Give Me Life

Prologue

12 years ago...

"Mom, can we read one more book? Pretty please?" Mabel asks as her mom begins to put away the huge stack of books they'd chosen to read earlier.

Mabel always looked forward to Tuesdays. It meant going to get ice cream before reading for hours at the library. It was the only alone time her mom and her had together before going home to dad.

Mabel's mom looks at her and raises an eyebrow. "Honey, Dad will ask where we are soon. Can you pick a short book?"

Mabel claps her hands and runs into the children's section. Sitting on the floor, with his own stack of books, was a little boy. Mabel peered at him through her peripheral view, hoping she wasn't distracting him.

"Watcha reading?" Mabel asks, no longer caring if she was a distraction.

He looks at her. She doesn't fail to notice his bright, blue eyes. "The magic treehouse. Afternoon on the Amazon." He says before re-focusing on the book.

"You know, we're only ten. How are you reading that so well?" Mabel asks.

Mabel didn't know that she had a reading disability. Her mom knew that if she'd made her whole life about it, Mabel would lose her love for reading as a whole.

The boy shrugs. "I guess I've just always been good at reading." Mabel nods and goes back to her short-book search.

"I'll tell you what," the boy speaks up and stands, "you take this book. I bought it some time ago. I've read it so many times it's boring to me now. Let me know what you think of it."

Mabel takes the book from his hands and stares at it. Her eyes squint as she attempts to sound out the title, but embarrassment flushes through her cheeks when her attempt proves unsuccessful.

She tucks the book in her arm and smiles. The boy looks at her, his eyes glistening. "I'll do my best. Thanks for the book."

The boy nods and gives a slight smile before rounding the corner of the bookcase, disappearing into the silence of the library.

Mabel walks back to her mom who sits patiently at a children-sized table. She peers down at the book tucked in Mabel's arm. 

"The Magic Treehouse? This is quite a jump for you, Miss Mabel Rose" she states, patting the chair next to her. "Where did you find this book?"

Mabel giggles before responding. "A boy gave it to me! I think I can try to read it."

Her mom beams with happiness. With Mabel's disability, she always worried about her confidence. She knew Mabel would eventually see other kids reading quicker and better than her, and she would be damned if she allowed Mabel to lose any sense of confidence. This moment, as she watches Mabel smile with eagerness to read, proves to her that Mabel is destined for much more than what those assume of her.