35 ᴍᴍ ꜰɪʟᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴄᴏꜰꜰᴇᴇ I 🎀 𝒢𝓇𝒶𝒸𝒾𝑒 𝒜𝒷𝓇𝒶𝓂𝓈 [𝑔𝓍𝑔] 🎀

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟏: 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨? [𝐓𝐖]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 21 [ᴛᴡ]

Downstairs, the air was warm and filled with the murmur of conversation. Gracie glanced around the room, noting the absence of Charlie. She knew Charlie had gone upstairs a while ago, but now she was curious.

"Where's Charlie?" Gracie asked, her voice cutting through the comfortable chatter as she looked at the others sitting around the living room.

Susan, who had been quietly sipping tea, glanced up. "She's upstairs," she said softly, a knowing smile touching her lips. "With Ellie."

Gracie's heart warmed at the mention of Ellie. She loved how much Charlie adored her youngest sibling and how protective and nurturing she was towards her. Without a word, Gracie stood up, leaving the others to their conversation. She quietly made her way up the stairs, curious to see what was going on.

As she reached the top, she could hear the soft murmur of Charlie's voice drifting from Ellie's bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, and Gracie paused for a moment, hesitating to interrupt. But curiosity got the better of her, and she gently pushed the door open just a bit more.

Inside, she found the scene she hadn't known she needed to witness.

Charlie was sitting on the edge of Ellie's bed, a large storybook resting in her lap. Ellie lay beneath the blankets, her small body curled up with her head resting on her pillow, her eyelids heavy with sleep. Weenie, Gracie's little dog, was curled up at the foot of the bed, his eyes half-closed as if he, too, was soothed by the sound of Charlie's voice.

Charlie's tone was soft, almost melodic as she read aloud from the book. Gracie recognised the story—Where the Wild Things Are—one of those classic tales that had a way of calming even the most restless minds. Ellie's hand occasionally reached out to pet Weenie, her movements slow and drowsy.

Gracie stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, and for a moment, she simply watched. There was something so tender, so vulnerable about the way Charlie interacted with her little sister. The anger and frustration from earlier were completely gone, replaced by an overwhelming sense of peace. Gracie couldn't help but smile as she took it all in.

Charlie finished reading the last line of the story, closing the book gently as she glanced down at Ellie, who was on the edge of sleep. "And Max, the king of all wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all. So he sailed back over a year and in and out of weeks, and through a day, and into the night of his very own room, where he found his supper waiting for him... and it was still hot."

Ellie let out a soft, content sigh, her eyes fluttering closed as she snuggled deeper into her blankets. Weenie shifted slightly, resting his head on Ellie's feet, his breathing soft and steady.

Charlie set the book aside, carefully tucking Ellie in with gentle hands. She leaned down, brushing a stray lock of hair from Ellie's forehead, and placed a tender kiss there.

Gracie's heart melted at the sight.

Just as Charlie was about to stand up, she glanced towards the door, her eyes locking onto Gracie's. A small, knowing smile spread across Charlie's face, and she motioned for Gracie to come in, careful not to disturb Ellie.

Gracie stepped into the room, tiptoeing across the soft carpet until she was standing beside Charlie at the edge of the bed.

"She's out cold," Charlie whispered, her voice barely above a breath. There was something so soft and loving in her tone, a side of Charlie that Gracie knew well but rarely saw around others.