Page 382 of His Hungry Wolf

I hesitated seeing the sincerity in his eyes and then slowly read it.

“Go to the place where your Grandmother first told you that you were beautiful the way you were.”

I couldn’t breathe. My stomach shook. And before I could get a word out, I exploded into tears. The theme of Titus’s scavenger hunt was the love my Grandmother had for me. I fell into Titus’s arms sobbing uncontrollably.

“I can’t. I can’t,” I said overcome with grief.

“I’ll be here with you. I’m not going anywhere,” he said holding me tighter.

I stayed in his arms as long as it took for me to pull myself together. Wiping my eyes I said, “I guess I should attempt to play your game… you sicko.”

Titus chuckled. I was glad he did because I didn’t want him to think this was anything other than the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for me.

“So, let me see,” I said reading the instructions again. “Go to the place where your Grandmother first told you that you were beautiful the way you were.” I thought about it. “Well, that had to be after I told her that I stopped taking my meds. She smiled and said, people weren’t going to love me in spite of who I was. They would love me because of it.” I narrowed my eyes on Titus. “Did I even tell you about that?”

With his usual smile, he shrugged.

“Clearly, you’re not going to be any help. But if I went to where my Grandmother told me that, I would go to her library. Are we supposed to drive to her estate?” I asked Titus.

He didn’t respond.

Staring at him further, I said, “No. But, you do want me to go to the library. I’m right, aren’t I? That’s where I’m supposed to go?”

“You’re supposed to be so good at games,” Titus quipped. “You tell me.”

“Oh, I see what you’re doing. Okay. We’re going to the campus library.”

“Lead the way,” Titus agreed.

Feeling more alive than I had in a long time, I rushed out of my place almost sprinting across campus. Approaching the glowing four-story building, I saw a familiar face outside.

“Quin, what are you doing here?”

Instead of saying anything, he smiled and handed me my next clue. I read it.

“Find the book your grandmother would always read to you after your mother said cruel things to you.”

I lowered my head and fought back the tears as I remembered the vile things my mother would say.

“She was always my defender. She was the only one who didn’t make me feel like I was the worst person in the world.” Falling into tears again I admitted, “I miss her so much.”

Both Titus and Quin put their arms around me. It felt good. It felt good to talk about her and it felt good that I had people who would be there for me. But pulling myself together, I took a deep breath and answered the question.

“The story my Grandmother read to me when my mother would say the most horrible things to me is, ‘The Velveteen Rabbit.’ I’m still not sure why. But, I’m also sure I didn’t tell either of you that. I don’t know if I’ve told anybody.”

“If that’s the book, then we should find it,” Titus said confidently.

“No,” I said doubting but delighted that he could know that.

“That’s the book, right?” Titus confirmed.

“Yeah.”

“Then that’s the book you need to find.”

I stared at him shocked that this could be happening. But leaving Quin, I entered the library and approached the front desk.

“Do you have a copy of the book, ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’?”