044: The secret princess

In the morning the nurse found them both, curled: one on the bed and one in the chair. Family often spent the night in the facility with their children, but no one had ever spent the night with Myndee. Secretly the nurse was pleased. This was just what Myndee needed: a big sister.

They awoke at the same time and laughed to find they had fallen asleep together. They ate breakfast together, and when the nurse would have given Myndee her bath, Maille offered to do it. She was gentle, and they talked about the time Maille had gotten soap in her eyes and Kell had put her in his shower in all her clothes.

Myndee's body was frail and emaciated. It made Maille acutely aware of her condition, but she determined not to let on how it made her feel.

Myndee was able to be put back to bed. She was too weak to walk by herself. Maille said she would go home for a while and come back later with a surprise.

As she walked out to her car, she felt an incredible freedom she'd never felt before. The freedom to make a decision and make it happen. She wanted to buy Myndee a princess outfit, exactly like the one she'd described. She knew there would be something in the costume warehouse, so she drove there. She didn't have her pass, and they didn't want to let her in, but she finally persuaded one of the security men to let her in just to the warehouse.

She let herself in. It was only one in the afternoon and the costume warehouse was hopping with people. She asked several of them about princess outfits, and finally found a seamstress to help her when she told her what she wanted it for.

She spent the afternoon sewing with the seamstress. Maille was a pretty good seamstress in her own right. They'd found beautiful pink gauze material, shimmery sequins and loads of strung pink beads. Rainbow ribbons made a lovely wreath with flowers and more pink veil. While Maille sewed for Myndee, Franny sewed for Maille. Everyone in the Costume warehouse got in on the act. They all loved the story of the little girl who was dying having her wish granted to be a pink jeweled princess, but thought that Maille should be one too.

Maille was ready. She let the girls help her dress, in flowing pink and lace. The flower wreath made her feel like a bridesmaid, and she had been one several times, but she draped Myndee's dress over her arm and paid the girls who had helped her. She got a receipt to show that the costumes were hers, and then went back out to her little car.

As she drove back over to Myndee's she thought about Kell. Had he been working on the set? Had he been close by while she was there?

She felt a niggling doubt inside her, a feeling of abandonment, and a crude burning of anger at herself, for allowing the knowledge that he was not gay unleash her baser feelings. Over and over she relived the kisses he'd given her. She could feel every second of their union. But it was over. It had been two days. Maybe she really had scared him away.

Hadn't she used the one thing guys hated? I love you? I'm falling in love?

Hadn't he said something about her having her first boyfriend? Maybe that's what he wanted to be, a boyfriend. The thought of Kell as a boyfriend made her shake her head and purse her lips uncomfortably. He was friend material, or forever material, there didn't seem to be anything in between.

And that was where Maille knew she erred. For Kell there had to be an in-between. He obviously had told her he was gay so that she wouldn't think of him as anything else. But hadn't he said that he felt more than friends for her? In the hospital?

But he'd been scared then, scared that she was hurt. Maybe in his fear for her, he'd said things he didn't mean.

Maille swallowed. It would explain why he was suddenly missing from her life.

Well, what did being with her now have to offer him? She would always be demanding his kisses.

Once awakened, that aphrodisiac was heady stuff.

Lust.... what had she been taught about lust all her life? Bad, bad, bad. Sex and all its attendant mystery was only between married couples.

She swallowed again. Before she'd been safe. Now she was no longer safe. Now she was...just like other girls. Wanting him.

Maybe he was trying to change his reputation for being a womanizer. Maybe before, when they bad been just friends, and there hadn't been any of that intimate physical contact, he'd realized he liked to play with her... do things a girlfriend wouldn't do.

Or maybe.... He only wanted a tag along nobody to watch his pets and his final care facility while he was gone on location.

Maille's eyes widened. Maybe she was right. She'd hit the nail on the head.

She reminded herself that inexperience worked against her in this situation and to reserve her reaction till she could see him again, and find out what was going on. She didn't understand guys, she didn't understand Kell.

Her phone rang. It was the real estate agent. They made arrangements to meet.

Maille pulled into the final care facility parking lot and got out. The dress swished and swirled, she put the flower wreath on her head, grabbed the dress for Myndee and went inside.

At the nurse's station, several nurses looked up.

There were whistles of appreciation, and Maille laughed and tried to dismiss Kell from her mind. This wasn't about Kell, this was about Myndee.

She paused at the bedroom door. Myndee was staring out the window, she was awake, but a tear had dripped down her thin cheek.

"Your majesty?" Maille called with a heart wrung bright smile. Myndee's face turned. Her brown eyes got wide, her thin, pale lips parted in a round oh, and her slim finger rose to point at Maille.

"Maille?"

Maille bustled into the room. "Your majesty should be dressed in her finest today."

"Maille, you're beautiful."

''Not as beautiful as this princess will be when she's all fixed up the way she should."

"I didn't think you were coming back today."

"I said I'd be back and bring you a surprise." Maille bent to kiss Myndee's papery cheek. "Come on, let's try it on. Guess what? I went to the costume warehouse and sewed it myself."

"You made my dress?" Myndee's voice was incredulous, as she was assisted to sit up and then Maille helped her slide into the dress. It took some maneuvering to get the whole thing in place, to lay her out on the covers of her bed and smooth the folds of sequins and pearls. But they accomplished the feat and then the nurses brought a tiny tea set in with apple juice and cookies and Maille helped Myndee to pour. They pretended to be on trips, pretended to meet the queen, pretended to go to a ball... long into the night, Maille danced around the room, twirling for Myndee who couldn't. It was way after eleven when the furor died down and laughing Myndee said she was tired.

"Can I sleep in my dress?"

"No real princess would, but you may do whatever you want." Maille said, and fell into the chair in exhaustion. It wasn't every day one bought a car, sewed a dress, and played princesses all night... she laughed, and held Myndee's hand while the little girl dozed off contentedly.

Maille felt a warm glow inside before she too dropped off.

The thought insinuated itself. "Even if I never see Kell again ... I have gained a friend in Myndee, gained a bit of bravado, enough courage to buy myself a car and look for a house..." she was definitely making progress.    

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