eyes narrow. “You always favor her!”
“No, she doesn’t,” protests Elz.
“Don’t lie, Elzmerelda. You were always Mother’s favorite.”
“Was not!”
“Was so!”
“I don’t even want to marry a prince!” Elz’s words shoot out like a burst of flames.
Lady Germaine gasps. Her pale skin flushes.
Fueled by her newfound determination and courage, Elz pushes her chair away from the table, stands up, and squarely faces her mother.
Go for it, Elz, I root silently.
“Mother, I’m tired of you shoving your agenda down my throat. You can’t control my life!”
Lady Germaine tries to say something but can’t get her lips to move. Her face grows redder.
“Mother, did you ever think that’s why Sasperilla doesn’t eat? Food is the one thing you can’t shove down her throat. The one thing you can’t control.”
Sasperilla’s eyes bug out. Ha! Elz has hit on a nerve. Don’t stop, roomie.
“Mother, your agenda is not mine. I don’t want to live out your dream! I want to marry someone who loves me for who I am!”
Lady Germaine clutches her chest. She hyperventilates, chokes, and finally keels over. Her head hangs limply in her bowl of salad, and her spindly arms dangle by her side. Cripes! She’s barely breathing.
“Mother, Mother! Wake up!” shouts Elz. She shakes her mother like a rattle, but there’s no response.
“Can’t someone do something?” scoffs Sasperilla.
Hook yanks up Lady Germaine’s head and presses his lips against hers, rhythmically blowing air into her mouth. “I saved a near-be-drowned matey this way,” he manages to say between breaths.
The three of us don’t blink an eye as he breathes life into Lady Germaine.
“What’s the matter?” asks Sasperilla impatiently.
Hook comes up for air. “The matter is she’s dead.”
“Elzmerelda, you killed her!” hisses Sasperilla.
“Oh God!” wails Elz. “What have I done?”
I’m speechless.
***
Still in her dress-up clothes, Elz is curled up in a ball on her bed. I’ve tried to convince her that she’s not responsible for her mother’s death. It hasn’t helped. She cannot stop crying.
Without asking, I crawl into her bed, lay my head down on her tear-soaked pillow, and cradle her shaking body in mine. Her sobbing grows softer. Neither of us says a word.
“Jane,” she says at last, “I’ve never asked you about your mother.”
“I don’t remember her,” I lie. The truth is I don’t want to remember her.
“Is she dead?”
“Yes.” Another lie. Okay, it’s a half-lie. In my heart, my mother is dead. I don’t know what became of her. What’s more, I don’t care.
“I’m sorry, Jane.”
Don’t be. I tell Elz she needs to get some sleep. In fact, we both do.
“Sweet dreams, Jane.”
“Sweet dreams, Elz.” How odd to say that after what’s happened tonight.
I’m lulled to sleep by Elz’s soft sobs and the rhythmic heaving of her body. In the middle of the night, I wake up screaming and drenched with sweat. I’ve just killed my mother in my dream.
CHAPTER 12
Lady Germaine is buried the next morning in a simple ceremony just outside The Enchanted Forest. Everyone at Faraway attends, staff and inmates alike. Winnie’s husband is also there. All activities, including therapy sessions, have been suspended.
Winnie and I flank Elz, holding her up by the arms for support. Her face is spotted, and her eyes are swollen-red from crying. She looks awful. Sasperilla stands by herself, twirling her curls. She looks bored.
In his eulogy, Dr. Grimm calls Lady Germaine “a beautiful, kind woman who loved her daughters more than anything.” Maybe, he never met her.
“Would anyone like to say something?” he asks at the conclusion of his tribute.
Elz bursts into tears once again. “Poor Cinderella lost her mother, and I was so mean to her. Do you think she can ever forgive me?”
Sasperilla furrows her brows. “Puh-lease. She should
“No, she doesn’t,” protests Elz.
“Don’t lie, Elzmerelda. You were always Mother’s favorite.”
“Was not!”
“Was so!”
“I don’t even want to marry a prince!” Elz’s words shoot out like a burst of flames.
Lady Germaine gasps. Her pale skin flushes.
Fueled by her newfound determination and courage, Elz pushes her chair away from the table, stands up, and squarely faces her mother.
Go for it, Elz, I root silently.
“Mother, I’m tired of you shoving your agenda down my throat. You can’t control my life!”
Lady Germaine tries to say something but can’t get her lips to move. Her face grows redder.
“Mother, did you ever think that’s why Sasperilla doesn’t eat? Food is the one thing you can’t shove down her throat. The one thing you can’t control.”
Sasperilla’s eyes bug out. Ha! Elz has hit on a nerve. Don’t stop, roomie.
“Mother, your agenda is not mine. I don’t want to live out your dream! I want to marry someone who loves me for who I am!”
Lady Germaine clutches her chest. She hyperventilates, chokes, and finally keels over. Her head hangs limply in her bowl of salad, and her spindly arms dangle by her side. Cripes! She’s barely breathing.
“Mother, Mother! Wake up!” shouts Elz. She shakes her mother like a rattle, but there’s no response.
“Can’t someone do something?” scoffs Sasperilla.
Hook yanks up Lady Germaine’s head and presses his lips against hers, rhythmically blowing air into her mouth. “I saved a near-be-drowned matey this way,” he manages to say between breaths.
The three of us don’t blink an eye as he breathes life into Lady Germaine.
“What’s the matter?” asks Sasperilla impatiently.
Hook comes up for air. “The matter is she’s dead.”
“Elzmerelda, you killed her!” hisses Sasperilla.
“Oh God!” wails Elz. “What have I done?”
I’m speechless.
***
Still in her dress-up clothes, Elz is curled up in a ball on her bed. I’ve tried to convince her that she’s not responsible for her mother’s death. It hasn’t helped. She cannot stop crying.
Without asking, I crawl into her bed, lay my head down on her tear-soaked pillow, and cradle her shaking body in mine. Her sobbing grows softer. Neither of us says a word.
“Jane,” she says at last, “I’ve never asked you about your mother.”
“I don’t remember her,” I lie. The truth is I don’t want to remember her.
“Is she dead?”
“Yes.” Another lie. Okay, it’s a half-lie. In my heart, my mother is dead. I don’t know what became of her. What’s more, I don’t care.
“I’m sorry, Jane.”
Don’t be. I tell Elz she needs to get some sleep. In fact, we both do.
“Sweet dreams, Jane.”
“Sweet dreams, Elz.” How odd to say that after what’s happened tonight.
I’m lulled to sleep by Elz’s soft sobs and the rhythmic heaving of her body. In the middle of the night, I wake up screaming and drenched with sweat. I’ve just killed my mother in my dream.
CHAPTER 12
Lady Germaine is buried the next morning in a simple ceremony just outside The Enchanted Forest. Everyone at Faraway attends, staff and inmates alike. Winnie’s husband is also there. All activities, including therapy sessions, have been suspended.
Winnie and I flank Elz, holding her up by the arms for support. Her face is spotted, and her eyes are swollen-red from crying. She looks awful. Sasperilla stands by herself, twirling her curls. She looks bored.
In his eulogy, Dr. Grimm calls Lady Germaine “a beautiful, kind woman who loved her daughters more than anything.” Maybe, he never met her.
“Would anyone like to say something?” he asks at the conclusion of his tribute.
Elz bursts into tears once again. “Poor Cinderella lost her mother, and I was so mean to her. Do you think she can ever forgive me?”
Sasperilla furrows her brows. “Puh-lease. She should
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