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Chapters (65)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. Acknowledgments
  62. About the Author
  63. Books by Bobbie Pyron
  64. Back Ads
  65. About the Publisher

Baby is exhausted by all the new,

all the coming and going.

He rests his chin on his brown bunny

and listens to the wind

scrape across the roof above.

He misses the feel of wind and cold and

the sun on his belly.

He misses seeing the sun rise,

all the curious things of the day,

no two days the same.

Every day a new day.

Every day a good day

with Jewel.

Only with Jewel.

42

Light

Jewel lets the voice as familiar as her own run over her and through her like water on fire-scorched earth.

With every word, she feels a key open long-forgotten parts of herself.

“I have missed you so,” the voice of her sister says. “Come here and stay with me.”

“Come here,” the voice says, “and we will grow old together.”

Light appears through the dark crack and touches a memory in Jewel’s soul: a poem she once loved, she once knew by heart.

She smiles and says, “Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be.”

Light pours in through the crack, shining bits and pieces of the poem on Jewel.

43

Good News, Bad News

Can I just say I hate it when someone says, “I have good news and bad news, which one do you want first?”

That’s what Mama says as we’re riding the bus to the East Valley Humane Society.

I sigh. “Good news, I guess.”

“Jewel talked with her sister on the phone this morning, and it went well. Jewel was very happy to hear from her and wants to go to Heartwell Manor and live there.”

“That is good news,” I agree. “But what’s the bad news?”

“The bad news is, Jewel’s sister can’t come get Jewel and Baby like we were hoping.”

My heart drops like a too-fast elevator. “Why not?”

“She’s in a wheelchair,” Mama explains.

My heart drops two stories down the Elevator of Disappointment.

“I called Country-Wide to see what a one-way ticket would cost for Jewel to get out to Idaho.”

“And?”

“Well, it’s not too bad,” she says.

My heart lifts just a little.

“But,” Mama continues, “they don’t allow dogs on the bus.”

My heart drops down, down, down. I’m getting real tired of elevators.

The shelter is quiet when we get there. The dogs must be taking naps. The same lady, Tamara, looks up from her desk when we walk in.

“Hi,” she says with a smile. “What can I help you with?”

I swallow hard. “Baby,” is all I manage to get out.

“Toto,” Dylan says helpfully.

Recognition lights Tamara’s face. “Now I remember you,” she says, pointing to me. “You came in last week and told me about Baby and his person. Opal, was it? Ruby?”

“Jewel,” I correct her. “Jewel Knight.”