With so much going on and demanding her attention, JC spoke and just let slip what she needed to happen more than anything.
"I just wish that this whole CJ thing would get sorted out so I can get back to my life."
Somewhere else, the stone glowed. And in a nearby bathroom stall, a ten year old ballerina just appeared from thin air. The stall door opened slowly and CJ stepped out of it. There was the look of utter confusion on her face, and on JC's, too as she saw the girl.
"Oh my God," Sarah shouted and she ran up to the girl. "Are you CJ? CJ Black?"
The girl nodded, bewildered. Sarah quickly grabbed the girl's hand and sighed with relief,
"C'mon, sweetie, lets get you back to your mom." The girl offered no resistance, but glowered at JC as she walked by. A glower that took JC aback. How was this possible? What had the stone done? Was CJ a wholly new person, or did she have all her and Jon's memories?
She offered no resistance as Sarah led her away, but JC had a bad, bad feeling about this. She followed behind, admiring Sarah's own behind swishing in her leotard. She kept her distance and tried to sort everything out now that she didn't have CJ to worry about.
She watched as Mom and Karyn noticed CJ and ran to her, Mom giving the girl kisses and hugs while also scolding her for running away. Sarah apologized for the studio losing the girl. JC watched the scene from afar, in a bit of a daze.
"Thank you," Mom said, "thank you both." She said, looking between Sarah and JC. And the way she said it was strange, as if JC was a stranger. Just a ballerina who worked in the studio and not her own child.
And then JC realized that through all the wishes and confusion, she had become own person, free from Mom, and Karyn, CJ, and maybe even Jon. She was, or could be, her own person.
But what did that even mean? Did she have a new family? New friends? A whole new life? Or was she alone? An aberration and accident of a mountain of wishes?
How would she even know?
