Dear Alpha, Your Luna

Chapter 9

It had been several months since that magical evening at the ballet, and yet Haven could still feel it humming in her veins as though it had happened only yesterday. That night lived inside her like a song that refused to fade — a warm glow that she carried everywhere she went.

She could still picture the costumes in perfect detail, the soft flutter of the dancers’ skirts as they spun across the stage, the way the theater lights caught every sequin and made the world shimmer. She could still hear the orchestra, every note sweeping over her, lifting her so high she had been afraid she might float away if she didn’t grip the armrest of her seat. Even now, just remembering made her throat tighten, her heart ache in the most beautiful way.

It was the kind of memory that changed a person.

Since that night, the ballet had become a kind of ritual for her. Mom had bought a recording of the performance as a gift, and Haven had watched it over and over until she’d practically memorized every step, every bow, every turn. She still wasn’t sure if she loved it so much because of the show itself or because Adrian had made it possible. That thought sent a warm flutter through her stomach every time — the music from the Waltz of the Flowers now forever tied to him, to that gift, to the moment she had realized she might actually matter to someone beyond this house.

Dad had even suggested turning one of the empty bedrooms into a little practice studio for her, and though he’d grumbled about not wanting to hear classical music blaring through the house, she had seen the quiet pride in his eyes when he helped Mom clear out the room.

Now it was her sanctuary.

And tonight, she was dancing again. The familiar opening strains of The Waltz of the Flowers filled her small studio, and Haven spun across the hardwood floor, her ponytail whipping behind her. She moved carefully, tracing the steps she’d memorized, letting the music guide her as she pretended she was one of the ballerinas from the video.

Her chest rose and fell with each breath, her feet barely whispering against the floor, when her door creaked open. She stumbled, breathless, and turned just in time to see Mom and Dad standing in the doorway, their smiles tinged with something that looked almost nervous.

Haven pressed pause on the music and rested her hands on her hips. “What is it?”

“Can you come downstairs, sweetheart?” Mom asked softly, her fingers laced together in front of her stomach. “It’s time for dinner.”

Haven nodded and grabbed her water bottle before following them out of the room. Her ponytail swayed behind her with every hop-step down the stairs, her excitement for dinner matching the way her body still buzzed from dancing.

When they reached the landing, Haven caught sight of Scott and Tiffany standing by the dining table, whispering to each other. The sight of them made Haven smile instinctively.

“Hey, kiddo!” Scott greeted, his grin wide and easy. He opened his arms and Haven darted forward, wrapping her arms around him in a quick hug.

She always looked up to Scott, who at just twenty was already running his own design business from home. Tiffany, with her calm smile and gentle hands that smelled faintly of antiseptic from her night shifts at the hospital, reached out to pat Haven’s hair. “Hey, Havie,” she said softly.

The smell of roasted chicken and vegetables drifted through the room, making Haven’s stomach growl loudly enough to earn a round of chuckles from everyone. She slid into her usual seat between Scott and Tiffany, trying not to look too eager as Dad began dishing out food for everyone.

Dinner conversation started light, but Haven only half-listened. She swung her feet under the table, her mind replaying the music she’d been dancing to upstairs. She wanted to finish quickly so she could get back to her room and practice again.

But then Tiffany’s voice cut through her thoughts, sharp and frustrated. “Dad, you know how I feel about ‘alternative medicine’ doctors! They’re all charlatans — selling herbs and fake hope for a quick buck.”

“This one was different,” Dad insisted, his fork pointing for emphasis. “She had credentials, Tiff. Certificates all over the walls.”

“People can just print those, Dad!” Tiffany sighed, her tone caught between exasperation and worry. “Unless they’re from an accredited school, they don’t mean anything.”

“She gave me new vitamins,” Dad said. “Ones that are supposed to stop cancer before it can form.”

The casual way he said it made Haven’s heart seize. She stared at him, wide-eyed. “You have cancer?”

Dad immediately reached across the table, his warm hand closing over hers. “No,” he reassured, his voice gentle but firm. “I just want to take care of my body so I never get it.”

Relief washed over Haven like cool water, and she exhaled shakily, nodding before returning to her meal.

“Are you still writing to your pen pal?” Scott teased a few moments later, waggling his eyebrows. “What was his name — Presley?”

Haven’s cheeks went hot. “Adrian,” she muttered, ducking her head.

“Right, Adrian,” Scott said with a smirk.

“She writes to him all the time,” Dad added with a laugh. “I’ve never bought so many stamps in my life!”

“Dad!” Haven cried, her embarrassment flaring until her whole face felt like it was on fire.

“It seems our Havie has her first crush,” Tiffany teased, her grin soft but mischievous.

“I do not!” Haven protested, throwing her arms across her chest. “We’re just friends!”

But no one seemed convinced. They all laughed, and even Mom hid her giggles behind her napkin. Haven groaned, burying her face in her hands. She wanted to melt right into her chair.

Dinner carried on, and just when she thought they were done embarrassing her, Scott’s voice turned serious. “Mom, Dad — I know you didn’t call us here just to tease Havie. What’s going on?”

Haven’s heart started pounding, her palms damp as she hid her hands under the table.

Mom’s gaze softened as she turned to her. “Haven, sweetheart… we have something we’d like to ask you.”

Before she could respond, Dad left the room, returning moments later with a cake box in his hands. He set it down in front of her with a smile that was hopeful and nervous all at once.

Her breath caught as she read the words scrawled across the frosting: Will you officially be our daughter?

The world tilted, her vision blurring as tears filled her eyes. She nodded — maybe too fast — but it was all she could do. “Yes,” she choked out, her voice breaking. “I want that so badly.”

Cheers erupted around the table as Tiffany leapt to her feet and pulled Haven into a hug, spinning her around. “I finally have a little sister!”

They were still laughing, still hugging, when Mom sent Dad to grab the sparkling cider for a toast. He grumbled good-naturedly, disappearing into the kitchen.

The next sound shattered everything.

A crash of breaking glass. A dull, sickening thud.

“Jack?” Mom’s voice was tight, the laughter gone.

Then came her scream.

Time seemed to slow as Tiffany bolted after Mom. Scott caught Haven before she could follow, holding her back even as she kicked and struggled to get free.

“Let me go!” she cried, panic rising in her chest.

But then she heard Mom’s sob, Tiffany’s choked gasp, and the words that froze her blood.

“Scott! Call an ambulance!”

The grip on her waist loosened just enough, and Haven broke free, stumbling toward the kitchen.

She stopped cold.

Dad lay sprawled on the floor, his face slack, one side drooping unnaturally. Blood pooled beneath his head, dark against the white tile.

Haven couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak.

Just minutes ago, she had been laughing, had been saying yes to a future that felt so bright.

Now, as her tears poured freely, that future seemed to crumble before her eyes, replaced with only fear.