BooksBarbecue
Back How to Disappear Completely Save as PDF
Chapters (58)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. Acknowledgments
  56. About the Author
  57. Back Ad
  58. About the Publisher

“I knew you would have a battle to face one day,” Gram says. “But I didn’t know it would be this one. If I had, of course I would have told you. But I didn’t want to worry your father or you about something I didn’t think would happen. And I didn’t want anyone to worry about me or treat me any differently.”

I nod. “Yeah. I get that. But, Gram? I’m really sorry for what your parents did. I thought I had it rough with Mom, but I was wrong.”

I’ve been wrong about a lot, come to think of it. I was so set in my own way of seeing things that I forgot that there is always another way to look at them.

Gram flicks her wrist. “It’s just like you said, Emma. We all have our battles. I fought mine, and I won. Now you’re fighting yours. And I’m so proud of you.”

“Madeline says that each one of my spots is more proof of my love for you.”

Gram’s eyes sparkle. “And proof of your courage and strength.”

“I never needed a lot of those things until you died.”

“Well, the battles we fight always change us. When we’re fighting them, all we can see is how they wound us. But they can change us for the better, too.”

I wonder how different Gram would be if she’d never gotten vitiligo. If she ever would have imagined the Goldengrove or grown up to paint the world full of color.

I wonder if she would have been so kind to an outcast like Madeline if she had never known what unkindness felt like.

Maybe without her vitiligo, she wouldn’t be the Gram I know. Maybe she would have turned out to be someone else completely.

“It’s getting late,” she says softly.

“I don’t want to leave you, Gram,” I reply. Tears fill my eyes.

“It’s all right. You know where to find me now, Emma. And for what it’s worth, I did get my happy ending. I got you.”

I blink back my tears, and when I open my eyes again, she’s gone. I’m the only one sitting here at the table.

But somehow, I don’t feel alone.

image 47 image

There really should be a rule against having to go to school on days when there is absolutely no way you can concentrate. When Fina and I meet in our usual spot the next morning, she just keeps shaking her head and saying, “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it.”

We huddle together by the corner of the building, trying to stamp away the cold. “All that time, Emma, you’ve been playing in the Goldengrove. The Goldengrove! And I’ve been there, too!”