A lone again, that squeezed-sponge feeling returns and grips Lily’s heart.

Suddenly, although she isn’t sure why, Lily begins to cry.

Mum returns from the admissions desk to find Lily shaking, with tears streaming down her cheeks.

‘Sweetie, what’s wrong?’ she asks.

Lily shakes her head. She can’t talk.

Mum pulls Lily into her arms and makes the gentle shh shh shh shh sssshhhhhh sound she’s used on Lily and Sonny since they were tiny babies.

Soon Lily calms down, and stops shaking.

Mum tilts Lily’s face up and looks into her eyes. ‘I’m so proud of you, my wondrous, exceptional daughter. The amazing-est girl I have ever met!‘

‘Mum!’ gasps Lily. ‘You just said amazing-est!’

Mum chuckles. ‘I know. Don’t tell your father! I feel like I need to wash my mouth out with soap!’ Mum cuddles Lily closer.

It feels nice just to be near each other.

‘Hey, we have a bit of a wait, still,’ Mum says after a little while. ‘Why don’t you perform the piece you’ve been learning from Into the Woods for me?’

‘Okay.’ Lily stands up, feeling a bit nervous. She’s learned lots of bits from Into the Woods so she could be ready to play any character, but right now, there’s one that seems perfect. So Lily D closes her eyes, and very quietly starts singing the chorus song introducing the woods themselves.

Lily loves the part of the song that says even when the woods are dark and full of scary things – like wolves and witches – you just have to keep going through the scary parts. You have to face your fears!

’That was beautiful!‘ says a strange voice, as a pair of hands start clapping. Lily’s eyes fly open to find a nurse in a pale blue uniform, smiling so wide it looks like she has stuck a banana in her mouth sideways!

‘That’s from Into the Woods, isn’t it?’ says the nurse in a happy, giggly, squeaky voice. ‘I love that musical. I think it’s because I LOVE fairytales!‘

‘Yeah!’ Lily grins. ‘I love them too!’

‘Now,’ says the smiley nurse, ‘you’re Lily D, aren’t you?’

Lily nods.

’Ready to head down to your room?‘ asks the nurse.

Lily starts to follow her, but notices Mum is still sitting, frozen! Mum looks totally freaked out!

Lily walks back to the chairs and puts her hand on her mum’s. ‘Mum, it’s cool. You don’t have to worry, I’ve got this!’ she whispers. ‘I am totally in the zone. I’m more than method. I am Little Princess Snow Bean right now. I could even be Snow White! I’m not scared at all. Well … not much anyway.’

Mum looks confused. ‘So, now you want to be a princess?’

‘No! What I mean is, every time I get tonsillitis it stops me from performing, so it stops me from doing what I love.’ Lily smiles her bravest smile, and gives her beads a dramatic shake. Joyful bead-applause rings through the hospital corridor.

‘So these doctors and nurses, even the yucky … um … the yucky needles, I guess they are kind of like my fairy godmother, or my magic tree, or my poisoned apple, or beanstalk, or whatever.’

Lily scrunches her nose, trying to find the right words to explain that after a week of going ‘fairytale method’, and seeing how people she cares about and respects use fairytales to fight their own fears, she is ready to face hers. Lily is DETERMINED to show Mum that like all the brave characters she has studied this week, she is no longer scared.

‘I am going to wake up after this operation to see everyone I love … like Snow White! But I don’t need a prince to save me. I am going to find my own happily ever after. Because I will be me, a healthy, happy, tonsil-free Lily D.’

Lily grabs Mum’s hand, and together they follow the nurse past the admissions desk and into the hospital.

Lily is determined to walk out of the hospital a better V.A.P. than ever. Not a Very Attractive Princess –NO WAY! Lily will be a Very Amazing Performer.

And after hospital, Lily has a whole week of ice-cream to look forward to! Now that is a happy ending! FACT!