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“I always wanted a sister,” Betsy said.
Paisley’s eyes misted with tears. Did they really want her?
Cade jumped up. “Come on, we’ll show you your room.”
“Then we can go out and play,” Betsy said.
“We’re building a fort in the woods with the neighbor kids,” Cade said.
Paisley felt hope tug at her insides. She hugged her arms around her box and followed the family into a bedroom next to what had to be Betsy’s. Dolls and stuffed animals were everywhere.
In this room, there was a white four-poster bed and a desk with paper and notebook and a jar full of ink pens and markers. A bookshelf held a whole shelf of novels. And there was a dresser and closet just like the Hammersteins said.
“Look,” Betsy said as she pointed to the nightstand. “Mommy gots you a silver hairbrush just like mine.”
Paisley remembered watching the mother counting strokes as she combed Betsy’s hair and wanted to weep.
“Let’s go play,” Cade said.
“Why don’t we let Paisley put her things away and settle in first?” Mrs. Hammerstein said. “We can get some cookies and lemonade ready for y’all to take to the fort while she does that.”
“Yay, cookies!” Betsy squealed.
As they all left, Paisley turned in a wide circle and studied the room. She went to the window and looked out and saw the woods and the sunshine streaking the treetops, and the other kids playing. There was even a pond out back and ducks were waddling to the water.
All she’d ever wanted was a real home and a family and friends to play with.
She hurriedly unloaded her box and put her books on the bottom shelf. Then she thumbed through the ones the Hammersteins had chosen for her.
Excitement built in her chest. They were all mysteries!
Then she glanced at the notebook Ms. Ellie had got her. All the blank pages that she could fill in with her words and ideas. She couldn’t wait to get started.
It would be about a girl who wasn’t locked away. One who was free. One who could go outside and feel the wind on her face and climb trees and look up at the clouds without anyone yelling at her.
Birds twittered outside and she heard Betsy and Cade laughing downstairs.
An odd feeling tickled her tummy. She felt almost… giddy.
She set the books and notebook aside. They could wait. So could her writing.
The empty box mocked her. They said she wouldn’t need it. She hoped not. Still, she shoved it beneath the bed anyway.
Smiling, she hurried downstairs to the living room. Ms. Ellie said goodbye. Betsy had a bag of cookies and Cade waved her to the back door and then they were running toward the woods. Other kids were there, laughing and playing and dragging sticks and straw to make a fort, and suddenly the empty blank road seemed bright and sunny—like it might be going somewhere.
ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SEVEN
BLUFF COUNTY HOSPITAL
One week later
“Cord…” Ellie whispered as she clung to his hand.
He was pale, his breathing shallow, the respirator doing its job to keep him alive while he was under the hospital-induced coma.
“You can’t leave me, so hang in there, do you hear me?” Her voice caught on a sob, the hospital scents nauseating her. Her head and body throbbed, but she’d come out lucky this time. Only Cord was hanging on by a thread.
She stroked his hand. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
