Cold fearful blue eyes surveyed Erin as if seeing her for the first time. Pouty pink lips pressed into an insolent line. “I don’t like you!” Krista hissed in a trembling voice.

Erin sucked in her breath but bravely continued the stilted conversation. “Why? Why don’t you like me? Is it because I’m a friend of your father’s?”

“I don’t want to like you—and I won’t!” Defiance and anger were evident in the tilt of Krista’s finely shaped chin.

Erin sighed wearily and sat down in the chair opposite the rebellious girl with the fearful eyes. Their gazes locked and Erin found herself folding and refolding the napkin in her lap, while contemplating a way to bridge the gap that existed between her and Kane’s daughter. She took in the challenging look on the girl’s face, the proud carriage of Krista’s head, and then Erin’s gaze touched upon the empty wheelchair. Compassion washed over Erin. Krista was bearing a heavy cross.

“You don’t have to like me,” Erin stated simply, and a look of astonishment softened Krista’s defiant features. “It’s up to you.”

Once again Erin paid full attention to her meal and hoped it seemed that she was enjoying her food, while all the time her stomach was twisting into knots of revulsion against the meal. It took all of Erin’s will to finish the cold and suddenly tasteless meal.

It was several minutes before the silence was broken. Krista’s small voice trembled and Erin politely looked at the girl. “They were getting back together, you know!” Krista announced, and toyed with the food on her plate.

“Pardon me?”

“Mother and Daddy. They were going to get married again. Mother told me so!” Krista’s face was set for the denial she expected from Erin.

“Were they?” Erin asked calmly.

“You bet!” the girl nearly shouted. “And it would have been soon too. And…and…we were all going to be a family again!”

Erin listened intently, not knowing exactly how to respond to Krista’s outburst. She studied Krista and saw the turbulent play of emotions that was contorting the beautiful child’s face.

“We were going to be together again. We were!” she proclaimed, tears glistening in her round eyes. “If only Mama hadn’t died…I know we would!” Her frail voice caught and tears began to flow freely down her cheeks.

Erin’s heart bled for the small girl at the other end of the table. Dropping her fork onto the plate, she got up and hurried to Krista’s side. She let her hand touch the sobbing shoulders.

“I’m so sorry,” Erin whispered.

“No, you’re not!” the child sniffed. “If Mama was alive, then you couldn’t have Daddy. He loved her! He did!” By this time Krista’s body was racked with her uncontrolled weeping, and Erin let her arm reach tentatively around the slim shoulders.

“Don’t touch me,” Krista screamed. “Don’t you dare touch me!” She pushed her chair back from the table and attempted to reach for the wheelchair. Erin knew that the situation was getting dangerously out of control, and she tried to help Krista by pushing the wheelchair in the girl’s direction.