A New Friend

The hospital hallway was softly lit by the light streaming through the windows. Sack and I walked toward Charlotte's room, carrying a small teddy bear we had bought at the hospital kiosk. It was a simple gesture, but I wanted Charlotte to feel that we were there to make her comfortable.

When we entered the room, a little girl, probably around eight years old, was sitting on the bed playing with some plastic figurines. Her blonde hair was tied into two messy pigtails, and her blue eyes sparkled with curiosity as she watched us come in.

"Hi, Charlotte," I said with a kind smile. "I'm Lindsay, and this is my boyfriend, Sack. We came to see you because we heard you'll be able to go home soon."

Charlotte set her toys down and looked at us with a mix of surprise and shyness.

"Are you doctors?" she asked, leaning forward as if trying to figure out something important.

Sack chuckled softly.

"Not exactly. We're students, but someday we'll be doctors."

I handed her the teddy bear, and her eyes lit up even more.

"It's so cute!" she exclaimed, hugging it immediately. "Is it for me?"

"Of course," I replied. "We thought it would be nice to have you as our special guest in a very beautiful place."

Charlotte frowned, confused.

"Special guest? Where?"

"At my friend Olivia's estate," I explained. "It's a huge place with green fields, horses, and pools. Your sister Ellie and your mom are there waiting for you."

Charlotte's eyes widened.

"Ellie's there? And Mom too?"

I nodded, thrilled by her reaction.

"Yes, they're so excited to see you. And we'll take you there on a private plane."

"A private plane?" she repeated, incredulous. "I've never been on a plane before!"

Sack and I exchanged an amused glance.

"Well, today will be your first flight," Sack said, winking at her. "It'll be fun, I promise."

Charlotte smiled widely, showing a small gap between her front teeth. It was impossible not to melt at her cuteness.

The private airport was quiet, almost silent compared to large commercial airports. Charlotte walked between Sack and me, looking at everything in awe.

"Is all this yours?" she asked, pointing to the plane waiting on the runway.

I laughed softly.

"No, it belongs to my friend Olivia. She's… very generous."

Once inside the plane, Charlotte couldn't stop touching everything: the leather seats, the foldable tray tables, the large windows.

"Look!" she exclaimed, pointing to the plane's wing from her window. "It looks so big from here!"

Sack handed her a tablet with pre-installed children's games.

"Here's something to play with while we fly. But if you'd rather look out the window, that's fine too."

Charlotte shook her head.

"I want to do both."

During the flight, we played guessing games. Charlotte was incredibly smart for her age, and every time she guessed correctly, she clapped excitedly.

"Lindsay, will you and Sack always be together?" she suddenly asked, looking at us curiously.

I blushed slightly, but Sack answered before I could say anything.

"We hope so," he said with a smile. "We get along really well."

Charlotte nodded, as if that confirmed something important in her mind.

When the plane landed on the private runway of the estate, Charlotte was completely awestruck.

"It's like a castle!" she exclaimed as we stepped off the plane and saw the countryside mansion in front of us.

Ellie and her mother were already waiting at the entrance. When they saw Charlotte, they ran to her with tears in their eyes.

"Charlotte!" Ellie shouted, hugging her tightly. "I missed you so much!"

Charlotte's mother also hugged her, crying with happiness.

"My baby, you're here. You're okay."

Charlotte smiled widely, though she seemed a little overwhelmed by all the attention.

"Mom, look at this," she said, pointing to the mansion. "It's huge!"

Olivia appeared behind her family, with a radiant smile.

"Welcome to the Hart estate, Charlotte. I hope you like it."

Charlotte looked at her in amazement.

"Is all this yours?"

Olivia pretended modesty.

"Well, technically it's my parents', but they let me use it whenever I want. Come, I'll show you your room."

In the main living room, the Hart family was gathered. Emma, the eldest sister, was outgoing, while Sarah, the second sister, had a maternal air similar to Sophia. Matthew, the brother, was extroverted and funny, and quickly made Charlotte laugh with a story about how he once tried to ride a horse without knowing how and ended up on the ground.

"Charlotte, these are my brothers and sisters," Olivia said, introducing them one by one. "And these are my parents, James and Sophia."

James approached Charlotte with a warm smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Charlotte. I hope you enjoy your time here. If you need anything, just ask."

Charlotte nodded shyly.

"Thank you, Mr. Hart."

Sophia knelt to be at Charlotte's eye level.

"Please, call us James and Sophia. We're not as formal as we seem."

Charlotte smiled, visibly more relaxed.

Ellie intervened, taking her sister's hand.

"Come, Charlotte. I'll show you the gardens. There are flowers everywhere."

As they walked away, Sack took my hand.

"She's an incredible kid," he said. "I'm glad we were able to bring her here."

I nodded, feeling warmth in my chest.

"Yes, she's very special. I think we're all going to enjoy her company a lot."

That night, after Charlotte fell sound asleep on one of the living room sofas, wrapped in a soft blanket with the teddy bear hugged against her chest, Ellie took the opportunity to share a more intimate moment with us. We sat together near the crackling fireplace, while Sack joined the conversation from a nearby chair.

Ellie looked toward where her sister slept peacefully and sighed, visibly moved.

"I don't know how to thank you for this," she said, looking at me and then at Sack. "Seeing Charlotte so happy means so much to me. These past few months have been tough for her, and seeing her smile like this… well, I can't put it into words."

Sack nodded with a warm smile.

"There's nothing to thank us for, Ellie. It's a pleasure to help, especially when we see how special Charlotte is. She has something… a unique energy that makes everyone around her feel better."

Ellie smiled widely, but before she could respond, Olivia burst into the room holding a cup of hot tea. She had changed into an extravagant pajama covered in cat prints, obviously inspired by Lord Whiskers. Seeing Charlotte asleep, she paused for a moment and smiled tenderly.

"Look who's here, our little special guest," she whispered softly, approaching slowly so as not to wake her. "I can't believe how adorable she is. She reminds me so much of myself when I was her age."

We all stayed quiet for a second, processing what she had just said. Then, Sack broke the silence with a contained laugh.

"Adorable? Olivia, if you were like Charlotte as a child, I imagine you were anything but 'adorable.' You were probably already planning to replace fountains with cat statues or something equally extravagant."

Olivia pretended to be offended, dramatically placing a hand over her chest.

"Hey! I was a visionary child. If I'd had the chance, I would've turned my entire elementary school into a museum dedicated to Lord Whiskers. But yes, I suppose I was also adorable. All my teachers said I had a 'unique spirit.'"

Lindsay burst out laughing, unable to contain herself.

"'Unique spirit' is the perfect euphemism for you, Olivia. Although, come to think of it, it makes sense. Charlotte has that same sparkle in her eyes, as if she's always ready to discover something new. I just hope she doesn't end up asking her parents to replace important things with animal statues."

Olivia raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Oh, believe me, Lindsay, if Charlotte were like me, she'd already be asking for a spaceship to visit Mars. Though, well, maybe she just wants a horse right now. What do you think, Sack?"

Sack shook his head, though he couldn't help but smile.

"Only you could imagine an eight-year-old asking for a spaceship. But you're right about one thing: Charlotte is special. Maybe she's not as extravagant as you, but she definitely has that glow that makes everyone want to protect her and make her happy."

Ellie nodded, looking at her sleeping sister with a mix of love and nostalgia.

"It's true. Ever since she was little, Charlotte has had this ability to light up any room with her presence alone. Sometimes I think she's too good for this world."

Olivia placed a hand on Ellie's shoulder, surprisingly serious for a moment.

"Well, then we agree on something: Charlotte is a treasure. And I'm glad she was able to come here, to this special place, to enjoy a few happy days. We all need that from time to time, don't we?"

There was a brief silence as we all reflected on what Olivia had just said. Finally, Lindsay broke the moment with a warm smile.

"You're right, Olivia. This place, these people… everything here seems made for moments like this. Thank you for letting us be part of it."

Olivia grinned widely, returning to her usual self.

As we continued chatting under the warm glow of the fireplace, the atmosphere was filled with gratitude and connection.