Chapter 135

Aria’s POV

The biggest problem with my admirers having followed me here was that, in Moonglow, I had no need for secret identities. Aria and Dr. A were synonymous and everyone knew it. Paul, Frank, and Harry had no idea that they needed to keep the secret here.

As they knew I was a doctor, they would likely be coming to the hospital to find me. If that were to occur, it would only be a matter of time before my secret identity would be revealed.

Instinctively, I reached up and touch my mask. Piper noticed.

“I know you want to keep your secret,” Piper said, her voice low even though we were alone in my office. “But you don’t have to hide in Moonglow, and everything works fine. Why should you have to hide here?”

“It’s different here,” I said. “People in Moonglow have known me as both Aria and Dr. A from the start. Here, they are both entirely different entities. Aria is the former Luna, while Dr. A is the famous Healer. I don’t know what people will think if they try to connect the two.”

“The people of Nightfall love both Aria and Dr. A,” Piper says. “Do you really think people would judge you harshly? Or would they simply say okay, and move on. I truly don’t think it would be a big deal, Aria.”

Maybe it wouldn’t to most people, and there were many who already knew. But what about Lucian? He was the one the news would hit the hardest. And now that he knew about my children… Would he tie everything together? I couldn’t take that chance… could I?

Admittedly, it would make my life so much easier if I didn’t have to live a double life anymore. Even leaving the hospital to go to Cathy’s was a chore, as I had to make certain I was never followed. Sometimes that added long minutes to my day, when I was already exhausted from having worked.

If I could just go straight home…

Also, it was difficult pretending not to know the people I knew. I hated having to keep the secret, especially from those I cared about or respected.

I wanted to live an honest life.

“Just think about it,” Piper said. “I’ve got your back whatever you decide. But again, I don’t think it will be as bad as you expect it to be. These people care for you. Everyone cares for you. They will understand why you felt you had to keep the secret, but they will also embrace you for revealing it.”

I could tell when she said everyone, she was really talking about Lucian. My friends knew me well. Even though I hadn’t even mentioned Lucian aloud, Piper could still tell his was the one reaction that I was most worried about, and she was trying to soften the blow.

Maybe Lucian would handle the revelation well. After all, he wanted to pursue me romantically, so he must have still cared for me.

He could be angry at me for having kept the lie for so long from him… But I supposed he could also be understanding. Seeing the Dr. A side of me might actually endear me to him more.

Not that I needed that, I reminded myself. When Cathy’s illness was cured, I’d be headed straight back to Moonglow pack. Not Lucian nor anyone would be keeping me here.

Even so…

I couldn’t lie to myself about this. Lucian’s reaction was the main reason I was still keeping my secret.

Perhaps that was truly foolish.

“I’ll think about it,” I told Piper and went back to my research. Piper stayed to help for a while, before heading back to visit her family. Admittedly, there wasn’t much for her to do yet at this stage.

Alone, I worried about Paul, Frank, and Harry for most of the morning. They meant well, but their presence certainly added complications to my life. I’d wanted to be in and out of Nightfall pack, without drawing attention or making much fuss.

That seemed impossible now.

Just after lunch, when I returned to work, there was a knock on the door to my office. Glancing up from my textbooks, I could see Julia standing on the other side of the glass door.

As I’d heard she’d been feeling unwell lately, I was pleased to see her, though at the same time, it worried me that she was out and about if she was unwell.

Setting aside my work for the moment, I rushed toward her and opened the door.

“Julia,” I said.

“Aria,” she replied, a smile on her lips.

At once, we hugged each other.

I had tried to keep in touch with them, now and then, but it had been difficult. I could never give too much revealing information when I contacted them. I didn’t want them to know my exact location in Moonglow, so I hadn’t sent any letters. And since I didn’t want them to know about the children, and then tell Lucian, so I could only call them when the children weren’t around.

“It’s so good to see you,” Julia said. I’d lost my mother when I was so young. I could barely remember her face anymore, but I remembered the way she hugged. Julia hugged in a similar way. The same way I hugged my own children now. A mother’s hug, filled with love, care, and comfort.

I hoped she knew how grateful I was for it. For her.

“It’s good to see you too,” I said, and we started to pull away. This close, I took a look at her face and her posture, doing a quick diagnosis in my mind. She looked exhausted, with bags under her eyes and slumping shoulders. “How are you?” I asked.

“I’m… well…” She let the words hang between us for a moment. “I’m alright, dear.”

I didn’t know if that was true, especially with how long it took her to say so.

“It’s Harold,” she said. “He’s been doing as well as he can these past five years, but I don’t think he has much time left.”

I remembered that Harold’s heart had left him in a bad way the last time I’d seen him. I’d been hoping with the removal of Sheila, his main stressor, that he might buy himself more time. Though… they were both getting older. I could attempt to offer him the medicine that extends life, but I wasn’t sure how much more time it would give him.

Eventually, life and death were out of my hands.

Though… there was one thing that I could do. Something I had been on the fence about, not wanting word to get back to Lucian. There seemed little harm in it now, as Lucian knew about Jean and Luke. I didn’t have to tell them outright how they were related to the kids.

If I didn’t confirm it, maybe they wouldn’t need to share with Lucian, if they suspected the relation…

I’d kept the kids a secret from them, but I still wasn’t sure if that was right. Especially now, nearing their end of life, shouldn’t they know that they have grandkids?

“Can I come over sometime?” I asked. “There are a couple of people that I want you to meet.”