CHAPTER 24
I can’t sleep; my hand is throbbing, and my head is spinning from the wine. The intoxicating smell of The Prince lingers on my bandaged hand and mingles with the sweet scent of his lily, now in a vase on my nightstand. Why didn’t I toss the damn flower after he asked me to plan Calla’s surprise birthday party? I’ll do it tomorrow. And make sure he’s watching. That’ll send him a message.
I finally doze off and enter dreamland. The masked man is back. Our heavenly dance continues, his brawny arms wrapped tightly around my waist. Wordlessly, he draws me closer to him. The heat of his breath seeps through his mask. “Why do you wear a mask?” I ask, growing flushed. Silence. That’s it. I want to know what he’s hiding. I curl my fingers, readying to yank it off…
And a pounding on my chamber door wakens me. It’s got to be Marcella. Dream wrecker! What can she want at this wee hour of the night—or is it already morning? I’m sure she’s not here to discuss birthday party arrangements.
I light a candle and unlatch the door. Once again, it’s Calla. She’s clutching Lady Jane and trembling.
“Can Lady Jane and I sleep with you? I begged Marcella to tell me a good-night story, and it gave me a really bad dream.”
“Of course, you can.” I put an arm around the frightened child and usher her into my room.
We climb into my bed together. I give her one of my pillows and pull the thick down cover over us. We lie side by side. The blackness of the night embraces us.
“What was Marcella’s story about?” I ask, surprised that the lazy skank actually told her one.
“Oh, it was soooo scary,” replies Calla in full drama queen mode. “It was about this really, really mean woman who turned little children into rats if they didn’t go to sleep. And if the rats didn’t go to sleep, she sent a giant snake to eat them!”
“Oooh, that’s awful!”
“Snakes really scare me. You know, a big ugly snake bit my Mama and killed her.”
I know.
“Do you remember anything about your mother?” The Prince said she didn’t, but I’m curious to find out for myself.
“No, but everyone says she was really, really pretty,” Calla replies.
My fingertips caress her exquisite face. I’m not surprised.
“So, tell me about your dream,” I say, eager to move away from a sensitive subject.
“I don’t remember it!” she giggles.
“I don’t remember a lot of my dreams either…especially the bad ones.” Liar! I could fill a book with all the unforgettable, horrid dreams I’ve had.
“Will you tell Lady Jane and me another story?” begs Calla. “Please! Pretty please!”
How can I say no and let her down? The truth is, I don’t know any. My mother was not one for tucking me in at night and telling stories. Actually, most nights she never came home.
“Calla, why don’t you get me started?” I say, stalling.
Calla jumps right in. “Once upon a time…”
And then I continue. Having no idea where I’m going…
“…there lived a little girl who was very lonely. None of the other girls in the kingdom would play with her because they thought she was weird. What they didn’t know was that she was actually very sad because she had to take care of her sick mother all the time. One day a fairy godmother came to visit the girl and told her she could have three wishes granted. The girl thought for a moment and then said: ‘I wish for all the stray dogs and cats in the world to find happy homes. I wish for kingdoms to stop fighting. And finally, I wish for my mother to be well again.’ The fairy godmother granted the little girl all three wishes. The little girl soon became the most popular girl in the kingdom. Everyone wanted to be her friend, even the girls who used to be mean to her. She was never lonely ever again.”
“THE END.” I’m exhausted. It’s as though I’ve given birth to my imagination.
“Jane, what happened to the little girl when she grew up?” asks Calla, inquisitively.
Dragonballs. I didn’t get that far in my head. How am I supposed to know the life story of someone I fabricated only a minute ago? Okay. Think. Think harder! Yes! Of course!
“She married a handsome prince and lived happily ever after.”
“Wow! I loved that story. Can you tell me another one?”
Don’t push your luck. “It’s time for you, Lady Jane and me to go to sleep.”
Without her asking, I plant a kiss atop her head. She’s sound asleep before I can wish her sweet dreams.
Lady Jane is tucked in her arms. Calla’s slender body is cradled in mine. Our hearts beat together as if we are one.
Like a thief afraid to be caught, I steal a glance at her luminous face. How peaceful she looks. Like an angel. I caress her golden curls and hope the demons that brought here won’t return. Sweet dreams, my sweet girl!
Sadness blankets me as I close my weary eyes. If only I could have had someone to comfort me in the darkest hours of the night. If only I could have had a fairy godmother to cure my mother of her sickness. If only I could have had the chance to live happily ever after.