The Dare (31 page)

"Not the only thing she
—
"

"Grandma!" everyone shouted.

"Anyway, where was I?" She beamed. "Sometimes
children, magic does exist. Love is just like magic. It takes
special care to discover, but once you have it in the palm of your
hand, it spreads throughout your heart and soul. When you find
love, you have to hold on to it. You have to promise to never let
it go."

The eldest raised her hand again.

"Yes, Sasha?"

"Grandma, what if we miss our magic? What if
we don't get it on time? What if it passes us by and we don't
notice! Grandma, what do we do when we can't find it?"

"Well, dear," Grandma patted her head,
"that's easy. Grandma already knows where your magic is." She poked
Sasha in the chest. "It's right here, and if all else fails, I'll
always be around right there, watching, waiting, and helping you
every step of the way."

"Promise you'll never leave?" She
sniffled.

"Promise." Grandma
winked. "And grandmas never lie. Besides," her sharp gaze snapped
up to Travis, Jake, Kacey, Char, Beth, and Jace, "it seems my work
here isn't quite done yet.