Finally, Beth's mother stepped forward and put her arms around her daughter's midsection. "Oh, Elizabeth Jean Cook, I don't know what to say."
"Uh, thanks for not freaking out," said Beth. It felt strange to be so much taller than her mother all of a sudden, but the hug was still welcome. "I guess I was most worried you'd think I was some impostor and that I was trespassing --"
"Oh, no, honey," her mother said as she finally broke the embrace. "You may look different on the outside because of someone's magic powers, but I'm your mother. I have the magic power to see you on the inside."
At that, Beth's dammed-up tears broke through, and the two women went into a tight embrace. Once Beth's sobs slowed down, her mother suggested, "Come on, let's sit down."
The two sat on the edge of Beth's bed. Beth wiped the tears out of her eyes with the backs of her hands as best she could, having to be careful of her long nails and her eyebrow piercings.
In the seated position, the two were now better able to see eye to eye. Beth's mother looked at her daughter's new face and said, "I have some great news for you. Your mascara didn't run."
Beth wasn't sure she appreciated that moment of lightheartedness. "Of course not, Mom. I'm positive it's magically permanent, just like everything else about me now."
"Mm," her mother said noncommittally. "So do those hurt?" She nodded toward Beth's earlobes.
Beth ran a fingernail around the edge of the metal grommet in her left earlobe, and felt the heavy-gauge ring that was dangling from it. "No, nothing hurts, it just all feels kinda weird. I just feel more weight than I'm used to. It's hard to describe."
Her mother nodded. "And I assume you don't want to try to take any of the piercings out because of what happened when you cut your pinky nail --" Seeing Beth look impressed, she added, "I was listening to what you were saying! Anyway, one problem is that it's going to be uncomfortable when you try to go to sleep tonight.
"I didn't even think that far ahead!" Beth exclaimed.
"Maybe this Princess Patience thought of that, and you will be able to take things out with no consequences, at least in your ears," Beth's mother suggested. "Or maybe they'll magically disappear when you go to bed. Or maybe you magically don't need sleep anymore."
"Oh, my God," said Beth, the thought of never sleeping again running through her mind.
"I don't know," said her mother. "I could try taking the piercings out -- maybe it'll be different when I do it. Or we can wait it out. Or we can keep searching for Princess Patience -- I could help you search the Internet here, or we can try the library, or the pond where you met her. What do you think?"
Beth thought for a minute, and then answered...