“I wish I could have seen it. It sounds beautiful.”
“I don’t know why they had my coronation without you there,” the Princess answered her mom.
Her mom laughed a little. “Coronation, graduation. What’s the difference, I guess? You made it, my baby. I’m so proud of you.”
“Of course I made it. Like you always told me, I had to go through seventeen years of training to be a full princess. Of course I would make it. What’s funny is many people made it who weren’t princesses.”
“I see. Where is Clyde? Did he come with you today?”
“Mom, I told you he’s down in the gift shop buying flowers for you,” the Princess said, and for just a moment she didn’t see her queenly mother resting peacefully on a grand mattress, but a sickly, too-thin woman lying on a hospital bed with wires running into machines. She let out a whimper and staggered backward into something.
“Are you okay?” It was Clyde, holding a fancy bouquet of flowers—one he dropped so he could catch his stumbling friend.
“Mom, I mean…”
“Is she okay?” Clyde quickly asked. He had never seen the Princess look so lost. But then her usual disconnected, pleasant calm returned.
“She wanted to speak with you. I will be off to find her food,” the Princess said, and quickly bounded away. Clyde stared after her for a moment, then picked up the flowers.
“Clyde.”
Clyde looked up. The Princess’s mom looked alert. That was a good sign, he hoped.
“Come closer,” she said, and Clyde stepped forward.
He was nervous. He had grown up with her around, but except for one awkward time when he was younger, she never spoke to him without her daughter. And he didn’t really know how to act around someone this sick.
“Thank you for always being there for Princess. You are one of the few people who knew just how great she is. Please, if I don’t make it, never abandon her. I know that is asking a lot, and you have your whole life, but she needs someone.”
Clyde cried. “She will find her prince one day, but she clarified that I am just her Clyde.”
“Every Princess needs a Clyde.”
“I won’t abandon her,” Clyde said. The mother grabbed his hand and began crying on it.
Clyde was more afraid than sad, but he would tell no one about this moment, even though it would replay in his mind for the rest of his life.