Wrong Turn, Right Path

Chapter 21 - Nick's POV

She didn't respond to what I said but I did notice a slight stiffening of her spine as she walked away. By the time that we made it to the main hallway the door across from our was already open with the light on and a weird sound coming from inside.

I stopped in the doorway in shock at what my mother was able to accomplish in such a short period of time. The faint smell of fresh paint still lingered in the air. I don't know how she did it but she somehow managed to transform this basic suite into a room fit for my Princess. The walls were a pale pink with white wainscoting, the bed was white iron with a crown shaped half canopy over it that had sheer fabric draping down to form the head board. Her bedding was fluffy and pink. There was a huge bean bag style chair in front of a large TV but what really caught my eye was the corner of her room that looked like a kid's gym. It had padded mats on the floor, a mini trampoline, there was this thing that looked like half a ball, and a large floor to ceiling mirror that had a ballet bar in front of it. It even had a mini rock wall to climb on. I wish I had a space like this when I was a kid well except for the ballet stuff.

The weird sound we had heard was Maddie jumping on the trampoline while telling Jemma all about her favorite parts of her new room. From what it sounds like, all the parts are her favorite. She jumped off the trampoline and stood on the half ball thing her cast not slowing her down at all, in fact she didn't look like she had ever been hurt. "This is so I can practice balancing. Grandma Val said that if I get really good at balancing she'll get me a beam like the gymnasts use on TV. Oh Mommy, Daddy, Papa, come check this out." She said as she hopped of the ball and ran across the room to the closet door, "Grandma Val and Grandpa Chris bought me a ton of dress up stuff and esxecise clothes."

"Exercise clothes, yes I see that." Jemma said as she looked in the very full walk in closet. She didn't look too happy.

"I hope you don't mind. I got really excited with the idea of having a grandchild to dote on that I think I went a little overboard." I heard Mom's timid voice from the doorway behind us.

"More than a little overboard sweetheart." My Dad's deep voice said from behind her with a chuckle.

"It's all very... um... lovely. It's just a bit much. We.. uh..I.." Jemma was struggling to find her words

"Mommy Look at this!" Maddie yelled from across the room oblivious to the slight tension in the air, "I have a seat by the window that I put all my stuffies on. Oh and I have my own bathroom, I won't have to wait for you to finish going poop anymore."

Jemma's face was a perfect shade of red and mortification at Maddie's proclamation.

Both my parents burst into laughter, "Children are nothing if not brutally honest. There was one time Nick made sure everyone at a dinner party knew that if they got sick it was because I helped make the food" My Mom said as a way to reassure her, "I'm helpless in the kitchen much to my Mother's dismay. Speaking of food, we came up here to let you know that dinner is ready. It'll just be those in the pack house but tomorrow night will be a slightly bigger deal with family visiting to meet you."

"Uh, this isn't the ceremony that you were telling me about, is it?" Jemma asked as she went from crimson faced to ashen in the blink of an eye.