Her face showed her surprise at my question. “Ryan, she’s just visiting with her family. They live in California.”

“I know,” I muttered. “But can’t we adopt her and keep her forever?”

She scanned my face for a long moment, and I knew she was looking for something, but I didn’t know what. “I’m sorry, l’venok. This time, it is out of my power to give you what you want.”

A lump filled my throat, and I had to look away so she didn’t see my tears. “But she makes things better, Mom.”

“Better how?”

I shrugged. “Just…better.”

She grasped my hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “We have her here for a little longer. Let’s make the best of it, yes?”

I nodded, still unable to look at her because the urge to cry hadn’t faded yet.

“It will be okay, my little love,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of my head. “Just because she eventually has to go home doesn’t mean you won’t see her again.”

Again, I nodded. I knew Nova had to go home with her family at the end of their vacation, but I needed to find a way to keep her with me. I liked the way it felt when she was right beside me. A lot. I would be her best friend and make her smile every day if she lived with us.

5

Ryan

After a day of swimming in the pool with Nova and my cousins, I was tired when I went to bed that night. At dinner, Nova was so exhausted, she fell asleep with her head on the table before she’d even eaten all of her pasta, and her dad had carried her up to bed. The rest of us had finished our meal and then watched a movie in the family room, but when the others said they wanted to watch another, I’d told them I was going to bed to read.

After a shower and brushing my teeth, I had dropped down and picked up the new book I’d started the day Nova had arrived, but my eyes were too heavy to focus on the words. When the book dropped onto my face, I groaned and pushed it away, turning over in bed.

The soft click of my door opening made my head snap up, however. My bedside light was still on, so I had no problem seeing Nova fully as she wobbled in, holding Bun-Bun close with one arm and tugging on her ear with her other hand.

“Ryan?” she whispered, her voice sounding a little scratchy. “Can I sleep with you again?”

I sat up and patted the bed beside me. She gave me a tiny smile as she reached the bed.

“Will you hold Bun-Bun for me?” she asked in a small voice.

I took the stuffed bunny and held it protectively while she grabbed on to the covers and struggled to pull herself up onto my bed. It wasn’t too high off the floor, but her legs were so short. The determination on her pretty face told me to stay where I was and not help, even though it was hard to watch her without doing something to assist.