Dahlia and the Garden of Light - Chapter 12: Chapter 12

When Amy finally came to the Anderson estate, her jaw dropped at the massive iron gates, the marble pillars, the elegant fountains, and the seemingly endless gardens.
She stuck her face to the car window. “Whoa. This is a mansion! Do you live in a castle?”
Christian, walking past in his gray joggers and reading glasses, raised an eyebrow and ruffled her curls as he passed.
“Technically, yes,” he said with a grin. “And you’ve been granted royal entry.”
Amy looked up at Dahlia, wide-eyed. “Do you have servants?”
Dahlia giggled. “No, silly. We have family.”
• Blanket Fort
In the vast library, Eliot helped them build a towering blanket fort using antique chairs, polished oak ladders, and rugs that had probably traveled across oceans.
“Here,” he said, draping velvet over the frame, “this one was from Morocco. Don’t spill juice on it.”
“I’ll try my best,” Amy replied, already bouncing on a pile of pillows. “This is better than my entire room. No offense to my room. Or my mom.”
“You can visit anytime,” Dahlia said, adjusting fairy lights above them. “We’ll expand the kingdom.”
“Operation Fortress of Cozy,” Amy declared. “Mission success.”
• Baking Cookies
In the cavernous kitchen, the head chef — a gentle woman named Marta — handed the girls aprons.
“No fighting with flour,” she warned playfully.
Amy saluted. “I’ll try not to explode anything.”
Two minutes later, an egg slid from her fingers and cracked on the marble floor.
“Oops.”
“It happens,” Dahlia said, helping her wipe it up. She touched the edge of the bowl quietly, letting a tiny shimmer pass from her fingertips into the dough.
Later, as they tasted the warm cookies, Amy’s eyes widened. “These are magic. What did you put in them?”
Dahlia shrugged innocently. “Love.”
The chef chuckled and gave her a knowing look. “The best ingredient of all.”
• Night Garden Walk
Holding warm lanterns, they followed William through the darkened garden paths. Every bush seemed to glow, every leaf whispering.
William pointed to a gnarled tree with silver leaves. “Legend says that tree was once a queen who turned into wood to protect her people.”
“Did it work?” Amy asked, eyes huge.
“It did. And she still listens,” William said softly.
Amy peered up at him. “Are you a wizard?”
William smirked, straightening his scarf. “Only on Tuesdays.”
Dahlia leaned against his side, grinning. “He taught me about starflowers. Want to see them glow?”
They tiptoed into the greenhouse, where Dahlia gently touched a bloom that shivered, then pulsed with soft blue light.
Amy gasped. “You have a whole glowing garden. You’re like... fairy royalty!”
William smiled quietly behind them. “She’s more than that. She’s nature’s answer to chaos.”
• Starlight Stories
Back under the blanket fort, Eliot crouched with a flashlight under his chin, casting spooky shadows across his face.
“And then…” he whispered, voice low, “the ghost turned around and said: ‘I smell… cookies.’”
Dahlia and Amy screamed and dove under pillows, laughing so hard they couldn’t breathe.
When they finally settled, Amy looked at the shadows dancing on the ceiling. “Do you think real monsters exist?”
Dahlia hesitated, then whispered, “Maybe. But I think we’ll be the ones who stop them.”
Amy nodded. “Yeah. Team Bubblebolt and Sunbloom. We’ve got this.”
Whispers and Worries
Not every day at school was magic.
Sometimes, when Dahlia raised her hand too quickly in class or when her art projects seemed too detailed — when the teacher’s window box bloomed twice as fast as it should — there were whispers.
“She’s weird,” a girl in art class murmured, not even bothering to whisper. “Like she thinks she’s better than us.”
Amy turned, eyes blazing. “She’s awesome. You’re just jealous because your flower looks like broccoli.”
The girl gasped. Dahlia tugged Amy back, cheeks burning.
Later, they sat on the swings. Dahlia kicked the gravel quietly. “You didn’t have to do that.”
Amy crossed her arms. “Yes, I did.”
Dahlia hesitated. “But what if… what if people find out? About me. About… the glowing and the garden and the daisies and everything.”
Amy reached out, taking Dahlia’s hand firmly. “Then I’ll still sit next to you.”
Dahlia blinked at her.
Amy squeezed. “Even if you glow. Especially if you glow.”
There was a long silence. Then Dahlia said, “I’m really glad you’re my person.”
Amy grinned. “Same. And just so you know, if anything does happen, I’ve already drawn our escape plan. It involves a decoy goat, a getaway scooter, and fake mustaches.”
Dahlia burst out laughing, the worry fading from her shoulders like mist.