Chapter 4

Maggie

Maggie looks at the form on the desk in front of her. Twenty volunteer hours have to be completed by winter break. She silently groans. On top of all her homework and piano lessons, how is she supposed to squeeze this in too? She can imagine her mom’s resigned sigh as she looks at the wall calendar. Almost every square is filled in with appointments and activities for Maggie or her little sisters.

“Does babysitting my brother count?” a girl asks Mrs. Weston.

The teacher shakes her head. “No. There’s a list on the back of places we’d prefer you go.”

Maggie turns the sheet over. Soup kitchens, food banks, hospitals, and churches. None of them sound interesting to her.

“What about the Humane Society?” another girl asks.

Maggie perks up. Working with animals would be fun. “Unfortunately, you have to be sixteen to volunteer at the Humane Society,” Mrs. Weston says. Maggie runs her finger down the list again. That’s when she notices a place third from the bottom. To most of the girls, it wouldn’t mean anything, but as soon as Maggie sees it, her skin prickles with recognition.

Brayside Retirement Villa.

Mrs. Weston goes through the attendance list, asking the girls where they might like to volunteer. “You don’t have to commit to anything yet, but we don’t want everyone choosing the same place,” Mrs. Weston explains.

Maggie jiggles her foot, thinking. Could she do it? Could she go back to Brayside?

“Maggie?” Mrs. Weston calls.

She hesitates for a moment and then says, “I don’t know yet.”

She’s worried being at Brayside will bring back too many memories of losing Harvey. Maggie adjusts her ponytail and looks around the classroom. Lexi has turned in her seat to whisper to Brianne. More girls make their selections. Maggie worries she’ll be stuck with a place she has no interest in. At least she knows Brayside and even though it’s filled with old people, it seemed like a nice place. Her foot jiggles under the table with indecision.

She told Austin she’d bring Harvey back to visit but she never has. Maybe seeing Brayside on the volunteer list is a sign.

“Mrs. Weston,” Maggie says, raising her hand. “I know where I want to volunteer.” Mrs. Weston waits, her pencil poised above the paper. “Brayside Retirement Villa.”