It's Magic, You Know

"No," her mom said as she shook her head.

"Then what? Mom. Please talk to me."

She wiped one eye then smiled and said, "It's just that I have the most amazing daughter in the whole world."

"Yes. Yes, you do," Jenni teased. "And?"

"And..." her mom began.

She smiled a happy smile then said, "And...I...I think I have a boyfriend."

Jenni's eyes opened wide as she drew a quick, deep breath.

"Seriously? Mom! I want details. All of them. Right now!" her daughter said.

"Okay, but..."

"But?" Jenni asked.

"I can't share...all of them...with you."

The look on her mom's face said it all.

"No. No way. You...you didn't."

When her mom didn't answer, Jenni's eyes opened wide.

"You...did, didn't you?"

Her mom didn't answer, but she didn't need to.

Jenni grabbed her and hugged and said, "Now I'm about to cry!"

"Why?" her mom asked.

"Duh! Because I'm so happy for you. That's why!"

After a very long, very emotional hug, Hollie shared everything she could with her daughter who seemed to hang on every word.

"And you're seeing him again, right?" Jenni asked.

"Yes. Yes, I am," her mom told her.

"Mom? I am so unbelievably happy for you."

"Thank you, honey. And having you in my life makes me unbelievably happy."

Jenni teared up immediately which caused her mom to tear up, and as they held each other again both of them cried as they thought back on their lives together. Not a word was said because none needed to be. Both of them were just unbelievably grateful for the other and all they meant to each other.

"Oh. Did you show your friends at school the video I made?" her mom remembered to ask, having forgotten all about it.

Jenni smiled then said, "Let's just say I am now the most popular girl in all of my classes."

"Would that include being even more popular with one Josh Davis?" her mom teased.

"Maybe," Jenni said coyly, "but tonight is your night, okay?"

"All right, but tomorrow you tell me everything, okay?" Her mom smiled then said, "And there better not be any details you can't talk about."

Jenni laughed then hugged her mom again.

"No. Nothing like that, Mom. I promise."

They told one another goodnight then Hollie went to lay down but found it impossible to sleep. A half hour later she heard her phone buzz and reached for it then smiled.

"I've never been happier before in all my life. Love, Jakob," she read.

She smiled then happily kicked her feet on the mattress as fast as she could before saying out loud, "I am SO happy!"

And that's exactly what she texted back. She, too, signed it, "Love, Hollie."

"Love Hollie," he wrote, leaving out the comma. "Hmmm. I have to say, 'I'd very much like to love Hollie. Very much. "

Hollie kicked the mattress again and squealed with joy, hoping Jenni didn't hear while knowing she had to have heard her. But she didn't care at all as she read what he wrote again.

"How can this be happening to me?" she asked herself after reading his words a third time. "This kind of thing never happens to me."

She thought about that until she couldn't think anymore then, just before she fell asleep, thought, "And yet is."

Hollie was exhausted when her alarm went off. It seemed like two seconds since she'd fallen asleep, but it had been almost four hours, half of what she normally got. She was exhausted but so happy she didn't care that she had to work the entire day.

She let the hot water work its magic...a word that made her smile...then went to the kitchen to have a cup or two of coffee.

"Hey, Mom!" Jenni said when her mom walked in.

"Why are you up already?" her mom asked.

"Because I'm so happy for my best friend, I was wide awake and wanted to spend some time with her before I go to school."

"And it just keeps getting better," Hollie said with a smile.

Jenni noticed and said, "I haven't seen you smile like that in..."

She tilted her head then said, "I've never seen you smile like that."

"I can't help it. I guess I really am happy," her mom said.

"And that makes me happy," Jenni told her. "Oh. When are you going to invite Jakob over for dinner?"

"Is that okay?" her mom asked.

"You really must be tired," Jenni replied.

Her mom laughed then said, "Soon. I promise."

In fact, they agreed to do just that the following evening after Hollie let him know how exhausted she was.

"Are you complaining?" Jakob teased during their one and only phone call.

"No. Not at all," she told him. "It was worth every minute."

"Same here," he told her. "Can I bring anything tomorrow? You know, when you make me dinner for me for the first time?"

Hollie wanted to squeal again, but only said, "First time, huh?"

"I'm kind of hoping that'll become a regular thing."

"I see. Well, I don't think I'd mind that."

Before Jakob could reply she added, "Too much."

"Hey! Not nice," he said just as playfully.

"I can't wait to see you, and thank you for understanding," she told him sincerely.

"Hollie? I've waited ten years for this. I think I can wait one more day. Well, maybe."

Hollie laughed then told him goodbye. She looked around, and when no one was looking, she did a happy dance right there on the restaurant floor. No one else saw her, but she didn't care if they had. She was in love and nothing else mattered.

She wouldn't admit that to herself yet, but she was, and that's why she was beside herself with happiness.

After a full night's sleep, Hollie was beyond excited to have Jakob for dinner. She laughed at the thought of actually 'having' him for dinner then thought she might get lucky and be able to 'have' him for dessert.

Jenni was every bit as excited as her mom to have their favorite 'mujishun' back in their home, and she and Hollie both wore the nicest informal things they had along with a little bit of makeup.

Hollie realized the fantasy look she'd enjoyed came from makeup professionals, but she was much less harsh on herself when she took a final look in the mirror after getting ready. For the first time in many years, she allowed herself to think she might even be a reasonably attractive woman when the truth was she still looked amazing.

Jenni jumped up and ran to the door when Jakob arrived, and after a warm hug and a very happy 'hello, again', the magician reached behind her and produced a bouquet of flowers.

"For my favorite girl in the whole world," he said as Hollie watched and waited, wondering how they would say 'hello'.

Jenni stepped aside, unable to stop smiling, and when she sensed the discomfort said, "You can kiss my mom, you know."

Hollie's eyes darted toward her daughter then back at Jakob who was smiling.

"Whew!" he said as he did just that causing them all to laugh.

Even more amazing was when he produced another bouquet as the kiss ended.

"For my favorite...woman...in the whole world."

Once they sat down for dinner, none of them cared what they were eating. All that mattered was the three of them together, talking, and having a wonderful time. They began with a walk down memory lane as Jakob recounted the phone call that led to him becoming Jenni's 'mujishun' while her mother once again talked about how he'd come back day after day for months, never asking for anything.

"Thank you," Jenni said sincerely. "I only have snippets of memories, but I know you made me laugh and smile, and the doctors said that could be the reason I'm alive today."

Jakob smiled at her then said, "I'd do it all again, no questions asked."

When they got to Jenni, school, and boyfriends, she answered all of Jakob's questions to include 'no' to the one about a boyfriend.

"But I was kind of wondering," she began as she looked at her mom then back at Jakob. "Are you...my mom's boyfriend?"

"Jenni. Honey," her mom said before Jakob could respond.

He smiled at Hollie then said, without taking his eyes off of her, "You know what? Nothing would make me happier."

Hollie felt flushed and looked down for a second before saying, "I'd like that very much."

Jenni was very happy for her mother and said, "I'd like that, too."

"Then I'd say it's settled, right—girlfriend?" he said to Hollie.

"I won't disagree with that...boyfriend," she said feeling both silly and happy at the same time.

"This is so amazing!" Jenni said. "Who would have ever thought that the two of you would be, you know, dating?"

Jakob smiled again then said, "Well, I uh, I definitely dreamed about it."

"My mom's beautiful, huh?" Jenni said to him while looking at her mom.

"Yes, she is. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever known."

"Oh, please!" Hollie said, even as she loved hearing those words.

"Although this one's going to give you some competition in a few years," he said to Jenni with a wink.

"Now she is beautiful," her mom readily agreed.

There was a lull in the conversation when Jenni asked, "So what's next for the two of you?"

Jakob reached over and took Hollie's hand then said, "That's up to your beautiful mother, but if I have my way, I'm never gonna let her get away from me again."

Hollie was so happy she wasn't sure how she could possibly feel this wonderful after so many years of heartache and loneliness, but she was indeed that happy, and answered Jakob's question accordingly in a very sweet tone of voice.

"I can promise you I'll never try and get away."

Jakob smiled, squeezed Hollie's hand, then said to Jenni, "She promised. You heard that, right?"

"Uh-huh. I sure did," Jenni told him, the smile on her face almost as big as the one on her mom's.

He continued looking at Jenni then asked, "Is that okay with you? If your mom...never gets away from me again? Or me from her?"

Her smile lessened slightly as she said very sincerely, "I have never really seen my mom happy before. She always puts on a good front for me, but I know how hard her life has been. She means everything to me, and it's obvious she really likes you, Jakob."

Jenni paused then said, "She really, REALLY likes you."

Her mom only smiled as her daughter continued speaking.

"I haven't seen her stop smiling since you asked her out. Knowing she's happy makes me happy, so if the two of you stay together...forever...I'd be very happy, too."

Jakob and Hollie did stay together. From that day forward, they were together for some amount of time nearly every day for the rest of their lives.

As Jakob continued to establish his reputation, Hollie stood by his side supporting him in every way possible. As his reputation grew so did the amount of money he made, and within six months, he asked Hollie to marry him during a show one evening when he 'disappeared' then reappeared in the same VIP seating area where she and her daughter had sat the first time they saw him.

Jenni was in on it, and she produced the ring Jakob slid on her mom's finger as the spotlight focused on the three of them. When she said 'yes' the entire audience exploded in applause followed by a brief appearance from David Copperfield who came out to congratulate them.

During the following month, Hollie and her daughter moved in with their favorite 'mujishun' and put her old house up for sale. With the money they made from selling it, they were able to finally pay off all of the medical bills she'd continued paying on a few dollars a month over the past decade.

When they married that summer, David Copperfield rented out the entire Stratosphere Restaurant where the happy couple was married and where they held their reception. Jenni spent the night with a girlfriend from school in a very nice suite in the hotel with Mr. and Mrs. Jakob Bennett returning to the Presidential Suite to consummate their wedding vows.

A year later, Jakob learned he was being given his own show, and couldn't wait to get home and tell his beautiful wife. What he didn't know was that she also had news she couldn't wait to tell him.

"You go first, sweetheart," she told him as her handsome husband bubble with excitement.

When he explained this amazing new opportunity, Hollie hugged him and told him how proud she was of him.

"Now you," her husband said.

"Well. I just found out that...you're going to be a father."

Jakob's eyes opened wide as he jaw dropped.

"Honey? Are you upset?" Hollie asked, feeling afraid for the first time since she'd met him.

"Afraid? Afraid? Hollie, are you kidding? No, I'm not afraid. I'm...happy! I'm so happy I'm about to scream!"

"Then scream!" she said as both of them screamed at the top of their voices.

Jenni came running downstairs wondering what was wrong, and saw her parents laying on top of one another on the couch laughing and kissing.

"Oh, you guys are doing...that, huh?" the 15-year old said with a smile.

"No, but we're this happy because we um...did that," her mother said, unable to stop smiling.

"What?" Jenni replied before it hit her.

"Wait. Are you saying...am I...am I finally going to be a big sister?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes, you are," her mother told her.

"Seriously?" she asked as she ran over to them.

They pulled her down with them as the three of them screamed and squealed and celebrated the greatest gift of all—a new life.

Then again, even as Hollie was rolling around on the floor, laughing and having the best time of her life, she realized her life began anew the moment Jakob Bennett took her hand and invited her up on stage. And while she never took her newfound happiness for granted, she clearly recalled the years after Jenni's father walked out on them, and the haunting belief she would never be happy again.

So as she held her husband and daughter in her arms, all squished up on the couch, Hollie Bennett soaked up every ounce of happiness that came her way, forever thankful for the phone call from a friend in which she learned about a handsome young 'mujishun' who would change her life forever.