Anna woke up to the sweet smell of roses. She totally blanked out after what had happened to her the day before. Transitioning was the last thing she could remember. She could feel her head spin like it was about to explode as she tried to sit up straight, looking around the large room.Everything felt present except the owner of the room. Anna shut her eyes again for a while till she began to remember. She remembered the stench of Angelo's blood, she remembered almost ripping his shoulders apart and pushing him away.

What else could she remember? She could remember Lauretta.

Maybe that was him, Anna glared at the door as it slowly opened.

"Mrs Trusk?"

There was no way in hell Angelo sounded like that. Anna held her breath as she watched the old maid walk into the room with a silver tray. She let it out, watching Lauretta closely as she dropped the tray on the tiny bedside table and walked briskly to the window.

"Good morning madame."

She said pulling the curtains open so the sun could get in. Anna shut her eyes. They weren't used to it yet. She slowly opened them, blinking at intervals till her eyes were comfortable with being exposed to the bright  sunlight that filled ip the room.

"Mr Trusk wanted to make sure you had enough rest."
Lauretta said walking away from the window. "He also said to make sure you drank this."

She picked the tray from the table and headed towards Anna. Anna looked at it for a while right before she placed her hand over her nose.

"Oh my goodness-" It didn't smell so good.

"it's an herbal tea." she told Anna. "Mr Trusk said it's supposed to calm you and make you feel better. He asked me to make sure you drank all of it." She placed a tiny table on the bed right in front of Anna and placed the tray on it.

Anna looked in the cup for a while.

"w-where is Angelo?" She had to ask, raising her head back to Lauretta.

"Mr Trusk left for the office an hour ago. He wanted you to stay home today, he asked me to cuff you to the bed if you tried to disobey him."

Anna rubbed her forehead as she exhaled weakly. What did that even mean?

"Would there be anything else you'd like Mrs Trusk?" lauretta asked with a warm smile on her face.

Anna turned to her. It was almost like nothing had happened, like she wasn't there the day before and she didn't witness Anna's half transformation, or was she just good at feigning ignorance?  Anna had to make sure.

"Lauretta," Anna started. "About what you saw yesterday-"

Lauretta smiled.

"Don't worry ma'am, Mr Trusk already explained everything to me. I won't tell anyone."

"Oh."

"You're a good person Mrs Trusk and I know you're not the kind to ever hurt anyone. I know that not all of your kind are bad people, the same way there are good humans too, we are not all that bad. I trust you are one of the good ones. "

Anna forced a smile on her lips. How many people now was she going to disappoint the moment her and Shink's plan kicked off? The list just kept getting longer.

"I'd just go get your breakfast now ma'am. "
Lauretta said and then turned to leave just as the door opened.

"Make way, make way for the world's favorite baby sitter." Sophie announced as she sashayed into the room while Lauretta walked out. Anna squinted her eyes for a second like she was trying to recognize her.

"Sophie? "

Anna chuckled in suprise. Sophie was the last person she was expecting to see at that moment.

"Hello baby girl." Sophie said making herself comfortable on the bed with a huge smile on her face. She looked a whole better than the day before.

"muah," She said exchanging kisses with Anna, staining Anna's cheeks with her red lipstick.

"I heard you weren't feeling so good." Sophie turned to the cup on the table. She snorted in disgust. "What is that?" Anna looked inside too. She pursed her lips and then turned back to Sophie

"I literally have no idea." Anna said almost in a chuckle.

"Are you supposed to drink it?"

"I guess so."

"What are you waiting for then? Go on."

Anna exhaled. She could see how hard Sophie was trying to look so strong, to act like nothing happened the day before. She quickly took the cup from the table and reached for it with her other hand. Sophie carried the table away from the bed and on the reading table.

"I'm definitely going to tell on you if you don't drink that." Anna slowly reached for the cup in her hand.

"How are you Sophie?"

Sophie held on, staring at her for a second, glitching her eyes while she stared right into Anna's .
She burst into laughter.

"Seriously, Anna?"

Anna frowned. She didn't understand.

"What ? Did I say something funny?"

"No-no you didn't," she tried to stop laughing for a second. Sophie took a deep breath. "Anna, I'm perfect." She looked convincing.

"But yesterday -"

"I'm over it."

Anna squinted her eyes at her wondering How on earth it was possible for her to move on completely from what happened the day before? That was her first family lunch in years and somehow it turned out to be her worst.

"Anna, that lady is my mother, I've known her since I was born and believe it or not, I've learned to ignore her. She can never get under my skin for so long."

"B-but how -"

"Let's just say I saw it coming. I stopped expecting much from her a long time ago. Besides, I know she's wrong about me and Stefan. She doesn't get to say what we are, she doesn't get to judge us, she doesn't know us. Anna, that's what loving someone truly means. No matter what anyone says about you or that person, it would never get to you because you know the truth better than anyone else, and besides, no one has the power to get under your skin unless you let them to."

Anna held her breath and then let it out. She felt so embarrassed for a second. How on earth could one person be filled with so much wisdom and confidence? Anna knew Sophie was right.

She watched Sophie get up from the bed quickly.

"So,"

Sophie threw her bag on the bed. "I heard you were supposed to do things that are extremely stress free today, and since we are both trying to free our minds off a lot of bad energy, I was thinking we should do something worth it, like shopping, or going to see a movie."

Anna chuckled.

" I'm not supposed to leave the house Sophie. "
Sophie frowned.

" Why not?"

"Apparently, your brother thinks I'd be better if I stayed at home all day and rested."

"Then we'd go for yoga classes after shopping and seeing a movie. Name a better relaxing sport." Sophie faked a gasp and pointed at her.  "I'd wait, I'm serious."

Sophie waited for Anna. She was expecting her to come up with something, but Anna exhaled in defeat after a second.

"Great," Sophie said in excitement. "I'd just turn the heater on then."

Like Anna could stop her. She was sure Sophie was not going down without a fight. It was really hard to say no to her.

"Okay Sophie." She rolled her eyes

"Thank you Mrs Trusk."

Sophie giggled and walked straight to the bathroom while Anna threw herself back on the bed. Frowned for a second.

How was he?

She couldn't help but wonder.