"And then Seamus took Fiona's hand and swam for the ship," Keely continued in a whisper, scribbling as she went. "Waves crashed around them, but Seamus would not let Fiona drown. For the moment he looked into her eyes, he knew he loved her. His crew dropped a rope ladder over the side, but the ship pitched and rolled and-"

"Did you brush your teeth, Keely?" her mother called.

Keely sighed dramatically. "Mary, mother of-" She stopped herself. Taking the Lord's name in vain was one of those things that might get her an entire rosary. "I'm going to do that right now," Keely shouted.

She tossed the quilt back, scrambled out of bed and hurried down the hall to the bathroom. She brushed up and down twenty-five times on each side and thirty in the front.

After she'd spit and wiped the paste off her mouth, Keely smiled. "And as Seamus carried his new ladylove up the ladder to the safety of his ship, the rain suddenly stopped and the moon broke through the clouds. And beneath the starry sky, Seamus leaned forward and kissed Fiona, sealing their love forever and forever."

"It's nearly ten and you should be in bed."

Keely looked in the mirror and saw the reflection of her mother standing at the bathroom doorway. She held a dish towel in her hands and slowly wiped her fingers. Even though her hair was pulled back in a tidy bun and she wore a plain housedress, she still looked like the princess in Keely's mind, with her bright green eyes and her mahogany tresses.

"Sorry, Ma."

Fiona McClain sighed, then stepped into the bathroom. She reached out and smoothed Keely's long, dark hair, staring at their reflection in the mirror over Keely's shoulder. "You're getting to be such a grown-up young lady. I almost don't recognize you." She flicked her hands through Keely's bangs. "We need to cut these. They're gettin' in your eyes and I won't have you goin' to school looking like some shaggy mutt."