I’d started to forget what her laugh sounded like. “Mom, they made me a crown too!” Emma held up a paper crown decorated with crayon-drawn jewels. “They say I’m the queen of the magical forest!”
“That’s… that’s wonderful sweetheart,” I managed to say.
“We’re sorry for entering her room without your permission,” Willow said. “We heard her coughing this morning and just wanted to check if she was okay.”
“She looked so sad,” Isabelle added softly. “Everyone needs magic when they’re sick.
That’s what we used to tell each other in the shed.”
Tears filled my eyes as I watched Emma clap and laugh at their silly dance moves. For months, I’d tried everything to lift her spirits, but nothing had worked. I was so stunned at how these two little girls, who had so little themselves, had somehow given my daughter back her joy.
“Can they stay and finish the show, Mom?” Emma asked, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “Please? They promised to teach me how to make magic too!”
I wiped my eyes and nodded, my voice cracking as I said, “Of course they can, sweetheart.”
Over the next few days, something magical happened in our home.
The twins spent every moment they could with Emma, telling her stories, playing games, and planning elaborate shows. On Christmas Eve, they performed their grandest show yet. Emma sat propped up in her special chair, wearing a blanket like a royal robe, completely enchanted by their performance.Continue reading…
