Free (1)

"Smile Aurora, frowning will make you look much older. I'm triple your age and detest the sight of my own wrinkles which have started to show. Ugh. I told your father to invest in more of those foreign creams which will tighten my face. Do I look old?" Minnie asked feeling around the skin on her face. She felt it becoming loose day by day and her biggest fear was it looking saggy in the future.

"You look incredible for your age Minnie. Many people don't tell right away that you are in your sixties. And they always comment on your bright beautiful brown eyes. The liquid father brought seemed to burn your eyes. Was it really worth it?" Aurora wasn't sure she wanted to pour a liquid into her eyes regardless of what it could do for her.

"Of course! The better to see you with my dear. It was supposed to keep your eyes healthy. I hope the tea hasn't gotten cold because it was so hard to find you. You must show me the spot in the garden you always run off to," Minnie said gently tugging Aurora closer to her by her hand. She didn't want to lose her again. Aurora was sometimes slippery when Minnie wanted to find her.

'I don't want to. It's my private place,' Aurora sadly thought. She had not even shared her spot in the garden with Regina yet. She did not want to give up her spot to Minnie for her to send her spies.

Aurora remained silent instead of confirming she would show Minnie her spot. No answer was much better than lying to her grandmother. The only option would be to stay out of the garden for a while and stay inside the home until Minnie forgot about it. At least she got to enjoy laying in the garden today.

"You've been acting out of the ordinary recently. Did something happen to you? You know you can tell me anything Aurora," Minnie said, patting Aurora's hand.

"No. Nothing happened to me. What seems different?" Aurora questioned curiously to hear Minnie's answer. Her palms became sweaty out of nervousness about what Minnie might say. She didn't feel like her behavior around her family had changed at all. It was Minnie who was acting differently.

"You seem so secretive these days and it's not like you."

"Can't I keep some things to myself? Everyone here probably has their own secrets. Sometimes there are things I want to only tell my sister and not my father or grandmother," Aurora answered with a hint of frustration in her voice. No one ever told her about her mother and kept her a secret.

Not once had Aurora pushed anyone to tell her about her very own mother when it was clear they did not want to. Why couldn't she have her own secrets? Minnie, Rachel, and her father all kept things from her, and the only people she could talk to were Regina and Samuel.

"You shouldn't keep things from your family. What if it's something we have to help you with? You are clueless when it comes to knowing things about the world and we have to help you, dear. I'm just looking out for you when I say this because I have your best interest at heart," Minnie said wearing the same old smile she would always use to make Aurora believe she was right.

"It would be best if I could go out and explore the world so I am not as clueless as you think. Having a teacher telling me is one thing but going out there and experiencing it for myself is-"

"Aurora!" Minnie called to her granddaughter before she could ramble off about the world once more. "You are not in the position to be going outside as you please given the circumstances of your birth. How many children from outside the marriage do you hear of families parading around? You should be thankful we were so welcoming to take you in because we loved you. I decide when you will leave this house because I know what is best. Understood?"

Aurora wanted to say her birth had nothing to do with her. She didn't make her mother and father have an affair. Why wasn't anyone pointing their fingers at her father and keeping him inside? In fact, why weren't they making him apologize to Rachel every time he saw her? It was unfair how they tried to only punish her.

The Hamiltons were in a financial position where they had a lot of influence among the high society. Watching the many tea parties Minnie threw here, Aurora saw that she was the leader amongst many other housewives influencing their minds. And the way Minnie talked in private, she knew many of their secrets she could easily be used against them.

Aurora's existence wasn't hidden from many others but they didn't talk about it around the Hamiltons out of fear of what secret Minnie might say about them.

It wouldn't hurt for Aurora to go out and experience what her siblings did rather than living life caged up. Those who didn't fear Minnie were going to talk regardless. Why should she live her life in fear of their words? She wanted to experience a bit more freedom.

"You always said that I am free to express myself but lately I don't feel free-"

"Did I not give you permission to go to the harvest moon festival? Or are you not grateful? Do you really want to tarnish our family name? I do things to protect you Aurora. Everything is not as simple as you think and right now I'm not so sure if I want to let you go pick out dresses with Regina. From your behavior, I just know something will happen when you step outside. Where has my little obedient Aurora gone?" Minnie released Aurora and placed her hand on her chest heartbroken by the way Aurora was acting.

'She's waking up,' Aurora solemnly thought to herself.