Beautiful in My Eyes (16 page)

Hand in hand, we leave
the castle, me and my knight–the owner and protector of my heart–wielding a warrior's unconditional love as his sword, and unending devotion as his shield
.

William Wallace would in
deed be proud.

Afterword

Though this story is fiction, Alopecia is very real and emotionally painful. I have been dealing with this dreaded condition for years and getting progressively worse.

But you know what? It is okay. I am in a good place with the reality of it. Of course, I still have days every now and then when I feel less attractive, but I quickly pull myself out of the mire, less it swallows me completely.

I am fortunate enough to have a husband who tells me I am beautiful every day, and I am grateful to him for loving me unconditionally. I know when the day finally comes that my hair is completely gone and I have to wear wigs full time, his love for me won't change, and because of that, I will continue to be okay. My wig collection will just expand and I will be one of the most stylish women around.

That thought makes me smile.

About Alopecia

Alopecia
areata
is a common autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere on the body. It usually starts with one or more small, round, smooth patches on the scalp and can progress to total scalp hair loss (alopecia
totalis
) or complete body hair loss (alopecia
universalis
).
Alopecia
areata
affects approximately two
percent
of the population overall, including more than 5 million people in the United States alone. This common skin disease is highly unpredictable and cyclical. Hair can grow back in or fall out again at any time, and the disease course is different for each person.

National Alopecia
Areata
Foundation

NAAF was established in 1981 with one clear goal; to offer support to individuals affected by alopecia
areata
. Though the mission has expanded over the past two decades, the importance of providing a substantial support program to people of all ages and interests has not diminished.

To learn more about Alopecia and find a support group, visit the NAAF website at
www.naaf.org
.

About the Author

J. (Jewel) Adams stays crazy busy with her family and writing. She has written several books in

different
genres, mainly romance, and is also a motivational speaker to both youth and adult audiences.

She is on the last leg of home schooling her two youngest, and between that and conjuring up new

ideas
for her books, her brain cells are on overload most of the time. She and her husband Sean are the parents of eight children and grandparents to five
and counting
.

In her spare time (when she has any) she likes to curl up with a good book and a healthy stash of orange Tic
Tacs
. She and her family reside in Utah.

Jewel loves hearing from her fans, so if you would like to contact her to tell her how much you love her

books
or give her sympathy for the fried brain cells, contact her at
[email protected]

To check out Jewel's other books, visit her website at
JewelAdams.com

And stop by her blog
:
jewelsbestgems.blogspot.com

Other books by J. Adams/Jewel Adams

Still His Woman

The Legacy

The Wishing Hour

Tears of Heaven

Place In This World

The Journey

Against the Odds

Mercedes' Mountain

Guardian of My Heart

Sweet 21 Birthday Ball

Ebooks

The Wishing Hour

The Legacy

Tears of Heaven

Place In This World: The Sequel to The Journey

The Journey

Mercedes' Mountain

That Kind of Love

The Shelter of His Arms

What the Heart Sees

The Sound of Love

Stories of the Heart

Against the Odds

Guardian of My Heart

Elise's Heart

For  Love
of Angel

Sweet 21 Birthday Ball

Say What You Need to Say

Children's Book

Forbidden Portals: The Quicksilver Project