HARPER STOOD IN FRONT OF THE SINGLE-LEVEL RANCH WITH HER HEART pounding. The little white house looked a lot smaller than she remembered, and it wasn’t nearly as well-kept. The grass was long and weeds were everywhere. In fact, she almost didn’t recognize it. She stood on the front step and paused to catch her breath before knocking. She had walked the whole way from DFCS, and even though she’d tried to take her time, the walk had left her exhausted and her chest aching. Still, she’d had to come—she just had to talk to Tom. She had no other choice. She just hoped the pain would ease after she’d had a chance to sit down, and maybe have something to eat or drink. She wished she hadn’t thrown all those McNuggets out the car window—she was so hungry right now, she’d have eaten them right off the ground!
She took a breath, raised her hand, and knocked tentatively, praying she’d hear Sundance’s familiar friendly bark, but the only sound she heard was the breeze whispering through the trees. She stood still, wishing her heart would stop racing, and knocked again, harder this time. She had her speech all set, but if Tom didn’t answer, she’d forget everything: how she wouldn’t be any trouble; how she’d cook and clean, and walk Sundance every day . . . Oh! And how sorry she was about Mary. She tried to see through the window, but the curtain was drawn tight, and there wasn’t even a sliver of light to give her hope. She frowned, wondering where they were.
She walked around to the backyard and was surprised to see the swing she’d swung on when she was little. Next to it was the wooden sandbox on which she’d hit her head after tripping on her wagon. She reached up and lightly touched the scar above her eyebrow, remembering the big fuss Mary had made, assuring her that foreheads always bleed a lot. Tom had scooped her up, carried her into the bathroom, and set her on the counter while Mary handed him a cold wash cloth to hold on it while she rummaged through the medicine cabinet.
“Hold still, now,” she’d said softly. “I’m just going to put a couple butterflies on it.” She’d gently cleaned the cut, but when Harper looked in the mirror, all she saw were funny looking Band-Aids.
“Where are the butterflies?” she’d asked, and Mary had chuckled and pulled her into a hug.
Harper looked around the yard at the long grass covered with leaves. Something wasn’t right. Tom always kept the lawn neat and free of leaves. Even the vegetable garden—from which they’d eaten sweet cherry tomatoes right off the vine—was full of weeds. She heard a soft tinkling and turned to see the silver chimes she and Tom had made from flattened silver teaspoons hanging on the back porch.
She climbed the steps, tried the doorknob, and when it wouldn’t turn, she slid to the porch with a groan. Her heart had filled with so much hope when she was walking. She was sure that when Tom saw her, he would remember her instantly and exclaim about how much she’d grown. She was also sure Sundance would be so happy he’d wiggle all around her and give her wet, slobbery kisses.
Of course, you can live with us, she imagined Tom saying as he gave her a long hug. Sundance and I would love your company! And then she’d pictured herself falling asleep in her old room with Sundance curled up on the end of her bed.
But now, she found herself fighting back tears. Where were they? She couldn’t even let herself think they might not live here anymore. After walking all this way, she couldn’t give up. What if they were on their way home right now? What if they turned onto this street this very minute? If she left, she might miss them—and then she’d miss everything she’d planned, everything that would make her life okay. She pulled her sweatshirt around her. She was cold, tired, hungry, and her chest felt tight. She fumbled around in her backpack, felt a Ziploc bag in the bottom, and remembered she hadn’t eaten all the cookies in her lunch from Friday. She pulled open the bag, took out a broken Oreo, and chewed hungrily. Then she pulled Bear out of her backpack, lightly touched the tattered heart on his chest, zipped up her sweatshirt, and wondered what to do. Finally, she determined she just had to give Tom a chance to get home; she didn’t walk all this way for nothing! She looked around the porch for a blanket or chair, but there was nothing. The furniture they’d always sat on to eat lunch was gone, so she sat on the frayed welcome mat and stared into the darkness until her eyelids grew heavy, and then pulled Bear against her chest and fell asleep to the sound of the spoon chimes tinkling in the wind.