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Prologue:
Charlotte Duvall sat on the velvet settee in her aunt and uncle’s library staring at the massive number of books sitting on the shelves. She was supposed to be counting to one hundred so her brother, Case, and her cousin, Luke, could find their hiding places for hide and seek. But the excitement pulsing in the air around her had grabbed ahold of her and wouldn’t let go. She was too nervous to move a muscle. Her life was going to change today.
She swung her legs back and forth at a steady rhythm as the adults in the room talked in hushed voices. She could hear snippets of their conversation. Most of it she couldn’t understand. Something about papers and signing stuff. Her mother was crying and hugging Aunt Davinia, saying, “I know this won’t make up for the past, but it’s a fresh start for your family. And you won’t ever forget her. She’s in your heart for always.”
Charlotte knew they must be talking about her cousin, Rachel. Rachel had been Charlotte’s best friend. They’d played dolls together, had sleepover parties, shared secrets and worn the same outfits like twins. And they both had thought that skittles were the single best candy ever made. Rachel had been almost like a sister to her. Definitely a best friend!
All of sudden she’d been gone without any warning. It had been like watching a twinkly star in the sky and then seeing it disappear behind the moon. Charlotte couldn’t understand how Rachel had drowned. She knew how to swim. A little bit at least. Charlotte knew Rachel hadn’t been the best swimmer, but it made her feel sad that she’d drowned. It scared her to think about it. She’d never known a little girl who’d died before.
She felt tears welling up in her eyes. She rubbed her eyes to make them go away. Today was not a day for tears. It was a day for celebration according to Uncle Lionel. She didn’t want to disappoint anyone by blubbering like a baby. She wasn’t a baby! She had just turned six-years-old. She was in first grade. Her parents kept telling her she was a big girl now, too grown for sucking her thumb and having accidents in the middle of the night.
She ducked her head down. She hated wetting the bed. It was icky and embarrassing. Rachel had always told her it wa
s no big deal. She’d never made her feel bad about it. Not one single time. Case and Luke had teased her about it a few times. Boys were like that sometimes, although Case said he was sorry later on.
All she knew for certain was one thing. Today she was meeting her new cousin. The one who was being adopted from a big city in New England. She didn’t know where New England was, but it sounded fancy. Maybe Callie had a floral tea set and lots of pretty dolls they could play with in her playroom. The name Callie sounded so sweet. Maybe this would be her new best friend. Just like Rachel.
Suddenly a feeling of sadness swept over her. It felt like Rachel was being erased. This new cousin Callie was going to be taking Rachel’s place. And it wasn’t fair. Rachel was gone forever. No one could take her place! Not ever.
“Hey!” a loud voice called out, just before Luke appeared in front of her, his face twisted in anger. “You were supposed to come and find us. What are you doing just sitting here?”
“I-I’m sorry. I guess I forgot,” she mumbled. It was strange to see Luke so angry. Before Rachel died he’d never been so upset. Now, his moods were all over the place. She never knew how to deal with him now. It was like he hated everyone and everything.
“Leave her alone, Luke,” Case said in a firm voice. Charlotte’s heart threatened to swell to ten times its regular size. Leave it to her older brother to come to the rescue. That was one of the reasons Charlotte loved him so much. He always protected her and watched out over her just like a big brother should.
“Whatever,” Luke said with a grunt as he stormed away.
“Don’t mind him,” Case said, giving her a pat on the shoulder. “It’s a tough day for him. Getting a new sister doesn’t mean his heart doesn’t ache for Rachel. Most likely it makes it hurt even more.”
Charlotte let out a little sigh. She knew how Luke felt. She felt the exact same way. All of the adults thought that a new cousin would make everything shiny and new. But it wouldn’t make the memories of Rachel disappear. She was still in every nook and corner of this house. She still lived in Charlotte’s heart. Charlotte didn’t even need to close her eyes to see Rachel’s sweet face and pixie haircut. And it didn’t seem fair to Charlotte that she would have to wait an eternity to see her again in heaven.
The sound of the doorbell ringing caused an immediate ruckus. Aunt Davinia let out a shout and everyone began to head toward the foyer. Charlotte didn’t get up immediately. She was the last one to leave the room. As if in slow motion she stood up and slowly made her way toward the foyer.
She stood next to Case and reached for his hand. He squeezed it, letting her know in their silent code that he wasn’t going to leave her side. She could almost hear him saying, “It’s going to be all right.”
Charlotte had to peer around adult bodies in order to see her new cousin. She let out a gasp as Callie came into view. She was so pretty. Probably the prettiest girl Charlotte had ever seen. With her long red hair and big green eyes, Callie didn’t look like anyone else Charlotte had ever known. Her full red lips were trembling. There was a look of sadness in her eyes.
And then it began. Everyone was telling Callie she was beautiful. It was the truth, as far as Charlotte was concerned. But it made Charlotte’s eyes sting. No one ever called her beautiful, except her mother. And the truth was, Charlotte knew she wasn’t beautiful. Not like her friends Fancy, Morgan, Hope and Olivia. And most definitely not like her new cousin Callie.
Callie had the type of beauty that shone like the sun. It was as clear as day. Charlotte knew there was nothing she could do to dim Callie’s light. If they were standing side by side, she would always be the plain one.
At that very instant Charlotte decided that she was never going to be friends with Callie. She was going to harden her heart to her. She was going to always remember that Callie was nothing but a replacement for her true cousin, Rachel. That way maybe it wouldn’t hurt so bad to know that Rachel wasn’t ever coming back. Maybe it wouldn’t sting so badly that she wouldn’t ever be beautiful like Callie or Rachel or Olivia.
The sea of adults parted and her Uncle Lionel began making the introductions. Finally, he stopped in front of her. Uncle Lionel was tall and handsome, just like her father. He had oodles of charm, according to her mother.
“Charlotte, this is Callie. Your cousin. Callie is a bit nervous. She’s going to need a friend to show her the ropes. I was hoping you could be that friend.” Her uncle’s voice was full of hope and love and something else Charlotte couldn’t put her finger on. Maybe fear.
Charlotte looked up at her uncle, then swung her gaze to Callie. She was so little. She seemed so small and afraid. There were tears glistening in her emerald-colored eyes. A mean feeling rose up inside Charlotte. Something that felt a lot like jealousy.
Callie didn’t belong here. She wasn’t a Duvall! She was just some kid who didn’t have parents. Charlotte’s gaze swung to the stuffed animal Callie clutched in her hand. It looked as if it had been through a lot. One of the ears was ripped and some of the stuffing was spilling out of its side. Callie seemed as if she was holding on to it for dear life.
And then another feeling swept over her. She didn’t know exactly what it was. Kindness. Mercy, like she heard about in Bible class.
All of her anger disappeared in a single instant. She didn’t want to hurt Callie, not for anything in this world. Charlotte knew what it felt like to lose someone you loved. She could only imagine how lonely and lost Callie felt losing her whole family. Right now all she had was her torn up rabbit.
Gingerly, she reached out and took Callie’s hand. “Hi, Callie. I’m Charlotte,” she said in a gentle voice. “It’s nice to meet you. I know you might be tired from your trip, but I would love to play with you. What games do you like?”
Callie looked at her with big eyes and trembling lips. She didn’t say a single word.
“It’s okay, Callie. We have lots of games. We can start out by playing croquet on the lawn outside. Have you ever played croquet?” Her voice was gentle and soft.
Callie shook her head and murmured, “No, I don’t think so.”
