"Charlie?"

Evelyn froze for a moment, ncing down at her daughter.

"Mom, you should go to thepetition!" Charlie said, her voice serious and her little face full of determination.

"Charlie, you need me right now. There will be plenty of chances topete in the future..."

Charlie shook her head. "Mom, I''m okay now. Really. You don''t have to worry- just go!"

Ever since she could remember, she''d watched her mom sketch stunning jewelry designs on sheets of paper. Her own love for drawing came straight from those moments. Her godfather once told her that back in college, her mom had been a star.

But after Charlie was born, her mom gave up her dream of bing a jewelry designer. She was always saying she didn''t regret it-that having Charlie was the best thing that ever happened to her.

Still, Charlie could see how much her mom loved design, how her eyes would light up when she talked about it. She wanted her mom to have a chance to shine, to stand in the spotlight.

"Mom, you already gave up one big chance for me. This time, I want you to go. I want you to win thatpetition and be the best designer ever!"

Evelyn saw the sincerity and encouragement in her daughter''s eyes, and her heart swelled. She swallowed hard, then nodded firmly. "Okay, I''ll go."

"Go get ''em, Mom! I''ll be waiting for you toe back!" Charlie threw her arms around her mother''s neck and kissed her on both cheeks.

"Charlie, are you sure you''ll be alright here by yourself while I''m gone?"

"It''s only a few days, Mom. I''ll be fine. When you''re done, we''ll go home together to see godfather and grandma."

Evelyn had told her about her grandmother just a couple days before.

"If you feel ufortable at all, you have to call me, okay?" Evelyn reminded her.

"I will, Mom. I promise." Charlie nodded, all seriousness.

Breakfast that morning had been made by Charles himself and sent up to the room. He''d learned to cook for Evelyn, and now he could even make meals for Charlie. When Andrew told him Charlie had eaten, Charles couldn''t help but smile.  s

After Evelyn left for thepetition, Charles had Francis arrange a car. He went along to make sure she arrived safely, then swung by the mall on his way back.

When he got home, Charlie was propped up in bed, nose buried in a picture book. He wanted to get closer, but worried he might upset her.

Hovering in the doorway, his voice soft and careful, he called, "Charlie, look what Daddy brought for you."

Charlie didn''t even nce up, pretending to bepletely absorbed in her book.

Not giving up, Charles noticed she wasn''t angry, so he carefully rolled his wheelchair closer and set a beautifully wrapped box on the bed. He struggled a bit, but managed to open it.  s

Inside were several sparkling princess dresses—each one delicately made, covered in glitter and sequins, just like the ones Charlie had loved before. Charles watched her, hope flickering in his eyes, wishing for the tiniest smile. "Charlie, look! This one''s brand new. And over here this is a limited edition..."

He picked up a dress, holding it out as if it were a rare treasure.

Finally, Charlie''s gaze shifted from her book to the dresses. But instead of excitement, her face went pale. Tears welled up in her big eyes, quickly clouded with hurt and anger.  s

"Take it away!"

She shrieked, swatting the dress from Charles''s hands and knocking the box off the bed. The beautiful princess dresses spilled out, tumbling to the floor in a heap.fn390a Get full chapters from find?novel/fn390a