Heart Like Mine by Maggie McGinnis

Author:Maggie McGinnis
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781466877887
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Chapter 18

Half an hour later, Delaney knocked on Charlotte’s door and motioned Amanda through. “And this is Charlotte. She’s our twelve-year-old diva-in-training.”

Charlotte laughed her gravelly laugh as she rolled her eyes and stood up to greet Amanda Sleighton.

Amanda shook her hand, smiling warmly. “Thanks so much for letting me hang out with you for a few minutes.” She pointed to Charlotte’s braids, which Delaney had scrambled to do just a few minutes ago. “I love your hair.”

Charlotte touched her head gingerly as she sat back down on her bed. “Delaney did it. She’s got mad hair skills.”

“Oh, really? Think she could do something with my mop?”

Delaney and Charlotte laughed together. The reporter had glistening, perfectly salon-sculpted waves, and Delaney imagined she tipped her Boston colorist very well for the shades of blond cascading through her hair.

For the next half hour, Amanda made seemingly casual conversation with Charlotte, and Delaney marveled at how the woman was able to get so personal without the girl really even noticing.

“Do you ever go to summer camp?” Amanda asked, after their first conversational lull in a full sixty minutes.

Charlotte shook her head. “No. My parents can’t really”—she shrugged—“we’re just really busy in the summertime.”

Amanda nodded, smiling. “Would you like to go to camp someday? If it were possible?”

“Definitely. Horse camp. Sleepover.” Charlotte smiled, but a cough wiped away the look on her face. “But camps don’t really have anybody who’s trained to give me my treatments.”

Amanda looked thoughtful, then like she was hatching a plan. “Charlotte, have you ever been on television?”

“Me?” The girl’s eyes widened. “No.”

“Would you like to be?”

“Um.” Charlotte glanced at Delaney, her eyes mystified. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I happen to have a network buddy who’s covering another story up here today, and you are a very, very cool twelve-year-old. Plus, you have camera-ready hair.” Charlotte laughed nervously. “If I called him to come over here later, do you think you’d be willing to talk to him on-camera? Just kind of like we just did?”

“Maybe? I don’t know.” Charlotte looked a little scared. “Why?”

“Because a lot of people don’t know what goes on inside hospitals when they’re not the ones unlucky enough to have to be here. We’d love to show people the kind of kids who stay here, and I think you are the perfect person to do it.”

Charlotte stared down at her hands, where Delaney could see her fingernails curving over the ends of her fingers, typical of someone whose tissues got consistently less oxygen than they needed. To her credit, Amanda stayed silent, waiting for her answer.

Then Charlotte looked up, a small smile gaining traction on her face. “Okay. I’ll do it. If Delaney can be here with me.”

“It’s a deal.” Amanda stood up, shaking her hand in mock formality. She looked at her phone, then at Delaney. “I’m going to go talk to some other patients, but I’ll be back in about an hour with my friend. His name’s Matt, and he’s super awesome. You’ll like him.”

“Okay.”

Delaney

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