"And this is the northeastern courtyard, where Professor Ellington sometimes holds his outdoor lessons when the, uh, weather's nice," Melisa explained, gesturing to the small, neatly manicured garden space. "Though, well, to be honest, it's mostly an excuse for him to smoke that pipe of his without getting yelled at by the other professors."
Hazel's eyes widened as she took in the surroundings, her small hand gripping Melisa's tightly.
After yesterday's mud-sculpture fiasco and the subsequent revelation of Hazel's secret desire to visit the academy, Melisa had convinced Margaret to let her bring the younger nim for a tour.
This, Hazel clutching Melisa's hand, was a little loophole Melisa had found. If Hazel was continuously touching her, Melisa wouldn't be bombarded with random (cute) memories from the nine-year-old.
[Her "secrets" are adorable, but there's only so much sugar my heart can take!]
