James heard Catherine's words, turned back to Mirabella's bedside, and paused for a moment before gently lifting a corner of the blanket. He discovered a delicate necklace around her neck. With a gentle flick of his finger, the pendant slipped out from beneath her collar.
The pendant felt as smooth as cream, and a soft warmth radiated at his touch. James was taken aback; he hadn’t expected such an ordinary-looking pendant to have such an amazing effect. Even the finest pendants didn’t usually do that.
"So, this pendant is helping her, huh?" James mused, tucking it back under Mirabella’s collar.
"It should be," Catherine replied, trusting James instinctively. Her words flowed without hesitation. "Last time, just a couple of days after we put the pendant on her, she woke up."
But once she woke, she had changed. She wasn't quite the same as before, her reactions slower than other kids her age. Back then, neither Catherine nor her husband noticed anything off, assuming it was just aftereffects of her illness. It wasn’t until two years later, when she fell into another deep sleep and woke up, that Catherine noticed the difference. It seemed like the person who woke up then was truly herself again.
Catherine's thoughts wandered, but she quickly snapped back and added, "Keep the pendant on her, and she should wake up in about five days."
James nodded, his eyes fixed on Mirabella’s still-closed eyes. Today was the fourth day. He hoped she'd wake up tomorrow.
Thinking about the changes Mira experienced after her previous deep sleeps, Catherine hesitated. She decided to be honest. "She might be a bit different when she wakes up this time."
"Different?" James asked, puzzled.
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