Ella enjoyed her little apartment, but it wasn't nearly as homey as her family home had been. She found herself missing the sounds of nature, the animals wandering and the creaking of the wooden floors. Hope Springs apartments were unlike anything she'd ever seen before. The conveniences were wonderful, but Ella wasn't so sure the tradeoff was worth it. She'd never minded the labor, of course, and her home had been full of memories. It had been impossible to forget that her parents were with her in everything, at home. Here, it was too easy to lose touch with them, and that was the last thing she wanted. Working at The Greenthumb would, no doubt, help her keep the memories of her parents close to the surface.
It was often late in the evenings that Ella felt the most lonely, so she decided to find the park listed on her device. Perhaps some fresh air and the familiarity of trees and an open expanse of nature would make her feel better. She wished there were horses to ride, but that would be something to investigate later. For now, she was content to walk through the park by moonlight, straying from the paths lit by wrought iron lampposts. Moonlight was a much prettier light to walk by, in her opinion.
As she walked through the woods, she noticed the trees growing taller and fuller, which made her smile. The trees were flourishing here, which meant they were well cared for. Ella put her palm against one of the trunks, quietly wishing it well before moving on. Before long, she found herself stopped short. A tree branch was moving, lowering a woman of it's own accord, it seemed. Magic. Ella smiled, recalling her Fairy Godmother, and was lost in the memory of a conversation she'd had with her mother as a young girl when the woman in front of her spoke.
"Oh, no," Ella replied quickly, dipping into a curtsey. "I apologize, my lady. I was simply walking through the woods and when I saw your magic, I became lost in my memories. I did not mean to disturb you." She hoped, fervently, that she had not caused offense.