Wildflower (Kris Bryant)

42 A Girl Named Jane

Serenity

After Kris and everyone else had been working so hard for the Turn The Page foundation, it was finally set to kick off today. We were going to take off from Wrigley since they did so much to help with this and then we'll head to some hospitals to bring adventure and love and mystery to the blank walls of a hospital. Give them something to put their minds in that isn't so dark and sad.

So I pull on that same sunflower dress I had on that fateful day Kris found me on a park bench. I make sure my hair has its curls and I wash my face nice and clean. Once I was ready I grab Kris and we head on over to Wrigley. We meet with a bunch of people and make sure to give the sponsors a shout out. I shake hands with everyone and answer some questions they had for me.

"What does this opening day mean to you" a reporter asks and I smile. I let out a long sigh as I wait for the tears to start. It's inevitable.

"I spent a good part of my childhood in a hospital like the ones were going to today. From the time I was born until I was six I spent more time in the hospital than out of it. They were trying everything to get my heart on track to let me live a full life. And while it was important for me to be in the hospital receiving the treatment I had, it got lonely. My best friends were doctors who were 30 years older than me. I didn't want my brothers to lose part of their life because of me so I made sure they did things they wanted too. And my parents had to work their butts off to support me but they couldn't be there as much as they would like.

But the one thing that was always there for me was books. I felt like Matilda the way that the only time I was happy was with my nose in a book. But the time I was 4 I was reading Charollete Brontë and Scott Fitzgerald. And while I would have rather been playing or singing I was getting my heart stronger so that I could someday find a somewhat normal life.

And by the time I was 8 I got enrolled into school reading at a college level. Of course by this time I was the freaky genius kid. Using big kid words in second grade but not wanting to skip grades because I already skipped so much of my life I didn't want to skip out on any more. But I never felt like I fit in anywhere, chances are you will find me reading a book no matter where I was. It's just I found so much I liked on those pages, things I couldn't find from the life I found in there and it gave me a sense of wonder.

I wasn't sick when I was reading. I was a wizard or a farm girl or a loving mother. I could run and jump and my heart was whole. No matter what I read my heart was whole and that gave me what nothing else ever did. Up until recently at least" I shrug.

"What do you hope to do with this bus" they wonder and I laugh.

"Well we're not keeping the bus at home so I'm hoping we can leave it here at Wrigley in the mean time" I insist. "But we're trying to fix broken hearts. And not physically but emotionally. We can give people the option to imagine a place where the hurt can't reach them, just as reading did for me. And along the way we're raising money to get people the heart of the surgery they need" I say.

"And how had your heart been holding up" they wonder and I smile.

"It's been great. Haven't had any troubles so far but my doctors have been amazing checking up with me and making sure my heart is doing what it's supposed to. I cut it pretty close there with waiting for my heart. But I think it worked out just like it was supposed to in the end" I say.

They eventually leave me be and Kris and I hop on the bus. He had to go and take classes in order to drive this monster, but he was proud of his new drivers license and being able to drive a bus if his driver falls asleep late after a away game.

We finally take off and head to the children's hospital first. I wanted to start there because this idea really started there with a little girl who was alone in a hospital room and didn't want to be anymore.

As soon as we park we go inside and there was kids lined up to come to the bus and pick out a book. Not all of them have a heart disease but I'm not going to deny a kid a chance to be something more than their wildest dreams. No matter why you're in the hospital it sucks all the same, this is the only way to get out of here and go somewhere else.

So Kris and I grab the kids and bring them to the bus. They were of all different ages and interests so we help them pick out books. Kris picks them up so they can reach the top shelf and I laugh because he was seriously so tall. He loved being able to help them pick out their next adventure in a way only someone his height could.

I find a girl looking at the section of books dedicated to me and I stop. Those were a bit mature and hard to read for someone her age. Maybe she was trying to read the titles or something?

I walk over to her and bend down next to her. She turns to me and smiles making me smile back. "Hey there little one, what's your name" I wonder.

"I'm Jane" she claims and I laugh. If course it's Jane.

"Well Jane, can I help you find a book. We have some Junie B Jones and Boxcar Children" I list off.

"I want that one" she says pointing to a book on my wall.

I grab Pride and Prejudice and I turn to her. She had the biggest smile ever as I hand it to her. "You wouldn't happen to be named after this author, would you" I ask.

"I am" she cheers. I'm guessing she doesn't get to tell a lot of people that because they're too young or simply didn't really care about reading growing up.

"That's awesome! She's my favorite writer" I admit.

"Mine too! I want to be like her when I grow up" she claims.

"Yeah Jane, me too" I smile.

I follow her back into the hospital and I read with her for a while. For a young kid she read extremely well, maybe even better than I did at that age. Eventually Kris finds me and smiles when he sees the cute little girl with a big heart on her shirt sitting in my arms.

"Who did you find" he asks as he sits next to me. He wraps a arm around me and I smile big.

"This is a Jane and she loves to read just like me" I admit.

"Hi Jane, it's nice to meet you. I'm Kris" he introduced.

"Do you like to read too" she asks him and I laugh.

"To a certain extent, yes" he tells her.

"What's your favorite book" she asks him.

"The one that Aria is writing" he claims as he squeezes his side and I smile.

Jane gasps as she turns to me. "You're writing a book" she squeals.

"Yup" I smile.

"I can't wait to read it" she insists.

"I can't wait for you to read it either."