No Such Thing As A Hollywood Ending

chapter 53

Jessica was carefully stacking colorful wooden blocks, her tiny hands arranging them into an intricate tower. She was trying to focus on making sure the tower didn't topple over when she noticed something glint out of the corner of her eye. Her sister, Madeline, had found something on the floor—a piece of broken glass. Madeline reached out, her fingers just inches from grabbing it.

Without hesitating, Jessica grabbed a nearby teddy bear and threw it at Madeline. The soft bear hit her sister's arm, making her drop her focus on the dangerous shard. Madeline blinked in confusion, looking around as though trying to figure out why her game had been interrupted.

"Mom!" Jessica called, her voice sharp. "There's broken glass on the floor! Madeline almost picked it up!"

Lucy rushed into the room, her eyes wide with worry. She quickly spotted the glass and hurried over, picking up the shard carefully and tossing it into the trash. Once she'd ensured the area was safe, she turned to Jessica, relief flooding her face.

"Jessica," Lucy said softly, kneeling down in front of her, "you just saved your sister from getting hurt. Thank you." She pulled Jessica onto her lap, kissing her forehead. "I'm so proud of you."

Jessica beamed at her, her small chest puffing up with pride. "I couldn't let her hurt herself. She doesn't know any better."

Lucy sat back on the couch, keeping Jessica close as she looked at her with a thoughtful expression. "You're so smart, Jessica. It must be hard for you sometimes, being so much more aware of everything around you than your sister. I know it's frustrating, and I've been thinking about that."

Jessica tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Lucy began, tucking a strand of hair behind Jessica's ear, "during your last visit with your real mom, after you fell asleep, we all talked a bit. We were discussing how hard it must be for you to be this intelligent but not be able to do everything you want to do yet. Your real mom and I had an idea—we were thinking about letting you eventually join Dr. Mathis in his research on anomalies."

Jessica's eyes lit up instantly. "Really? I could help him with his research?"

Lucy smiled, seeing the excitement in her daughter's eyes. "Yes, but not right away," she said, her tone soft and careful. "There are some things you need to be able to do first. You'll need to be able to do things on your own, like using the bathroom, eating solid food, things like that. Right now, you're still too little for that."

Jessica's face fell slightly, but she nodded in understanding. "I guess that makes sense."

"And there's something else," Lucy continued. "Even though you're so smart, the world won't see you as ready for high school yet. You're still a baby, and no one's going to believe you're capable of handling things like a high schooler should. We've talked about doing online schooling for you so you can learn at your own pace. But even with that, it's going to be a long time before people are ready to accept that you're different."

Jessica sighed. "So, I can't help Dr. Mathis right away, and I can't go to school. I'm just stuck being a baby for now."

Lucy squeezed her hand gently. "I know it's frustrating, but this is your time to grow and experience the world, even if it's in a different way than you'd like. And there's something else that's really important." Lucy's expression turned serious, and she looked into Jessica's eyes.

"What?" Jessica asked, sensing the shift.

"Family is important," Lucy said softly. "Even though your situation is complicated—you have me, Henry, Madeline, and your real mom, Amelia. We're all family. And I want you to have the chance to really know us all. I want you to grow up close to your sister, and to have a real connection with your mom. That's why it's important to stay grounded with us."

Jessica frowned slightly. "But I want to do important things. I don't want to waste time."

"You're not wasting time," Lucy said gently. "You're learning about life, about people, and about family. That's just as important as the research you want to do. I know it feels slow now, but being with your family will help you grow in ways you can't imagine."

Jessica thought about it, her small brows furrowing in concentration. "I guess you're right. But it's still hard."

Lucy smiled and hugged her close. "I know it is. But you'll get through it. ok?"

"Okay," Jessica whispered, leaning into her mother's embrace, still thinking about all the things she wanted to do. But for now, she knew that Lucy was right—she had to focus on the family around her.