Chapter 3
1237 Words
Chapter 3
“Kalea, darling?” Renee knocked gently on the door, then cracked it open to peek inside. When she saw Kalea sitting in bed, her back supported by a mountain of pillows, Renee knew immediately that her daughter was in a world of discomfort.
“Mom?” Kalea looked up. The moment she saw her mother, she nearly burst into tears. She had never been ill like this before—at least, not to this agonizing extent.
“Oh, my poor Princess,” Renee cooed, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. “I heard the awful news. How are you holding up?”
“I feel awful, Mom! Everything burns and itches, and I can’t even go to the bathroom without wanting to cry!” Kalea whined.
“I know how you feel, sweetheart. I’ve been where you are,” Renee said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed to gently tuck a loose strand of hair behind Kalea’s ear.
“You had the chickenpox as an adult?”
“Well, no. I had it as a pup, but I remember the pain and discomfort like it was yesterday,” Renee replied.
“Mom... can Nana help me?”
“Unfortunately, no, darling.”
“She can’t heal me?”
“It’s not that she can’t—though I don’t think she’s ever attempted to heal a viral infection like this—it’s because Nana and your father have never had the chickenpox themselves. They're susceptible to catching it if they come anywhere near you, so they have to keep their distance.”
“WHAT?!” Kalea threw her head back in utter disbelief. The two people who had the potential to heal her couldn’t even come near her without catching the virus. “So, I’m stuck being miserable for weeks?!”
“Not necessarily, darling. We have a few options to get you help, but you need to be open to letting others know what’s happening,” Renee replied.
“ABSOLUTELY NOT! This is embarrassing enough as it is! You expect me to tell other people?!”
“My darling princess, sometimes you have to move past the discomfort and pride of being embarrassed over something that ninety percent of the world experiences—whether as children or adults—and seek assistance where you can. If you want to stay itchy, in pain, and utterly miserable for the next few weeks, that’s your choice at this point. You have the option to get help, but you have to swallow that ego of yours.”
“You sound like Eddie, Mom!”
“That’s because Edward is right. If you really want help, swallow your pride and ask for it.”
“Hmph...” Kalea pouted and huffed, crossing her arms like a child.
“Kalea, you’re not a child. Stop acting like one. I’m not going to treat you like one just because you’re not feeling well. If you want to stay secluded in here instead of planning your wedding for next year, then by all means, continue sulking by your lonesome.”
With those final words, Renee stood up to leave. She loved Kalea more than life itself, and she hated that she’d had to give her up in infancy to protect her. But that didn't mean Renee was going to coddle her, either.
When Kalea saw that her mother was serious, she dropped her arms and immediately conceded. The last thing she wanted was for their visit to go to waste, spending the next week and a half by herself—or stuck with just Eddie, Hailey, and Kurt.
“Okay! Okay! Geez!” Kalea relented.
Renee smirked before turning back, her expression softening into something warm and motherly. “There, now. That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“That’s not cool, Mom!”
“Welcome to being an adult, Kalea. Now, are you going to suck it up, swallow that pride of yours, and listen to our options?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Renee walked back to the bed and sat down again, taking Kalea’s hand in hers and looking her daughter in the eye. “Now, we have two options. We can contact either Allison, the Desert Moon Luna, and ask if her Wiccan friends have a potion or spell to help you, or we can contact Luna Rylee at Blue Lake to see if she can heal you herself. The choice is yours.”
“Let’s go with Rylee. At least if she can, only one other person will know what I’m going through.”
“That’s assuming she’s had it herself,” Renee kindly reminded her.
“Oh, Goddess, please let that be the case,” Kalea mumbled, grabbing her phone. She pulled up Rylee’s contact info and hit call. After a few rings, Rylee picked up.
“Princess Kalea! To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?” Rylee’s voice came through, bright and clearly happy to hear from her.
“Rylee, I need your help with something,” Kalea replied hesitantly.
“What’s wrong?” Rylee asked, her tone shifting.
“Have you had the chickenpox?”
“The... what? Did you say chickenpox?”
“Yeah.”
“Why are you asking me that?”
“Because I was wondering if you could come heal me?”
“Oh... damn. I’m so sorry, Kalea, but I don’t think I can. I’ve had it, but I can’t risk going near someone infected right now. The kids haven’t had it yet, and I don’t want to expose them, accidentally.”
“Oh...” Kalea sighed with indignation. “I get it. I wouldn’t want that either. Thanks anyway.”
“I’m so sorry, Kalea. I wish I could help.”
“It’s okay, Rylee. No need to apologize.”
“Have you tried calling Allie? Maybe she and her friends can help.”
“She’s my next call. I’m trying to keep this on the down-low, you know? Being twenty-three with the chickenpox for the first time isn’t something I want to broadcast if I can help it. It’s bad enough that my pack knows, and now my parents and grandparents.”
“I got you. I won’t tell anyone.”
“Thanks.”
“How are your wedding plans going?”
“They’re on hold right now because of... all this.”
“Right. I can imagine planning a wedding is the last thing on your mind with how uncomfortable you are,” Rylee said sympathetically.
“Yeah.”
“Speaking of weddings... I still can’t believe you and Wyatt eloped.”
“I can’t either,” Rylee giggled. “But we did, and it seriously has been the best year since.”
“What did your in-laws say?”
“Oh, Goddess, don’t get me started.”
“I won’t, then. Maybe we can talk about it when I’m not trying to scratch my skin off.”
“Got it. Good luck with that! Hopefully Allie and her friends can help.”
“Hopefully. Talk again soon.”
“Bye!”
“Bye.”
Kalea sighed heavily and looked at her mother, who had heard the entire conversation with her heightened hearing.
“Well, I guess we can try Allison,” Renee said.
Kalea nodded, took a deep breath, pulled up Allie’s contact details, and dialed.
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