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On Sunday, Bella drives to the movie theater with Angela in tow, and her car breaks on the way home from Angela's house. She calls a tow truck, and calls her dad, and she goes home in the cop car and her station wagon goes on vacation to the mechanic.
On Monday, Charlie drives Bella to school.
As she's been discharged from the car and Charlie pulls away, a van driven by a panicking teenager screams out of nowhere towards Bella.
Making wishes is easy.
It is not automatic. It is not instantaneous.
The van creams Bella, good and proper.
self_composed
self_composed
"Yes, that one, with the capers and the lemon juice. C'mon, Dad." Pause. Pause. "Yes, contingent on my being able to walk around the room, without doctor or nurse supervision. Then you roll me out in a wheelchair - well, Dad, no I don't think lying to my doctors would be a great idea normally, but telling them the truth, which you declined to have explained, would get a lot of attention. From, like, reporters."
self_composed
"Okay, Dad, I'll see you in a few minutes. Love you too."
Bella closes the phone and hums to herself happily.
"What'cha writing?"
Bella closes the phone and hums to herself happily.
"What'cha writing?"
edgeofyourseat
He turns the notebook around and shows her.
It says:
I love you.
I'm really, really glad you're okay.
It's kind of amazing how you talk to your dad.
I love you.
It says:
I love you.
I'm really, really glad you're okay.
It's kind of amazing how you talk to your dad.
I love you.
self_composed
Aww.
Footsteps approach. Bella lies down and plays injured.
"Visiting hours are over in twenty minutes, fair warning," says the nurse who sticks her head in.
Footsteps approach. Bella lies down and plays injured.
"Visiting hours are over in twenty minutes, fair warning," says the nurse who sticks her head in.
self_composed
The nurse closes the door. Bella opens her eyes.
"Charlie'll be here before then," she says. And "Do you want me to try explaining to him why I call you 'Alice'?"
"Charlie'll be here before then," she says. And "Do you want me to try explaining to him why I call you 'Alice'?"
self_composed
"Probably? He'll shrug, say he's going to call you by your legal name but we can do what we want, and then mutter to himself about my weird friends."
self_composed
Charlie arrives before any more doctors or nurses do. Bella waves energetically and he winces, then gradually relaxes into an expression of openmouthed astonishment as she gets up and wanders in a circle around the room. "Can I go home?" she asks.
"Well," says Charlie. "You can walk. Seem lucid. Suppose so."
He eyes Alice suspiciously but doesn't say anything.
"Well," says Charlie. "You can walk. Seem lucid. Suppose so."
He eyes Alice suspiciously but doesn't say anything.
self_composed
"Dad, you've probably heard about Laney from Hilary," Bella says, helpfully pointing. "He's my friend."
"Mm-hm," says Charlie. "She's mentioned him."
"Mm-hm," says Charlie. "She's mentioned him."
self_composed
"I call him Alice, though," she adds, sticking out her tongue at Alice like this is a teasing nickname she invented for him.
Charlie hmphs. "Well," he says. "I'll go see about checking you out of here, Bells."
Charlie hmphs. "Well," he says. "I'll go see about checking you out of here, Bells."
self_composed
Charlie leaves them be to go annoy some doctors and borrow a wheelchair.
"There," says Bella. "I have a swell dad."
"There," says Bella. "I have a swell dad."
edgeofyourseat
He wraps his arms around her and leans his head on her shoulder.
"I love you," he murmurs, and lets go.
"I love you," he murmurs, and lets go.