“Tell me about Cinderella again, Gran,” the little girl asked Alice as she reached to switch off the lamp.
“It’s time for bed, sweetheart.”
“Just one more time,” Jewel begged. “Please.” She blinked her big golden eyes. “I’ll go right to sleep afterward. Promise.”
“All right.” Alice’s expression softened. Her granddaughter was the apple of her eye, and she could hardly refuse the child anything. Carefully, she tucked the ruffled pink comforter she had sewn for Jewel around her. “But how about a different love story this time?”
“Another fairy tale?” Jewel lisped though her two missing front teeth. She was about to start second grade, not ready to set aside the happily-ever-after endings of her favorite childhood stories just yet.
“Much better than that.” Alice smiled, and nostalgia warmed her heart. “A real love story. The story about how your grandfather and I met.”
“Oh, goody.” Eagerness bloomed in the seven-year-old’s peaches-and-cream complexion.
“All right. Once upon a time—”
“That’s how all good stories start,” Jewel said with a knowing nod.
“Yes, you’re right, and this is a good one. The very best.” Smiling, Alice stroked her granddaughter’s silky hair. This nightly ritual was her favorite part of the day. “Once upon a time, there was a fall celebration in our little town, and everyone received an invitation. I just had to go. You see, there was a handsome boy who had caught my eye.”
“Granddad?”
“Yes, precious one.” She patted the girl’s small hand. “My best friend, Pauline, told me he and his friends were planning to attend. But there was one problem. I had nothing to wear.”
“What did you do?” The little girl’s auburn brows knitted together. “Did you wish for a gown from your fairy godmother?”
“Wishes are the seeds of desire within your heart. Sometimes to make them come true, you have to plan and take action. I knew Pauline’s sister was my size, so I borrowed a dress from her.”
“And you went to the dance in an enchanted carriage?”
“Nothing quite so fancy.” Alice chuckled. “I went in a rusty old farm truck.”
“Oh.” Jewel frowned and her bottom lip jutted out.
Drawing her granddaughter into the tale, Alice waved a hand in the air as if to sprinkle stardust. “Nevertheless, the night had plenty of magic. Excitement buzzed in the air. Fireflies twinkled in the field like fallen stars. Streamers fluttered from the barn’s rafters. The tables were laden with delicacies fit for any princess. I brought my mother’s famous peach pie.”
“That’s my favorite!”
“I know, sweetheart. When I set the plate down, I looked up and immediately found him. Your grandfather stood so tall, head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. Handsome in his crisp white shirt and pressed jeans, he marched straight to me. People cleared out of his way as if he had given them some silent command.”
“And then what happened?” Jewel asked.
“He stopped in front of me and said, ‘I’m Eli. I’ve seen you around town.’ And I told him, ‘I’m Alice. I’ve seen you around too. I like your blue eyes.’ Then he said, ‘I like your honesty, Alice,’ and smiled at me, a smile so big and bright, it melted my heart.”
“Did it hurt when your heart melted?” Jewel asked, her button nose scrunched.
Alice laughed. “No, dear. It means it felt warm and happy. So then your grandfather said, ‘I have to confess something. I only came to the party tonight to see you. You’re pretty and sweet, and I’ve been watching you and hoping to meet you for some time now.’ Then he stretched out his hand, and I took it without hesitation. When his fingers closed around mine, I knew.”
“What did you know?” the little girl whispered, her eyes as big as a harvest moon.
“That he was mine. That I was his. That he was gentle, kind, and everything I needed.”
“How could you tell?” Jewel asked.
“Because his steady gaze was true, and his grip was sure. Because he was considerate. Because while we danced, he told me his plans for the future, and how he wanted me to be part of it. And then he asked me to marry him.”
“After one dance?” The little girl’s expression turned wistful. “Just like Prince Charming in Cinderella.”
Alice nodded. “Your grandfather was a simple farmer, just like his father and his grandfather before him. The passing of the tobacco farm from one generation to the next was the only part of his life that resembled royalty. He worked hard from sunup to sundown every day to provide the necessities we currently enjoy: food, clothing, and shelter. But the very best thing he gave me was his love.”
Cupping Jewel’s cheek, Alice said, “Through that love came your mother, and then you. Carriages, castles, and crowns are fun to dream about, my darling, but having all that finery won’t make you genuinely happy. But real love will. Real love will stay by your side, through thick and thin. Real love will make the good times better and the bad times bearable. Use your head to find love like that, Jewel, and trust your heart to do what’s right to keep it.”
Jewel nodded. “I know.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, Gran.” The girl studied her grandmother for a long moment. “I know because you’ve shown me.”
“I hope so, sweet girl. I hope you don’t forget. I hope my example is enough. I hope you never have to learn the hard way about how difficult life can be.”
“Like my mother?” The child’s lip trembled.
Alice studied her granddaughter, surprised by the clarity of the child’s perception. She’d mistakenly believed Jewel had been too young to remember the circumstances of her life before her grandmother had adopted her.
“Beauty is reflected in honorable actions, not pretty promises, not in what a person has or how they look on the outside.” She took and squeezed her granddaughter’s hand. “And the right man—a good man—is one who will look at you with love in his eyes. He’ll listen. He’ll be gentle. He will show he cares by the changes he makes in his life for you.”
Alice smiled bravely, blinking back the tears that threatened at the memory of her Eli, and gave her granddaughter the best advice she could.
“A good man’s arms, not a castle, will be the most perfect home you will ever find.”