Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“When isn’t she?” I asked with my own laugh.
And then we were at Jem’s door. I saw why, today of all days, she was in a good mood. Her parents were here.
We knocked once, and I peeked my head in. “Hi. I didn’t mean to interrupt. We can come back if need be?”
“Katherine!” Jem cried. “Come in. Come in. Meet my parents!”
I stepped inside with Camden behind me, and Jem practically swooned.
“You brought my Dark Prince!”
I grinned at her. “I did. He insisted on seeing you.”
“Excellent! Did you bring me presents?”
“Jem,” her mom admonished gently.
“Hello, I’m Katherine. I volunteer with ChildrensOne,” I said, holding my hand out. I shook her mom’s hand and then her dad’s.
They both looked weary, as if life had taken a heavy toll on them. With their daughter on the cancer ward, I could see how that was the case.
“It’s nice to meet you,” her mom said. “I’m Liza, and this is my husband, Paul.”
“Pleasure,” Paul said. “We’ve heard a lot about you. Princess dresses and parties?”
“Yes, I help run the fundraising division of the charity and try to bring smiles to the kids,” I explained. “Though Jem seems to bring everyone she knows a smile.”
“She does,” her mom said. She affectionately ran a hand across Jem’s hand. “I wish we could see her more often.”
“Mom and Dad are heroes, Katherine,” Jem explained. “Dad keeps Columbia looking spotless, and Mom knows how to get a stain out of anything. Even blood!”
Color came to Liza’s cheeks at her daughter’s explanation of her job. I could see the embarrassment there. And suddenly, so much made sense. Her parents didn’t come not because they didn’t want to, but because they worked themselves to the bone. We got to spend so much time with their daughter because we had the privilege to do so. My heart broke for them.
“That’s wonderful,” I said in earnest.
“Jem, I did actually bring you a present,” Camden said and then looked to her parents. “If you don’t mind.”
Her parents quickly shook their heads. He took out a box and passed it to her. Jem squealed and ripped open the paper. She popped open the box. Her eyes widened.
“Oh my goodness,” she whispered.
Then she withdrew the charm bracelet from the box. It was a duplicate of the one my father had given me all those years ago. And it had one lone charm on it—a crown.
“I… love it!” she gasped. “Help me put it on, Mom?”
“Sure.” Liza secured it to her little wrist.
“There are extra links in the box,” I told them. “So, when she gets bigger, she can still wear it if she wants.”
“I am never taking it off,” Jem said.
“What do you say, Jem?” her dad.
“Thank you!”
It felt right, giving her the bracelet. It wasn’t fancy or expensive. But it started the tradition over with someone else who needed it.
“That is a very thoughtful gift,” Liza said.
I glanced at Camden. And he nodded at me once. As if he knew exactly what I was thinking.
“Do you mind if we speak to you outside for a moment?”
Liza’s eyes widened in concern. “Of course.”
We left Jem to admire the bracelet and then exited her hospital room. Liza fidgeted, and Paul put a comforting arm around her shoulders. She smiled up at him. A unit. Two people who had had to deal with too much.
“I realize that we just met, and this might seem strange,” I said. “But we love Jem. Both of us do. It might not seem like it, but she’s really helped us.”
“That’s wonderful. We don’t know how we got so lucky,” Liza said.
“She’s always been a ball of sunshine,” Paul added.
“Her being here is likely a financial burden,” I said as gently as I could. “And we’re in a position to help.”
“Oh no,” Liza said at once. “We couldn’t.”
“I understand,” Camden said. “But we insist.”
Paul glanced at Liza. “It would help, honey.”
“We can’t accept money from strangers.”
“It’s for Jem,” I insisted. “She’s so much happier, having you around. We want what’s best for her.”
Liza covered her mouth and then began to sob. Paul swept her up into his arms. He held her as she shook and trembled with the weight of our offer. Paul just nodded his head.
“Thank you so much. We couldn’t be more grateful.” Tears even began to form in his eyes.
Liza stepped away from her husband and took my hands in hers. “You’re a blessing.”
I cleared my throat as a knot lodged in it. “Jem is the real blessing.”
“She is, isn’t she?” Liza whispered.
“Are you done out there?” Jem complained from the room.
We all burst into laughter at that. Well, she was still just a kid.
We traded information with Jem’s parents so that we could help them in any way we could. After all this time of being the villain, it felt nice to be the princess that Jem had always seen me as.