I hugged Princess before anything could happen. I didn't know if it was going to work, but when she hugged me that night at the house, I felt a calm I couldn't explain. I wanted that back.
I held her so tightly, gripping the warmth of her skin like I could crawl right inside her just to bring the Princess I know back to the surface. She didn't move at first. Her hands stayed dead at her sides and her body felt as cold as the ice water in that tub. Nothing happened for a long few seconds, but the good sign was that she didn't push me away or throw me across the room. So that was something I could work with.
"I don't know what's going through your mind right now, Princess, but I'm here and I'm never leaving you. Please… just hug me back," I muttered into the soft skin of her shoulder.
For a moment, I really thought she was going to stay a statue. I thought I'd lost her to whatever dark hole she'd climbed into.
