through a heck of a lot more than you're ever gonna experience in your entire-" She broke off as Grady shot her a look. 

" Open the packet, kiddo." He wasn't smiling. 

Sophie felt tears prick her eyes, but she looked down so her parents couldn't see she was crying. Nothing in her life ever went right. But she flipped open the packet. The first few pages were rules explaining the match making system, but Sophie didn't give a crap about that. 

And then there were her matches. 

But as Sophie scanned through the names and numbers, she realized something. 

" Why are there five pages of people that are my number one match?" She mused out loud.

Edaline and Grady exchanged a glance. " The council had to make adjustments for you, so that-"

" Oh, so the council says who can and who can't be on my match list?" Sophie hissed. How dare the council think they could run her love life like this!

" It wasn't just the council," Grady put a hand on her shoulder. " They sought out help from us. But they had to adjust, and give you lots of number one matches. They just want you to be happy. So do we." He gave her shoulder a squeeze. 

Sophie's shoulders sagged. She couldn't take this anymore. The tears flowed, silently, until she was sobbing in Grady's chest. 

" My life is a tragedy! I'm a mess. Everything is a mess! I can't take it anymore!" She screamed, half sobbing, half angry. 

" We're here, kiddo," Grady told her. Edaline nodded. " We'll support you, 100 percent."

" Excuse me," She broke away from their embrace. " I need to go to my room and think. I need to make things right." She quickly ran up the stairs to her room. 

" Tam?" She called when she reached her room, pushing the door open. 

" Here," He called from inside her closet. She rushed to the doors and opened them with a flourish. 

" It's horrible," She announced before he could ask. Tam put a hand on her arm and squeezed it sympathetically. " It must be horrible."

" I only have two weeks to find someone and marry him," She sniffled and wiped her eyes with her tunic. 

" How will I choose?"

" Um, Sophie," Tam began.

" This is not gonna end up being good," She shook her head.

" Soph-"

" Tam, help me choose!" Sophie begged.

" SOPHIE!" Tam hissed.

" What?" She asked. " What's wrong?"

" Um, you're not going to be happy about this, but, uh, I can't see you. I mean you aren't an elf anymore."

" WHAT?" Sophie turned pale.

" I said, I can't see you. You're a ghost."