Seeing Beauty’s helpfulness in action makes my heart lift. Maybe she will want to help Jonah!

“Prince! Let’s go,” I holler, stuffing the rest of my sandwich in my mouth. I try to tell Freckles, “Thank you so much,” but because my mouth is full, it ends up coming out as “Tank ew oh mut.”

Freckles smiles, and I wave and run outside.

“Be careful!” Grumpy Great-Grandma yells at Beauty. “Carry the bags higher!”

“Sorry, Grumpy Great-Grandma,” Beauty says. She lifts the bags higher.

“Now they’re swinging!” Grumpy Great-Grandma shrieks. “Are you trying to bang up the bananas?”

Grumpy Great-Grandma really is very, very grumpy.

Beauty looks at me and smiles. She has two perfect dimples. She also has perfect, white shiny teeth.

“Hello,” I say. “Beauty?”

“Hello,” she says. “Can I help you?”

“Actually, that would be great,” I say.

“Less talking, more walking,” says Grumpy Great-Grandma.

“Sorry, Grumpy Great-Grandma,” Beauty says. Then she turns to me. “It’s not her fault. She has a bad hip.”

“No problem,” I say, walking along beside them. Prince trots behind us.

How to begin? It seems strange to just come out and ask someone if she wouldn’t mind going to live with a beast so you could have your brother back.

Grumpy Great-Grandma narrows her eyes at me. “If you want to talk to Beauty, you should at least give her a hand and carry one of my bags.”

“Of course,” I say. “Sorry! Let me help.” I take two bags from Beauty and clear my throat. “So. My name is Abby, and my brother’s name is Jonah. And Jonah is why I need help.”

“Abby? And Jonah?” Beauty says with wide eyes. “Wow. I’ve never heard those names before! So original!”

I almost laugh. “Thank you. Well, see, we stopped by a palace owned by a guy named Mr. Beast. Have you ever heard of him?”

She shakes her head. “No,” she says.

I need to continue this story carefully. I can’t let it slip that Mr. Beast is secretly a handsome prince. That would mess everything up. “We stopped at the palace and met Mr. Beast. But my brother picked one of the flowers, and Mr. Beast …” I debate whether I should tell her that he threatened to kill my brother. Probably not. No need to scare her unnecessarily. “Mr. Beast insisted on keeping Jonah. But he can’t keep Jonah, you see. We don’t live anywhere near here. We have to get home. And he’s only seven! Mr. Beast said we could trade Jonah if we could find someone else who was willing to stay there. He lives in an amazing castle. It’s gorgeous.” I pause. Now I have to ask her if she’ll trade places with him. But how can I ask her that? It’s a crazy thing to ask. But I have to. I have to just do it. “So …” I begin.