(Chapter 8)
The sun rose up on another morning in Brightwall. The little girl rescued from yesterday was able to get a full nights rest in an actual bed and was able to eat without chains. She couldn't believe she survived. She was much more wiser and mature for her young age. She was able to push last months events behind her in order to sleep. She didn't have nightmares last night. The only dream she had was of the dashingly handsome new hero she called 'friend'. She was too young to experience feelings of love but she now believes that fairy tale endings do happen. She was wide awake now, singing as she combed her hair. She looked blankly at the small hand mirror and thought about Jake again. She couldn't help it, she thought he was attractive. She didn't want to tell her mother just yet. She could only hear her reaction, 'How could a thirteen year old girl fall in love overnight with a stranger?'
'Simple.' She thought. 'I am a girl. He is a boy. An attractive one as well.'
She also cursed herself.
'Maybe it is puppy love...' She sighed.
'Why is it so difficult for her to understand?' She put her comb down and stared at herself in the mirror. 'Maybe I am the one making this hard on myself.' She reasoned.
'He could already have a girlfriend.' Her subconscious was now fighting with her.
'He could be married as well.'
"I didn't see a ring!" She said to herself.
Her mother opened the door and saw her daughter sitting at her desk.
'It's like nothing happened.' Christina thought.
"Momma?" She turned to her and looked at her with a confused face.
"Yes honey?"
"I need to tell you something. You may not like it." She was much more bold after her ordeal.
"What is it, Sharon?"
'If I survived near death experience I can tell my mother I like Jake.' She reasoned to herself.
"Sharon?"
She snapped back to reality.
"Momma...do you remember Jake?"
"Of course I do! I am in his debt! He risked his life to bring you back to me." She walked up to her daughter and gave her a hug.
"I know that momma. I was actually thinking...well not thinking."
"Sharon? What is on your mind?"
"I have a crush on Jake!" She said quickly.
Her mother looked at her straight in the eye. She looked at her to see if she was serious.
"Momma. I don't expect you to understand how I can have a crush on a man I barely know, but that is how it usually happens. I need to see him again."
"Sharon. He won't see you as a companion type. He will see you as a little girl. A little girl who he saved. I am not saying he will forget you. Just..."
"Just what Momma?"
She didn't want her little girl to be blocked by her excuses or her reasoning. What is normal in Albion anymore? If her daughter wants to be with a boy she just met then she should be allowed to. She will go against her wishes anyway if she steers her to reasoning.
"Just...nothing. Lets go see if we can get Jake to come back to Brightwall."
"How are we going to do that?"
"We can leave a quest card. He will get it. We just need to make it noticeable so he will come right away. Maybe I will ask him to deliver a package."
"Momma. That's silly. He is a Hero. Not a mailing service." Sharon giggled.
"I know. But there isn't anything else I can think of."
"Okay. I hope he comes soon. I want to see him again."
