Kate put her hand over her mouth. “Oh my gosh, Mia! You must’ve been devastated.”

“I was,” she said, her eyes watering a bit. “I loved my long hair. It took me ages to grow it out, and everyone complimented me on it. Now, here I was with one long braid and the other one cut right up to my scalp. Big April skipped away - well, as much as she could skip - swinging that braid around in the air and cackling like a lunatic.”

Kate truly felt horrible for her, but it went beyond that. She felt a sort of rage she didn’t expect. It had been decades since this had happened, yet she had a sudden urge to find big April and push her off the nearest cliff.

“I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

“I laid there on the grass, under this huge oak tree, and cried for what seemed like hours. I didn’t even care if she came back because I was broken. I ended up having to cut my hair short like a boy, and I was bullied the rest of the year. Momma went to the school and complained, but all big April got was a couple of days of after school detention. Momma had to leave work every day to pick me up from school because I was so scared to ride the bus.”

“Why are you telling me this sad story?” Kate finally asked.

Mia looked over at her. “Do you know what I was thinking the whole time I was laying on that ground, looking up into big April’s massive nostrils?”

“What?”

“I sure wish I had a big sister to protect me.”

Kate wanted to cry, and she wasn’t a crier. She didn’t like to show emotion at all. “Mia…”

“Look, I know we got started off on the wrong foot. But, I really want to get to know you both. I think we can build our own kind of family.”

“I have a life…”

“Just a week. One week. Can you give me that?”

Kate thought for a moment. A week was basically like taking a vacation. No promises or commitments.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Mia said excitedly, a big grin on her face.

“Okay. One week.”

Without warning, Mia scooted over and hugged her. Kate just sat there, still like an ice statue. Yeah, emotions were hard.

“I promise you won’t regret it,” Mia said.

Oh, how she hoped that was true.

Mia rushed around the kitchen, trying to get breakfast ready for her guests. The newlyweds wanted it delivered to their room, of course. She hadn’t seen them much since they’d checked in, and it made her a little envious. She wondered if she’d ever have someone in her life like that.