Daisy Isabella Bell and Jamie Sarah Potter
A Sequel to “Daisy Isabella Crack's her Egg”
Act I
Silent Reflection
Note to the general Reader: This story was written in response to a comment made by Emma Anne Tate. Who made me understand that the relationship between Jamie and Daisy needs to be fleshed out a little more for the general reader. I'm assuming this story takes place a few days after the events in “Daisy Isabella Crack's her Egg”.
Downtown Benton is home to a number of unique locally owned businesses. One of those was an old fashioned southern style tea room and bakery that was located in the heart of downtown. The front of the shop was painted a bright pink with bright, almost snow white awning. Right above the front door was a large, wooden sign that had big, cursive letters that spelled out of the words. “Sweet Magnolia Southern Style Tea Room and Bakery” was by all accounts a Japanese maid cafe with a Southern twist.
The owners of the business were two local college students, their names were Lily Elizabeth Potter, eldest daughter of Sherman Potter and Alice Potter, who also owned and managed Potter Mercantile, a general shop that was often touted as the oldest still operating family owned shop in Mississippi. And second one was Robin Katherine Peers.
And Lily and Robin employed well two full time helpers, who by hapchance both of their helpers happen to transgender and because of that “Sweet Magnolia Southern Style Tea Room and Bakery” had been first among many downtown business that had flown the Transgender pride flag after a well known bully at Benton Academy had poured a carton of milk over my friends Cerridwen's Head. Well, my girlfriend.
Anyway, the name of the two helpers had been Madeline Brewer and Jamie Sarah Potter. Now, I've never been in “Sweet Magnolia Southern Style Tea Room and Bakery” , odd considering it should be right up in my alley with how much anime I watch. I mean I tend to binge watch whole seasons at a time and I tend to go through Manga tomes like people tend to go through french fries at McDonalds.
Anyway I've gotten off topic here. Let me get back on subject, the tiny brass bell above the door chimed as I pushed it open. I took a deep breath and kind of wished the ground would open up and swallow me whole. Today was the first time I'd dared to venture into public wearing a dress. A nice, woolen dress that was both warm and fashionable. The dress had short balloon sleeves and it reached down to my ankles. Since I was still uneasy about shaving my legs, I'd gone with a pair of nice leather boots. The practice of wearing leather boots in the colder, winter months was in vogue. I was told this by my aunt who is to believed was a connoisseur in everything retaining to fashion.
“Welcome Miss. Bell.” A blonde haired woman said to me as soon as I walked through the wooden door. She flashed me a smile, and the color of her teeth reminded me of pearls. Well that was the first thing I noticed, the second thing I noticed was her golden blonde hair was tied back in a stylish bun, the third thing I noticed was that she wore a very stylish, French Maid costume. You know the one with the balloon sleeves, and of course a low neckline that shows the valley between the breasts? The dress was of course black, black as tar but also seemed highly polished and seemed to reflect all the light in the room.
Completing the outfit was a lacy white apron and a frilly white hair piece. Rounding out the outfit was black fishnet stocking and of course, black, polished leather heels. That really blew my mind. I meant this was supposed to be a bloody family friendly place. I mean a lot of old church women met here to dish out another kind of tea over cups of tea and coffee.
“We have been expecting you. Miss. Potter is waiting in the outdoor patio section.”
“Lily it's me.” I'm not going to lie to you y'all. I was a little weird out by how formal Lily was toward me. And also getting addressed as 'Miss. Bell' kind of threw me through seven rings and loops. Don't get me wrong, it felt right to address 'Miss. Bell' but still it was a new feeling.
Lily smiled a little as she turned away from me.
“It's our policy here at Sweet Magnolia to give every person, no matter their age, race, or gender the respect they deserve. That includes using “Miss” for unmarried women and “Mrs.” for married women. And “Mister” for all men. We also encourage our employees to use 'yes ma'am' or 'no ma'am or 'yes sir' or 'no sir' when answering questions posed to them.” Lily paused and then turned around and offered me a small smile. “We also encourage our employees to honor all the pronouns of our guests. If they are given notice.”
“I hope one day soon. I will have the privilege of instructing you in our ways, Miss. Bell.”
Lily's last remark puzzled me. But I soon put it in my mind. Instead I focused on following closely behind her. And well, I quickly found myself turning green with envy as I watched how gracefully Lily moved across the floor. Lily made walking in heels look not only natural but almost graceful. The way her skirt seemed to swish from one side to the other and bounced with every forward step she took filled me with a fearful jealous rage. I was envious how easy femininity seemed to come to her.
“Today is a perfect day to sit outside on the paved patio and watch the trees slowly change their colors and smell the sweet smell of autumn and listen to the soothing sound of Deer Creek.” Lily said, smiling. “And plus, Miss. Potter requested that sport for you to talk about something very personal.”
I nodded my head. There was so much going on around me, I counted at least three other maids, each one dressed just like Lily, all three walking gracefully around the small shop. I noticed each and every one of them were carrying silver serving trays that held saucer cups of coffee, tea, or hot chocolates. Some even held platters of freshly baked cookies and little finger cakes.
“Do you wish you could also join us?” Lily asked, her voice was gentle. “Robin and I started out by being apprentices to Mrs. Ginger Evens. Once we completed our training, she agreed to help us establish this tea room. She did so under the condition and understanding that we find apprentices of our own and we do our best to pass on her morals and values to the two other deserving young women. Robin after a bit decided that Miss. Madeline Brewer would become her apprentice. And Miss. Jamie Sarah Potter, being my younger sister, seemed a natural fit to become my apprentice. Both are almost fully trained now, and will in another month or two be ready and mature enough I think to become apprentices of their own, and pass the torch to another generation. Miss. Cerridwen Circe Whitethorn is kind of a part time apprentice, she has been so for a year or so.”
I nodded my head. All of this kind of flew over my head.
“Are you offering me an apprenticeship?” I asked as I rounded a corner.
“I'm offering you a chance to better yourself. I'm offering you the chance to learn now only how to be a girl, but how to become a lady. I will merely give you the tools you need to make something of this new lease on life chance. It will be up to you, and you along to learn how to properly use those tools I give you to make something of yourself. I understand you are new to this, so I will give you a few weeks, a month at most to sort yourself and to come to terms with yourself. But please, understand me when I say this. I can not hold your place here forever Miss. Bell. This the first time I'll offer it, I do not need an answer right this minute, nor did I expect you to give me. I will offer this chance two more times. If on the third time you are still not ready, then I'm afraid this door will be closed to you forever.”
“I understand.” I said, taking a deep breath.
“It has a lot to take in. A lot of work lies in front of you. You have a great many mountains to climb, a great many miles to travel, a great many valleys to cross. The path you are on will take you through many darken valleys, many darken hollows, through forests so dark that the light of the midday sun does not break through the branches of the trees. You will pass through bogs, marshes and swamps too.”
“That was very Tolkien of you.” I said, giving Lily a side-eyed glance.
She only chuckled a little and smiled.
“I've just started rereading his works, it seems Tolkien is cool now, when I was in school, only geeks, nerds and the Dungeon and Dragons crowd read any of his works. I, being a cheerleader, had to shy away from it. Now that I'm in college, I've discovered nobody really cares what you like or what you read. High School is totally different from college.”
And with that Lily pulled open a sliding screen door. A few seconds later she stepped through the doorway and into the bright afternoon sunshine. And I was like a lost puppy following her.
Daisy Isabella Bell and Jamie Sarah Potter
A Sequel to “Daisy Isabella Crack's Her Egg”
Act II
Heart to Heart
The first sight I laid my eyes on after stepping through the patio sliding glass door was Jamie. Jamie was sitting perfectly posed as always, wearing a dark navy colored skirt, a cream colored turtleneck sweater and heeled leather booths. She was sitting a black iron chair, reading a manga. The cover of the manga showed a redhead girl sitting in a dunking booth. She appeared to be wearing a Japanese school blue swimsuit, the kind you often see in slice of life anime.
“Miss. Potter.” Lily said. Her voice echoed off the gray concrete flagstones that paved the outdoor patio section. “Miss. Bell is here.”
Jamie slowly lifted her eyes from the black and white pages of the manga. A little smile formed on her face and gently folded the page she was reading down and then she placed the manga down upon the iron table and smiled as she fixed with me with those big blue eyes of hers.
“Thank you Miss. Potter.” She said, smiling a little.
“May I please take you two ladies drink orders now?” Lily asked as she smiled toward Jamie and I, I could tell she was taking the whole maid act to the extreme. She had even managed somehow to tame or hide her deep, southern accent. It sounded more formal British English than Southern American.
“Hot chocolate, with a bit of cream and two sugar cubes blended in. Please ma'am.” Jamie said as she peered toward Lily. She then fixed her eyes on me again and in the very manner of speaking as Lily, again a more upper-crust British English accent that totally sounded out of place here in semi-rural Benton.
“And what would you like, Miss. Bell?” Jamie asked. “Don't worry I'll be paying for the ticket. So please order whatever you feel like. I'm still a bit in your debt after all.” She added.
“Hot chocolate for me too, the same way Miss. Potter requested hers.” I said as I peered toward Lily and then toward Jamie. Lily nodded her head and then retreated behind the sliding glass patio door and Jamie then returned her razor sharp focus on me.
“Now Miss. Bell you and I have a lot to talk about.” Jamie said as she pushed her manga to the side a little. “Please, take a seat, I'm afraid I'll be doing most of the talking at first. I've been collecting notes and trying to put them into order. In short, I've been building a case. And I want to make sure I'm following the correct trail of breadcrumbs if you will. So please allow me to finish first. Then I would like to ask any and all questions and add your own comments as you will.”
“Jamie. What is this all about?” I asked as I slid into the offered seat.
“Well, first thing first. First I owe you an apology. It was a wrong of me to draft you into staffing the 'Pie Toss Booth' and it was also wrong of me to let those emotions get the best of me. I should have listened to Winter. I was not really thinking, all I was thinking about was following in Lily's steps.” Jamie paused.
“I see.” I said, taking a deep breath.
“Anyway the first point I want to get too is this, this is the second time you said something that hinted at you being transgender. Now, the first time was shortly after you and the so-called 'Beast' had that little match. I believe you muttered something along the lines 'I wanted to to be reborn as a girl in the next' or something to that effect. Now, mind you, you were almost lifeless at the time. And we should have taken you to the hospital. Second time was while you were getting changed for the pie toss. You said something if I can correctly recall you said something along the lines. And I quote 'I wish I had breasts too!” Jamie said as she looked me squarely in the eyes.
At this point I turned my eyes and focused in on a group of willow trees that were growing near the banks of Wilson creek.
“Also.” Jamie's voice softened. “I called your mom. I'm sorry what happened to you at St. Katherine's Episcopal Academy. I had no idea.. it was hard.”
I was about to say something when I felt Jamie hand touch. I turned away from the group of willow trees and peered straight into Jamie's eyes, almost moist with tears. A small, sad smile was slowly on her lips.
“You mother, told me how they or how the headmaster had expelled you for defending yourself. About all the fights you were having. She told me even how those bullies tried to assault you in the changing room after gym class one afternoon. And the only reason you managed to escape was because you nearly clawed one of the guys out. Once I knew that, it kind of made sense to me why you were so quick to defend Cerridwen then that bully poured her carton of milk over her head and why you decided to face the bullies head on instead of running away. Or letting the Headmistress handle it.” Jamie whispered to me in a gentle tone of voice.
“They wanted to rape me.” I muttered under my breath. “They wanted to teach me a lesson because I looked 'Too Pretty' and their girlfriends were not giving them any. Plus they said I owed them, because I'd entered that charity show to help raise some money to help the families that had been displaced by flood water.”
Jamie blinked.
“I believe that was the first time you ever used the name 'Daisy Isabella Bell' am I right? And I remember the flooding, it was raining almost every day that winter and when spring came, Short Creek swelled and broke it banks and for the first in like forever Wilson Creek spilled over and started flooding the backyards of houses built along Wilson Street and a good many yards on Croft Street went underwater. A lot of the shacks on Swamp Alley and Catfish Row went under though.. Since my family lives on Town Creek, which oddly enough is the highest point in Benton, the flood water never really came near us. Though I do remember the lower end of Main Street was flooded with most of the businesses located on what is called Lower Main took major flood damage and the towns Post Office and Episcopal Church suffered water damage. That was the summer before I was conscripted by Lily to be our school's hostage.” Jamie said to me.
“Right well since that night I've been struggling, okay struggling is not the right word. I've been battling with a lot of things. I kind of jump at any and all chances I get to enter into 'Daisy's' frame of mind. And it always seems so short the time I get to spend being her.” I said, I knew I was making little or no sense at this point. “In a way I felt like I'd tossed open Pandora's box and all manner of spirits escaped. I mean I know I raised some money to help the struggling families of this town. And for all my trouble I was almost taken by a few brutes in the shower room. I mean they only stopped and started to back up after I'd clubbed one with a bar of soap and tossed a bottle of Old Spice Aftershave into one of the guys eyes and nearly bit off one of their ears. It was a life or death girl.” I visibly shuttered as I was forced to relive that horrible moment frame by frame.
“Oh.” Jamie looked away. Her face was starting to lose all its color. “I'm sorry.”
“Why?” I asked, taking a deep breath.
“Because you had to go through all of that in your old school. I just had to deal with Linda going insane and slapping me to the moon and back. I spent the night in the hospital after that attack. I mean the bitch almost broke my jaw.
“You know that my step-sister right? Mom and dad adopted her.”
“I know. And I know she's changed and she got her life together with your mom and dads love and support. Listen Daisy, I think before we tackle the bull in the room. I should address my own feelings toward you. When I first met you, you were ten and I was twelve. And we were both still boys. Looking back through the murky past, I can clearly see that you and I were battling our own demons. Anyway fast forward four years, I'm now sixteen and you're now fourteen. Sixteen and I've just had my sweet sixteen birthday and I've just endured two years of coming out of the egg, and with the love and support of my friends and family I've finally gotten my shit together enough that I was ready to enjoy the two remaining years of High School I had left.” Jamie said with a sigh.
I nodded my head.
It was at that moment Lily once more appeared. She was caring a silver serving tray in her hands, her golden blonde curls bounced with every step she took. A soft smile appeared on her lips as she gently placed the serving tray down upon the table and with skill and grace she moved the first chine coffee cup from the tray onto the table.
“Our House Special Hot Chocolate for you Miss. Potter.” Lily said smiling as she peered toward Jamie, she then shifted her eyes toward as she moved the second chine coffee cup from the tray and set it in front of me. “And also our House Special Hot Chocolate for you Miss. Bell.”
“Thank you Miss. Potter.” Jamie said blushing. “That will be all for now. But I'm sure we'll need several more cups of your House Special Hot Chocolate before this conversation is over.”
“I fully expect. May I suggest you two ladies take a break before things become too heated and enjoy your Hot Chocolate while it's still hot? Also would you mind Miss. Potter if I weigh in on the conversation?” Lily Said.
“I would like that. So very much, thank you for that thoughtful suggestion Miss. Potter.” Jamie said sighing a little. “I might be over my head,” Jamie said smiling.
I just sat back and sipped my hot chocolate.
“Happens to the best of us, Miss. Potter.” Lily paused and then smiled. “After all this is what Big Sisters are for.” She smiled. “I'll let you two ladies finish your drinks and I'll be back in a quarter of an hour.”
And so while I sipped my hot chocolate. I could not help but ponder Lily's offer and what Jamie wanted to say and how I was going to respond.
Daisy Isabella Bell and Jamie Sarah Potter
A Sequel to “Daisy Isabella Crack's Her Egg”
Act III
A Friendship Breaks
The Hot Chocolate was thick, rich, and very creamy, it was a perfect drinkable treat on this cool, crisp, autumn afternoon. A peaceful since had fallen over Jamie and I as we both sipped on our drinks. Jamie seemed to be deep in thought and I was wondering how long this little meeting was going to last. I hoped this meeting would soon end, so I could retreat back to the warmth and comfort of my bedroom.
“I want you to know, you turned my life upside down.” Jamie said at long last. “After you stepped up to defend Cerridwen, I was ordered to cane you. That was the only time I've ever been ordered to cane a fellow student. Normally a school appointed prefect won't have that authority to give a caning. But I had no choice in the whole thing. I was ordered too. And let me tell you, it shook me, and made me reconsider everything I ever wanted to be.”
I blinked.
“At that moment in my life I was still living in the long shadow my older sister had cast over me. I want you to understand and I want to be perfectly clear here. Lily's four years in Benton Academy had left a lasting impression. She had turned the gutted cheerleading program around. She was named an honor roll student for four years straight. She'd been elected Homecoming Princess her Freshman year and also her Sophomore Year. And finally she was elected Homecoming Queen her Junior and Senior year. She had also been voted Prom Princess her Junior year and finally the moment all little girls dream of she was crowned Prom Queen for her Senior Year. I felt as her younger sister I had to at least try to measure up to her success.”
I nodded my head and gently sipped my drink. I was more than happy to let Jamie ramble one.
“Anyway, around the time I was transferred from St. Katherine's Academy to Benton Academy, a strange and almost tragic thing seemed to happen in Benton. For some reason the Transgender Population of the town seemed to almost triple overnight. Up till then, it had been just Madeline, Cerridwen, that Lauren Girl over at Benton High and I. So four in total. Then out of the blue, a girl named Heather joined our ranks and Miss. Dawn became our new school nurse, and she is one of us. And I think there are one, two or maybe even three at the local community college. At this point I lost count.” Jamie rambled on.
“Right.” I said, taking a deep breath.
“So the question that has been bothering me for ages is this. Are you really transgender? Are you really a girl trapped inside a boy's body? Are you claiming you are because it seems cool, trendy and almost the most popular thing to do?”
At that very moment I wanted to stand up and walk off. I felt like Jamie had slapped me right across the face with the palm of her hand. And for good measure she had punched me right in the gut. I felt like I wanted to reach across the table and slap her till her cheeks blistered. I wanted to kick her, to make her feel a small measure of pain and hurt that was pulsing through my body.
“And then there was that girl who just appeared on the scene. I think her name is Rebecca Anna Coleman.” Jamie said. “She is writing a light novel about a transgender girl called Emily, who lives in a town called Manchester and to be honest we all know that Manchester is really an enlarged version of Yazoo City. So clearly she is either from here or from Yazoo City. And she publishes some of the chapters in the local paper. She even ran a full edition of a short, stand alone story. And I know you're a huge fan of her writing. But I don't know if Miss. Coleman is one of us or not. But maybe she is. If so, I feel maybe there way to many of us living in this town.”
I felt tears starting to form in the corner of my eyes.
“I'm afraid I don't follow you Miss. Potter.” I said as I reached down and picked up my cup of hot chocolate. I quickly drained the cup. The hot liquid burned my throat going down and the pain for a moment took my mind off the rage I was feeling toward Jamie.
“What I'm saying or trying to say is this.” Jamie said as she looked down at her cup. “Is that right now it's a very bad time for one of us here in Benton. Much less be Transgender in America as a whole. The new self appointed preacher at the Southern Baptist Church wants all of us to be locked away, a bunch of hillbillies want to be tarred and feather and run out of town.”
“It's not all doom and gloom Miss. Potter.” I said as I cleared my throat. “For the first time in its two hundred and ten year history. Benton has elected its first woman mayor.” I said. I was of course referring to the landslide election of Kayla Cat Brewer as Benton's first female mayor. “And she also happens to be a lesbian with the popular talk show hostess Heather Ford as her wife. Both of whom are mothers to your best friend Madeline Brewer.”
Jamie's Jaw dropped a little.
“My uncle, who also happens to the town's Episcopal Priest, has also been very vocal about this. He's even gotten several other pastors of other churches to stand behind us. Including First United Methodist and several other smaller Methodist churches in the hills. Fletcher's Chapel being one of them.” I paused. And then decided to add. “Mind you, on the larger scale of things. The Episcopal Church of Mississippi has done something that forty years ago would have been unheard o. They elected a woman as Bishop of Mississippi and furthermore she is a person of color.” I said a little too loudly.
Jamie shifted her weight slightly.
“And look your own success. Benton Academy, a mostly White Anglo-Saxon Protestant Segregation Academy. Founded by the leading White Anglo-Saxon Protestant families of Benton, most if not all belonged to the White Citizens Council and also Ku Klux Klan. Who only founded Benton Academy because they could not stand the thought of sending their children to school with children that were the same as them.” I paused. “That very same school has gone on not only to accept you and Cerridwen is who is a pagan mind you and a poster girl for Hot Topic. But has enough trust in you to appoint you first as one of the first prefects and now they decided to make you the first head girl. That would have been unheard of twenty four years ago.” I had to stand up at this point.
Jamie looked away from me at this point.
“Miss. Potter need I remind you it was you who first took up the battle cry. It was you who first scaled the walls! You need to get that old fire back! We are out of the closet! We are not going back into the closet! And to answer your question the best I can. No, I'm not sure if I'm transgender or not. But that does not matter, because I'm going to stand with my sisters, I'm going to fight for my sisters, and if I need to, I'm going to bleed for my sisters! And if I'm called to do it, I'm more than willing to die for my sisters! And I hope I can count on you to stand side by side with me.”
Jamie at this point returned her focus toward me and violently she shook her head from left to right.
“Daisy Isabella Bell, if that is you real name. Let me be the first to say I'm both touched and impressed. I'm touched because you think so highly of me, I'm impressed because you gave me a lot to think about. But again I'm always worried that you're asking for a major bruising. That one fine day, one day soon I dread, that your high mindedness is going to end up with you getting tied to a fence post in some cow pasture. Naked, with your penis, if you still have it, cut off and stuffed and sewn into your mouth, and all that pretty blonde hair shaved off your head. Covered from head to toe in fire ant bites, mosquito bites, and horse fly bites. Burned like bacon in a hot frying pan from the sun.”
I felt the color draining from my face.
“Yes, I think about that happening to me on a daily basis, I mean it could be me, it could be my best friend Madeline, it could be my adopted little sister Cerridwen, could be her friend Lauren. It could be Dawn, could that odd girl named Persephone why? Because why not?”
I was honestly lost for words at this point.
“Now do you understand me a little better? I'm worried, and from what I've seen of you, I think I might be totally wrong, and if I'm proven wrong I will apologize and try my best to make up for it. But I think you're treating this whole thing as one big joke! I think you're only doing this to give you a reason to appear in public in drag! And to be honest, like I'm going to be honest with you, that gives honest girls like Madeline, Cerridwen, Lauren, Heather, Dawn, Persephone, and I a bad name. You're making us look bad. So stop it, please just stop it. Stop what you're doing right now and either get a proper haircut, like a boy's haircut and start acting like a man. Or just go back to Vicksburg and play pretend there” Jamie paused and drained her cup of hot chocolate.
I was stunned.
“I believe the only reason you volunteered to play 'Dotty' was because Cerridwen wanted you too. And it also gave you a reason to wear a dress. Hell, even when you were in the bloody, fucking hospital, you wanted to dress up and play pretend because according to you, you wanted to lure some evil nurse out of hiding. Nothing about those two screams transgender to me. Or heck you even being in the egg. Heck, the only reason you dressed up for the pie toss and volunteered in the first place was because I was twisting your arm. So yes, that's it, I'm done. Like I said until proven otherwise, I'm going to say you just have a crossdressing fetish.” Jamie then stood up, reached into her purse and pulled out a handful of dollars and silver coins, then tossed the bills and silver coins down upon the table.
Silence
“Lily might have weaseled your way onto the squad. But I'm still captioning it. I still call the shots, I'm still in command. And as far as I'm concerned you're not on the squad. As far as I'm concerned 'Daisy Isabella Bell' or whatever name you go by, does not appear on the roaster of girls. I will not be calling out 'Daisy Isabella Bell' when I take roll call at each practice.” Jamie added.
“Lily can waste her time and train you and teach you how to cheer and act like a girl. Her friends can sink as much time, money and talent as they want into teaching you all the cheers, chants, and steps. And the other girls out of pity can try their best to teach you how to cheer. But know this, when it comes time to cheer at baseball games soon and at soccer games next spring and football games next autumn. You will not be allowed to dress out. When we have squad photos taken, you will not be allowed to have your photo taken with the other girls, and you won't be attending training camps with us. I will personally see to that, even if I have to refund all the money we collected from the pie toss and cancel the winter and spring training camp sessions.”
And with that being said Jamie stormed off. As she stomped off she even leaned over and pumped my shoulder as she walked past me. A few seconds after bumping my shoulder she paused and gave me a scowl. “Excuse you, watch where you're going! God, the sooner you pack your bags and head off to Vicksburg where you belong the better off all of us would be. You're nothing but trouble James Donald Bell! That's all you've been since the day you stepped off that late night train in a pouring rain storm. You've been nothing but a thorn in my side, no scratch that, you've been nothing but a pain in my ass since day one. And frankly I'm tired of dealing with you.”
And with that she huffed off.
“Bitch.” I muttered under my breath. “Cunt.” I added for good measure.
I sat there for a few moments. Doing my best to collect myself, once I was sure I'd collected myself I stood up and started to walk away. But it was then at that moment that Lily appeared once more. She had a small, sad look on her face. She looked me dead in the eye and for a moment I thought she was going to go off on me. Instead she moved in a little closer and before I could catch myself I found her folding her arms around my back and I found myself being pulled toward her.
“I want to apologize for the way my little sister talked to you. I understand you're hurting right now. But I hope you will follow me into the office so we can talk. You and I. And yes, my offer still stands. Jamie it seems must be reminded that she is yet a full maid. A gentle reminder must be given. A few weeks scrubbing the floors and doing the dishes might just remind who is the mistress and who is still an apprentice.”
I said the only thing I could think of.
“Will there be more hot chocolate?” I asked.
“Yes and maybe some Turkish delight as well.”
So ends another chapter.