"Well, that doesn't matter," Fred assured Charlie, letting go of her hand when they reached the guest bedroom. "We'll find a place that sells things that you'll love, I'm sure."
She furrowed her brow, however, when Charlie said there was something she wanted that they might think stupid, wondering what in the world that could be. Weren't children supposed to want grand and great things? Even if they couldn't possibly get it for her, Fred was sure she wasn't going to think it was stupid. After all, she had wanted a dragon as a pet as a child. Until her parents had explained that even if dragons had been real, it would have burned the crops with its fire breath and caused problems for the cows.
Then Charlie took out a worn and obviously many times read copy of A Little Princess. Fred looked down at it in amazement before looking over at her, a small lump coming to her throat. "This...this is your favorite book ever?" she asked softly before giving her a smile. "It's mine too. My parents got it for me for the first time when I was about your age, and I read it so many times, it fell apart."
She looked down at the book again, a thought coming to her. "Hold on just a moment," she told her before leaving the room and going into the small library they had set up for all their books. She looked through until she found what she was searching for, pulling her hardback copy of the book of the shelf and taking it back to Charlie.
"Here," she said, placing the book in her hands. "I want you to have this one. Maybe...maybe we could read it together? If you'd like, that is. It's been a while since I've had a chance to read it."
Charlie was glad Fred didn’t think she was stupid. She loved her books more than anything and didn’t understand why she couldn’t take all of them with her, along with her toys and clothes. She sometimes wondered if the things were still there but the nun said the house had been sold to someone else. Most likely they had thrown all of her things away.
Her brow furrowed when Fred walked out of the room. When she returned, Charlie’s eyes opened wide as she looked down at the book. It was much nice than the one she had when it was brand new. “Thank you!” she excitedly said as she stood up and gave Fred a tight hug.
“What’s going on?” Rupert asked, stepping into the room.
Charlie held up her book and grinned. “Fred gave it to me,” she proudly said.
“Not was nice of her,” Rupert said as he gave Fred a grin. “Why don’t the two of you get cleaned up and get ready to leave. They sooner we finish with the shopping, the sooner I can come home.”
“Don’t you like shopping for girl stuff?” Charlie asked, hopping off the bed.
“Not particularly,” Rupert said, making a small face.
Fred smiled and leaned over Charlie, wrapping her arms around her head in a hug since she was too short for her to hug properly. She felt a connection to the little girl, not just because of the book. There was something about her that Fred just felt a kinship with.
When Rupert came in, Fred looked up at her husband, laughing softly at his comments about shopping for girls. She shook her head and winked at him as she took Charlie's hand. "And the really funny thing is there's going to be yet another girl in the house besides us soon too." She gave him a kiss as they headed out of the room. "Can you check on the laundry and start the second load in the dryer when it's done?"
In the bathroom, Fred leaned over and turned on the faucet before plugging up the tub so Charlie could take a bath. She looked over at her, not sure whether or not she should stay or whether Charlie would want privacy while she bathed.
"Do you--would you like me to stay? If not, I can let you have some privacy while you get cleaned up. You can just call for me when you need me," she said as she got a clean set of towels out.
“I think I can handle the laundry,” Rupert said as he softly kissed his wife. He reached out and softy touched Charlie’s cheek before walking out of the room.
Charlie went into the bathroom and started to take off her gown as Fred filled the tub with water. “You can stay if you want,” she said. Once she saw the tub was filled, Charlie carefully got in and sat down.
“I think you’re going to have to help me wash my hair,” she said, giving Fred a small smile. “It’s really long and I have trouble getting all the shampoo out. The nuns at the orphanage always hated washing it and tried to cut it once. I ran away so they wouldn’t.”
She shrugged a little and picked up the wash cloth and started to wash her body.
She furrowed her brow, however, when Charlie said there was something she wanted that they might think stupid, wondering what in the world that could be. Weren't children supposed to want grand and great things? Even if they couldn't possibly get it for her, Fred was sure she wasn't going to think it was stupid. After all, she had wanted a dragon as a pet as a child. Until her parents had explained that even if dragons had been real, it would have burned the crops with its fire breath and caused problems for the cows.
Then Charlie took out a worn and obviously many times read copy of A Little Princess. Fred looked down at it in amazement before looking over at her, a small lump coming to her throat. "This...this is your favorite book ever?" she asked softly before giving her a smile. "It's mine too. My parents got it for me for the first time when I was about your age, and I read it so many times, it fell apart."
She looked down at the book again, a thought coming to her. "Hold on just a moment," she told her before leaving the room and going into the small library they had set up for all their books. She looked through until she found what she was searching for, pulling her hardback copy of the book of the shelf and taking it back to Charlie.
"Here," she said, placing the book in her hands. "I want you to have this one. Maybe...maybe we could read it together? If you'd like, that is. It's been a while since I've had a chance to read it."
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Her brow furrowed when Fred walked out of the room. When she returned, Charlie’s eyes opened wide as she looked down at the book. It was much nice than the one she had when it was brand new. “Thank you!” she excitedly said as she stood up and gave Fred a tight hug.
“What’s going on?” Rupert asked, stepping into the room.
Charlie held up her book and grinned. “Fred gave it to me,” she proudly said.
“Not was nice of her,” Rupert said as he gave Fred a grin. “Why don’t the two of you get cleaned up and get ready to leave. They sooner we finish with the shopping, the sooner I can come home.”
“Don’t you like shopping for girl stuff?” Charlie asked, hopping off the bed.
“Not particularly,” Rupert said, making a small face.
Charlie giggled and took Fred’s hand.
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When Rupert came in, Fred looked up at her husband, laughing softly at his comments about shopping for girls. She shook her head and winked at him as she took Charlie's hand. "And the really funny thing is there's going to be yet another girl in the house besides us soon too." She gave him a kiss as they headed out of the room. "Can you check on the laundry and start the second load in the dryer when it's done?"
In the bathroom, Fred leaned over and turned on the faucet before plugging up the tub so Charlie could take a bath. She looked over at her, not sure whether or not she should stay or whether Charlie would want privacy while she bathed.
"Do you--would you like me to stay? If not, I can let you have some privacy while you get cleaned up. You can just call for me when you need me," she said as she got a clean set of towels out.
Reply
Charlie went into the bathroom and started to take off her gown as Fred filled the tub with water. “You can stay if you want,” she said. Once she saw the tub was filled, Charlie carefully got in and sat down.
“I think you’re going to have to help me wash my hair,” she said, giving Fred a small smile. “It’s really long and I have trouble getting all the shampoo out. The nuns at the orphanage always hated washing it and tried to cut it once. I ran away so they wouldn’t.”
She shrugged a little and picked up the wash cloth and started to wash her body.
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