The Aerial Connection

Eireann inhaled the tantalizing aroma of coffee and French pastries as she stood before the Blue Veiled Bristle mirrored storefront window. She shifted Aislin in her arms to make it easier to insert the key into the lock. The toddler giggled at her reflection.

“Do you see yourself?” Eireann smiled, glanced at her daughter’s reflection, then at her own dark eyes and hair. She sighed. Today would not be a good hair day.

A customer at the cafe on the other side of the cobblestone road opened the door. A fresh wave of roasted coffee scented the air. Breathing it in, she thought a cup of coffee and a melt-in-your-mouth croissant from the cafe would compensate for the messy hair.

Movement reflected in the mirrored window had Eireann turning to see who lurked in the background. A large, trench-coated man glared at her before disappearing into the cafe. His expression and her intuition alarmed her; she hurriedly entered and locked the door.

“You’re such a wonderful daughter, Aislin. Your best buddy, Clary, should be here any minute. While we wait for her, you have the playroom all to yourself.” Eireann kept her voice calm, but her heart pounded. She hurried through the large front room with custom brooms hanging on the walls and entered the children’s room behind the back wall.

The pink walls with purple trim, purple carpet, and painted purple balloons of various sizes on the four walls still shocked her. It’s what the girls wanted. Two weeks ago, it happened. Eireann placed her…