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Gripping a handful of my thick chestnut hair in my hands I look down at it. I need to do something with my hair? It’s long and wavy falling nearly to my tail and I’ve always just let it do what it wanted.

“We don’t have to. I think it’s fine as it is.”

“Nonsense.” Calliope grabs me by the shoulders and sits me in the chair at the desk I used to use when doing my homework for school. “We don’t have to do much but let’s start with brushing it.”

She starts to part my hair and shift my flowers and then the panic hits me. She’s going to see my ears, she’s going to realize the flowers are growing out of my head and not just pinned to my hair.

She’s so fast with her hands—and freakishly strong, must be from all the batter mixing—that I can’t stop her before she pulls back one half of my hair revealing my ear, the one with Kai’s golden cuff.

“I really don’t need you to do that. I can manage.” I rush to pull the hair back over my ear, but again she swats away my hand with unexpected strength and pulls the hair back again. My obviously pointed and non-human ear on display.

“It’s okay, I don't mind.”

“No really, it’s okay.”

“Is this because you’re trying to hide your ears?”

My hands freeze midair trying to pull my hair out of her vice grip to cover the pointed evidence of my non-human heritage.

“It’s okay, Daisy. I know what you are.”

“I? What? I’m a horticulturist.”

“Yes but…you’re also part nymph. Right?”

I swivel around in my seat so fast I almost give myself whiplash.

“A what? What do you mean? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do, and it’s okay. You don’t have to lie or hide it from me.”

“But…but…” I’m speechless. Not uncommon in my life but usually not because I was rendered wordless and dumbfounded by my human best friend’s proclamation of knowing I’m a nymph. “How did you find out?”

“Well besides the pointed ears, tattoos that move and flowers that obviously grow from you; my great aunt left me a journal explaining the world of non-humans. Apparently, she was half human and half non-human and didn’t want her descendants to forget about the non-human half of their heritage. She just never had kids of her own to pass it down to.”

“So, you’ve known all along what I am?”

“Not the entire time. I was skeptical at first, as I expect most people would be but over time, I paid closer attention to things and started to catch sight of things I couldn’t explain away. Once I read more about the different types of non-humans, I figured you had to be an earth nymph. It made the most sense.”

I’m frozen in shock until a massive wave of relief washes over me and I spring to my feet and wrap Calliope in a tight hug.

“Oh, my goodness I’m so happy you know, this makes things so much easier.”

Calliope squeaks and squirms in my arms. “Okay, too tight, can’t breathe.”

“Sorry,” I release her and give her space to breathe.

I always knew her great aunt was a half-breed like me, though far-far older. Half human and half leprechaun, a very rare mix. I wonder if that means Calliope has non-human blood in her ancestry then.

“Wait. Does this mean you’re also part non-human?”

Calliope shakes her head, giving me a sad smile. “Sadly no. Apparently Great Aunt Greta was more like my great, great, great, great Aunt Greta and according to her journals my side of the family was her human side that she stayed connected with through the generations. She’s been Great Aunt Greta to everyone.”

“Oh. Well, that’s okay. As long as you’re okay with me being a half-breed too. I’m also half human.”

“Of course, I am. You’re my friend Daisy, and your family bloodline isn’t going to change that.”

One more example of how wrong I’ve been about people's views on half-breeds.