* * *

Father escorted Sarah from the hospital chamber and back to the library to collect her things before heading up.

“Okay, I have a question, Father.”

“And what is that?”

“I know he can read my emotions like a book, but back there you said you were going to let his body work its magic. I’m guessing he doesn’t fly around like Peter Pan, but is there anything else I should be aware of?”

Father chucked at her question. “I have often referred to Jacob and his father’s abilities as magical. Please forgive me and allow me to explain. You see, my dear, their bodies possess the ability to heal far faster than yours or mine. For anyone else, four dislocated ribs would take days or sometimes weeks to fully recover from. By the time you return tomorrow, Jacob will most likely be only vaguely sore in that area.”

“So, I can smoosh-huggle the stuffing out of him?”

“Huggle, yes. Smoosh, I’m not sure he would want to have his ribs reset twice in as many days.”

“I’ll do my best not to ruin your handiwork.”

“Thank you.”

Once again, the mysterious clanging sounded from the pipes over their heads, and the expression on Father’s face suddenly changed from pleasant to somewhat resigned. “Oh dear. I’m terribly sorry to have to do this to you, my dear, but I must be going. I have some unexpected tunnel business to attend to. No rest for the wicked.”

Taking a set of metal sticks, which looked to be a variation of drumsticks, Father proceeded to a lower pipe lining the tunnel wall and tapped on the pipe in a rapid, pattern of long and short bursts. A few seconds passed when another clanging echoed from above them. “Ah, good!” he said, turning back to face her. “Now, all you have to do is just follow this passage until it ends. When it does, you will be on the upper level of the Library. Take the first staircase on the left down. Vincent and Catherine will meet you there.”

“Good thing your directions don’t start the way most do in New England.”

“And how is that?”

“Ya can’t get there, from here.”

Father chuckled at her spot-on impersonation. “Indeed. Now that you mention it, I do recall having heard that on more than one occasion when my travels took me through that part of the country.”  He hugged her farewell.  “I have full faith in you, Sarah. After all, if you can successfully navigate New England, this labyrinth we call home should be a piece of cake by comparison.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“I’m quite certain you shall.”

* * *

Sarah was almost certain her solo walk in the passage hadn’t taken the eternity that it felt as if it had, but she was soon greeted by the warm and welcoming glow of the massive chandeliers of the Library and two new but familiar faces down below.

“I’m sorry I took so long, I had to bolster my courage for a minute or two back there,” she said, descending the last few steps. As his parents approached her, with all the courage she could muster she asked, “Is there somewhere the three of us can go to talk in private? There’s something I really want to tell you about Jacob and me.”

Vincent and Catherine exchanged a brief glance before he replied, “Our chamber is not far from here, Sarah. We can have all the privacy you require there.”

“That’d be great. Thank you.”

Vincent was true to his word, their chamber was nearby. She had wished that the trip would have taken a little longer than it had to give her more time to prepare, but she was just going to have to follow a variation of Jacob’s dance advice – wing it and follow your heart.

* * *

The three entered the Wells Family Chamber and Sarah immediately felt a bit of  relief at how warm and inviting it was. She hoped that its warm ambiance would help her find the courage and the words to express what she felt in her heart; what she needed to tell them.

Vincent pulled out two high-backed chairs which flanked the octagonal table in the center of the chamber. He held the far chair for Catherine and once she had been seated, he proceeded to hold the other while Sarah took her seat before taking his place beside Catherine.

“Welcome to our home, Sarah. I’m quite certain that with all that has come to pass this day that you have many things on your mind, but here we value honesty above almost everything else. Therefore, please speak your mind freely, without fear,” Vincent told her with the same reassuring warmth she recalled hearing in Jacob’s voice when he had calmed her nerves when she first entered the World Below with him only a few hours ago.

Sarah took a long, soothing breath and suddenly realized that Catherine was smiling back at her. “If this is what I think it might be, then I completely understand your case of the nerves, Sarah. I remember when I first met Vincent’s very extended family, I felt like meeting the parents was a far easier thing than meeting an entire community. I gave my first closing argument in court better than I introduced myself to people here. We still joke about it to this day.” Vincent simply chuckled and nodded in agreement as he replayed that moment in his mind’s eye.

Sarah’s nerves further calmed as she felt herself awash in the warm, genuine, and comforting words of encouragement from Jacob’s parents. “Vincent, Catherine, um- well uh you would be right, this is my meet the parents moment. I’ve never really had one before, at least not when it was the real deal, just dating and stuff.

“Now that I know his costume was only the clothes he was wearing for the festival, I imagine that, as his parents, you’d be more than a little wary about outsiders like me taking a fancy to him. That’s why I wanted to talk with you. I want you to know why I love your son.

“We’ve been writing extensively to each other for well over a year and a half. I came to know Jacob from his words, his humor, and that part of his incredible spirit that carried over into his letters. It was never a love at first sight kind of thing; although he is incredibly handsome in my book now that I think about it.”

Catherine looked over at Vincent. “Handsome does run in the Wells family.”

“All these months, I had no idea he wasn’t human and now that I do know, it doesn’t matter to me one bit. I fell in love with him because of who Jacob is. What he is only makes him that much more rare and special in my heart, and I feel truly blessed to have him in my life.  There are so many reasons I fell in love with him, but one, above the rest, stands out. He has no idea who I am.” This elicited a look of concern and confusion from Vincent and Catherine.

“And who are you, Sarah?” Vincent inquired.

“Have either of you ever heard of The Hancock Foundation?”

Catherine’s face lit up in instant recognition. “I have! The Child Advocacy Division I consult for works with them all the time. They are one of the best in the business when it comes to children’s charity organizations.”

“To answer your question, Vincent,  I am Sarah Elizabeth Hancock from that family of Hancocks. Since I first started seriously being interested in boys, every single one of them never looked at me and saw me. They saw what they imagined my bank balances were like; they saw the heiress to trust funds; the estate I call home, everything but – me. When we were at the festival, I couldn’t help but notice that Jacob fumbled with money like he’d never used it in his life. I thought it was because maybe he was more used to using a debit card to pay for things instead of cash. Now that I see where he lives, you don’t use money, do you?”

“We do not. For those rare times when it is required for our needs, our helpers above have always contributed it for our well being here.”

Sarah smiled when Vincent confirmed what she had long suspected. “Jacob has no need for money. He heard my last name and thought nothing of it. I was just- Sarah – and when he looks at me, he sees me, not my family legacy.”

Vincent was deeply touched by her words when he recalled having told Catherine shortly after they met, that she had truly seen him. He knew what it had meant to him then to be seen, not as something to be feared but rather,  as a man.

“Jacob has been there for me and only for me, not for the financial empire I could potentially provide him access to. He cares about me. He loves me for me and, in return , I love him for him without any strings attached. I wanted you both to know that. I wanted you to know that this isn’t a thing. I love Jacob and I will never do anything to hurt or betray him or his family down here.” Sarah turned to Vincent. “He is very much his father’s son and I’m pretty sure you can read me like a book same as he can, right?”

“Not to the extent as my son, but I can sense you.”

“Then you know I’m not just making this up; that I feel what I feel.”

Vincent reached across to her side of the table and gently took her hand, which still trembled from nervousness, and in a tone, which Catherine knew meant his words were of absolute sincerity, answered her question. “I know what you have spoken is absolutely true, Sarah. Jacob shared with Catherine and me the parts of your letters which he felt appropriate to share and, in that, we have come to know a little about you. Your words have always rung true with us and now that we have had this brief opportunity to meet the author of those words,” he looked at Catherine as he continued, “ I believe I can say for the both of us that we are, and shall forever be, grateful to you for the warmth, compassion, and hope, and now the love, that you have brought into Jacob’s life.”

Sarah was no longer in fear of running off at the mouth. She had been rendered speechless by Vincent’s words which still resounded to the depths of her very soul. In the span of only a few hours, her world had vastly changed and she knew it was for the better. For only a moment, she looked at Vincent, felt his hand holding her own and remembered what it had been like to have reassuring conversations with her own father. All of this combined brought a tear to her cheek, but this tear, she was quite certain, was a happy one.

She was brought back into the moment when she heard Vincent’s voice once more. “I hope I did not say anything to upset you, Sarah.”

“No — not at all. I’m sorry. It’s just that what you said, it sounded like something my father would have told me. If Jacob told you about our letters, then I assume he told you about what happened to my parents.”

Catherine nodded and placed her hand atop her husband’s. “ He did — but — it looks like your family just got a little bit bigger today, Sarah. Welcome.“

* * *

Sarah had gathered her things in the library, still basking in the warmth of Vincent and Catherine’s welcome. “Okay I think that’s all my things. I really don’t want to go to be honest,” she said looking up at the archway that led back to where Jacob lay resting in the hospital,” but I don’t want to overstay my welcome either.”

“You needn’t worry about that, my dear. I’m glad I caught you before you returned above. There is something I wish to tell you.”

“What’s that, Papa?” she said with a smile when her very recently adopted grandfather gave his own smile of approval at her choice of names for him.

“I have already accepted your request to help our world with its occasional needs, but I would also like to officially welcome you into our little family and the greater community of which it is a part. You have my word, Sarah, that you will never overstay your welcome here with us.” Before Father could continue with his welcoming speech, he found himself enveloped in a Sarah hug.

“Thank you, Papa.”

“You are most welcome, and may I say, I now fully understand why you chose to call it a smoosh-huggle. I would also like to thank you.”

“For what?”

“Your very energetic hugging style seems to have freed up my back quite nicely. Have you ever considered a career in medicine?”

“I will keep it on my possibilities list.”

* * *

Father escorted Sarah from the hospital chamber and back to the library to collect her things before heading up.

“Okay, I have a question, Father.”

“And what is that?”

“I know he can read my emotions like a book, but back there you said you were going to let his body work its magic. I’m guessing he doesn’t fly around like Peter Pan, but is there anything else I should be aware of?”

Father chucked at her question. “I have often referred to Jacob and his father’s abilities as magical. Please forgive me and allow me to explain. You see, my dear, their bodies possess the ability to heal far faster than yours or mine. For anyone else, four dislocated ribs would take days or sometimes weeks to fully recover from. By the time you return tomorrow, Jacob will most likely be only vaguely sore in that area.”

“So, I can smoosh-huggle the stuffing out of him?”

“Huggle, yes. Smoosh, I’m not sure he would want to have his ribs reset twice in as many days.”

“I’ll do my best not to ruin your handiwork.”

“Thank you.”

Once again, the mysterious clanging sounded from the pipes over their heads, and the expression on Father’s face suddenly changed from pleasant to somewhat resigned. “Oh dear. I’m terribly sorry to have to do this to you, my dear, but I must be going. I have some unexpected tunnel business to attend to. No rest for the wicked.”

Taking a set of metal sticks, which looked to be a variation of drumsticks, Father proceeded to a lower pipe lining the tunnel wall and tapped on the pipe in a rapid, pattern of long and short bursts. A few seconds passed when another clanging echoed from above them. “Ah, good!” he said, turning back to face her. “Now, all you have to do is just follow this passage until it ends. When it does, you will be on the upper level of the Library. Take the first staircase on the left down. Vincent and Catherine will meet you there.”

“Good thing your directions don’t start the way most do in New England.”

“And how is that?”

“Ya can’t get there, from here.”

Father chuckled at her spot-on impersonation. “Indeed. Now that you mention it, I do recall having heard that on more than one occasion when my travels took me through that part of the country.”  He hugged her farewell.  “I have full faith in you, Sarah. After all, if you can successfully navigate New England, this labyrinth we call home should be a piece of cake by comparison.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“I’m quite certain you shall.”

* * *

Sarah was almost certain her solo walk in the passage hadn’t taken the eternity that it felt as if it had, but she was soon greeted by the warm and welcoming glow of the massive chandeliers of the Library and two new but familiar faces down below.

“I’m sorry I took so long, I had to bolster my courage for a minute or two back there,” she said, descending the last few steps. As his parents approached her, with all the courage she could muster she asked, “Is there somewhere the three of us can go to talk in private? There’s something I really want to tell you about Jacob and me.”

Vincent and Catherine exchanged a brief glance before he replied, “Our chamber is not far from here, Sarah. We can have all the privacy you require there.”

“That’d be great. Thank you.”

Vincent was true to his word, their chamber was nearby. She had wished that the trip would have taken a little longer than it had to give her more time to prepare, but she was just going to have to follow a variation of Jacob’s dance advice – wing it and follow your heart.

* * *

The three entered the Wells Family Chamber and Sarah immediately felt a bit of  relief at how warm and inviting it was. She hoped that its warm ambiance would help her find the courage and the words to express what she felt in her heart; what she needed to tell them.

Vincent pulled out two high-backed chairs which flanked the octagonal table in the center of the chamber. He held the far chair for Catherine and once she had been seated, he proceeded to hold the other while Sarah took her seat before taking his place beside Catherine.

“Welcome to our home, Sarah. I’m quite certain that with all that has come to pass this day that you have many things on your mind, but here we value honesty above almost everything else. Therefore, please speak your mind freely, without fear,” Vincent told her with the same reassuring warmth she recalled hearing in Jacob’s voice when he had calmed her nerves when she first entered the World Below with him only a few hours ago.

Sarah took a long, soothing breath and suddenly realized that Catherine was smiling back at her. “If this is what I think it might be, then I completely understand your case of the nerves, Sarah. I remember when I first met Vincent’s very extended family, I felt like meeting the parents was a far easier thing than meeting an entire community. I gave my first closing argument in court better than I introduced myself to people here. We still joke about it to this day.” Vincent simply chuckled and nodded in agreement as he replayed that moment in his mind’s eye.

Sarah’s nerves further calmed as she felt herself awash in the warm, genuine, and comforting words of encouragement from Jacob’s parents. “Vincent, Catherine, um- well uh you would be right, this is my meet the parents moment. I’ve never really had one before, at least not when it was the real deal, just dating and stuff.

“Now that I know his costume was only the clothes he was wearing for the festival, I imagine that, as his parents, you’d be more than a little wary about outsiders like me taking a fancy to him. That’s why I wanted to talk with you. I want you to know why I love your son.

“We’ve been writing extensively to each other for well over a year and a half. I came to know Jacob from his words, his humor, and that part of his incredible spirit that carried over into his letters. It was never a love at first sight kind of thing; although he is incredibly handsome in my book now that I think about it.”

Catherine looked over at Vincent. “Handsome does run in the Wells family.”

“All these months, I had no idea he wasn’t human and now that I do know, it doesn’t matter to me one bit. I fell in love with him because of who Jacob is. What he is only makes him that much more rare and special in my heart, and I feel truly blessed to have him in my life.  There are so many reasons I fell in love with him, but one, above the rest, stands out. He has no idea who I am.” This elicited a look of concern and confusion from Vincent and Catherine.

“And who are you, Sarah?” Vincent inquired.

“Have either of you ever heard of The Hancock Foundation?”

Catherine’s face lit up in instant recognition. “I have! The Child Advocacy Division I consult for works with them all the time. They are one of the best in the business when it comes to children’s charity organizations.”

“To answer your question, Vincent,  I am Sarah Elizabeth Hancock from that family of Hancocks. Since I first started seriously being interested in boys, every single one of them never looked at me and saw me. They saw what they imagined my bank balances were like; they saw the heiress to trust funds; the estate I call home, everything but – me. When we were at the festival, I couldn’t help but notice that Jacob fumbled with money like he’d never used it in his life. I thought it was because maybe he was more used to using a debit card to pay for things instead of cash. Now that I see where he lives, you don’t use money, do you?”

“We do not. For those rare times when it is required for our needs, our helpers above have always contributed it for our well being here.”

Sarah smiled when Vincent confirmed what she had long suspected. “Jacob has no need for money. He heard my last name and thought nothing of it. I was just- Sarah – and when he looks at me, he sees me, not my family legacy.”

Vincent was deeply touched by her words when he recalled having told Catherine shortly after they met, that she had truly seen him. He knew what it had meant to him then to be seen, not as something to be feared but rather,  as a man.

“Jacob has been there for me and only for me, not for the financial empire I could potentially provide him access to. He cares about me. He loves me for me and, in return , I love him for him without any strings attached. I wanted you both to know that. I wanted you to know that this isn’t a thing. I love Jacob and I will never do anything to hurt or betray him or his family down here.” Sarah turned to Vincent. “He is very much his father’s son and I’m pretty sure you can read me like a book same as he can, right?”

“Not to the extent as my son, but I can sense you.”

“Then you know I’m not just making this up; that I feel what I feel.”

Vincent reached across to her side of the table and gently took her hand, which still trembled from nervousness, and in a tone, which Catherine knew meant his words were of absolute sincerity, answered her question. “I know what you have spoken is absolutely true, Sarah. Jacob shared with Catherine and me the parts of your letters which he felt appropriate to share and, in that, we have come to know a little about you. Your words have always rung true with us and now that we have had this brief opportunity to meet the author of those words,” he looked at Catherine as he continued, “ I believe I can say for the both of us that we are, and shall forever be, grateful to you for the warmth, compassion, and hope, and now the love, that you have brought into Jacob’s life.”

Sarah was no longer in fear of running off at the mouth. She had been rendered speechless by Vincent’s words which still resounded to the depths of her very soul. In the span of only a few hours, her world had vastly changed and she knew it was for the better. For only a moment, she looked at Vincent, felt his hand holding her own and remembered what it had been like to have reassuring conversations with her own father. All of this combined brought a tear to her cheek, but this tear, she was quite certain, was a happy one.

She was brought back into the moment when she heard Vincent’s voice once more. “I hope I did not say anything to upset you, Sarah.”

“No — not at all. I’m sorry. It’s just that what you said, it sounded like something my father would have told me. If Jacob told you about our letters, then I assume he told you about what happened to my parents.”

Catherine nodded and placed her hand atop her husband’s. “ He did — but — it looks like your family just got a little bit bigger today, Sarah. Welcome.“

* * *

Sarah had gathered her things in the library, still basking in the warmth of Vincent and Catherine’s welcome. “Okay I think that’s all my things. I really don’t want to go to be honest,” she said looking up at the archway that led back to where Jacob lay resting in the hospital,” but I don’t want to overstay my welcome either.”

“You needn’t worry about that, my dear. I’m glad I caught you before you returned above. There is something I wish to tell you.”

“What’s that, Papa?” she said with a smile when her very recently adopted grandfather gave his own smile of approval at her choice of names for him.

“I have already accepted your request to help our world with its occasional needs, but I would also like to officially welcome you into our little family and the greater community of which it is a part. You have my word, Sarah, that you will never overstay your welcome here with us.” Before Father could continue with his welcoming speech, he found himself enveloped in a Sarah hug.

“Thank you, Papa.”

“You are most welcome, and may I say, I now fully understand why you chose to call it a smoosh-huggle. I would also like to thank you.”

“For what?”

“Your very energetic hugging style seems to have freed up my back quite nicely. Have you ever considered a career in medicine?”

“I will keep it on my possibilities list.”