Abby was amazed how normal a family life Katie seed to have considering where they were. All this ti she had been worried for nothing.
When they made it to their house, she found that it was a simple dwelling with a kitchen, living room, four bedrooms, and a bathroom. A real bathroom! She thanked her lucky stars for indoor plumbing at last.
"You have a real bathroom!" she practically exclaid.
Katie laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist because she was too short to reach her shoulders easily. "I got pretty lucky. Nobles have bathrooms and I insisted on having one when we built our house. I take it you haven't seen a real toilet since leaving ho?"
"Not one," Abby said ruefully.
"You poor thing! How did you adjust? And how did you find ? Start from the beginning; I want to hear everything."
Al had already left to put the toddler down for his nap but everyone else was seated in the cozy living room as Abby began her story, starting all the way back with how she hadn't been able to handle her sister's death so she went through all of her old stuff.
Al ca in and sat down around the ti she got to ending up in Shibatsu. He didn't have a clue what was going on and looked to his wife for elaboration.
As Mariela predicted, Katie was amused by how she had literally changed the story. "apparently I changed the entire novel back ho. The words themselves changed because of the things I did. Abby tracked down the author, who was apparently the only other person who had noticed the switch, and got her to write a line in the end of her copy of the book that transported her to Shibatsu."
Al snorted. "Well that's one mystery solved. You did wonder what happened with the author."
Katie shrugged. "Now I know. I'm more interested to know how Abby managed to get all the way here."
"I couldn't have done it without Blaise," Abby admitted. He jolted slightly when his na was ntioned and she continued. "I was found by one of his colleagues, another Warrior-in-training. We got friendly during the ti I spent there saving up to sail to Annalaias.
"After passing his exam he decided to co with as a practice run for being a bodyguard and here we are. I wouldn't have made it all this way without him; he jumped overboard to save when I got swept off the deck by a huge wave."
Katie gasped and laid a hand on her sister's arm. "That must have been so scary! I'm so glad that you're okayand that you're here. I still can't believe it. You found the novel I got stuck in and ca after . What about your life back ho? Do you have a way to get back there?"
Abby was offended her sister even thought she would want to go back now that she found her. Especially after all the effort she had put into getting here. She didn't care about the life she left behind! It had been empty and aningless without knowing Katie was only a text or phone call away.
"I graduated from school and worked as a graphic designer for a year before this all happened. Nothing I left behind was worth missing out on the chance to see you again. We still have that promise to keep about backyard barbecues, don't we? I'm here to stay," she said firmly.
It was strange seeing her sister make the crying face she always used to make with soone else's facial features. The Katie she knew had a round face, acne scars, glasses that were way too big, and straight mouse brown hair.
This human porcelain doll was both familiar and unfamiliar. These were Katie's words coming out with soone else's voice. It would take so getting used to.
"You reallyI" Katie broke down completely, weeping into her hands.
Abby understood how she must feel. All this ti she thought they would never see each other again. Ever since talking to the author and coming here she'd had hope but Katie hadn't. Once she realized she was stuck here she believed there was no going back to the way things were.
It wouldn't be exactly the sa; this was no Arizona. But they were together again and that was what mattered.
Al gently rubbed his wife's shoulders in an attempt to comfort her. He wasn't sure what to make of her overwheld happy tears since he was used to comforting her when she was sad.
Now that he knew Abby didn't intend to steal his wife away, the hostility on his face had completely vanished. He smiled at her warmly. "Ever since Katie told about her ho I've been rather curious about you. It's nice to finally put a face to the na; I didn't think I would get that chance."
And Abby didn't think she would be eting the man her sister married so many years after the fact. She always thought she would be heavily involved in getting to know him and making sure they were a good match before it happened.
As the only remaining family, she had figured she would be the person her sister's boyfriend would have to ask for permission since their father was gone. But Al had never been her boyfriend. They jumped straight to being engaged.
She didn't know what to think of this man who had obviously tricked her sister into marrying him. It was done with sowhat good intentions, to save her from that duke, but ultimately it was still selfish.
Katie was clearly happy and in love now so she would forgive him for her sake. It would be interesting to get to know her brother-in-law.
"And I always wondered what kind of person my sister would marry since she never dated while living at ho. A fantasyland prince wasn't what I imagined at all," Abby said with a raised eyebrow.
Al flushed. "Ah, technically I was never a prince. My people don't have royalty."
To-may-to, to-mah-to. He was the son of the person in charge and inherited the position; it was basically the sa thing. She shrugged.
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