Waiting to be rescued

When Kelly and I

built a sand castle together,

we’d dig a moat around it.

Then we’d sit back,

waiting for the tide

to come in.

Once, we imagined

we were princesses,

stuck in the towers,

waiting for princes

to rescue us.

But moats filled with

crocodiles

make rescues

difficult.

“My prince has a flying horse,” Kelly’d announced.

And just like that, she’d won. She was free.

I couldn’t think of a way to be rescued.

Not one.

So I, the pissed-off princess,

kicked the castle walls,

causing them to come

crashing down.

Even then

I hated impossible

situations.

Surprise

Sisterly memories

cause bittersweet emotions

to surface.

Kelly looks nothing like me,

acts nothing like me,

is really nothing like me.

But she’s my sister.

And that means

everything.

I retreat with my bag

to a large piece of driftwood

and take a seat.

I close my eyes

and breathe in the soothing

smell of salty ocean air.

Seagulls cry

in the distance,

as if they are lonely

despite the company

of a beach full of people.

I know that cry.

“Keep your eyes closed,” Cade whispers.

“And open your mouth.”

Of course

I immediately

open my eyes.

He sits next to me.

“Come on.”

He smiles.

“Don’t you trust me?”

I want to trust him.

I close my eyes.

And I slowly

open

my mouth.

There is sweetness

with a hint of salt,

and the distinctive texture

of taffy.

“Guess what flavor,” he asks.

I smile.

He’s playing my game.

How did he know my game?

“Lemon.”

I open my eyes.

He’s chewing too.

“Mine’s lime.”

Two of my favorites.

Secret revealed

“Where’d you learn how to do that?” I ask.

“Guess taffy flavors?” he teases.

I nudge him with my elbow.

“No.

Build a sand castle.”

“My dad.

We spend a lot of time at the beach.

He lives here in Newport.”

“You live with your mom?”

He starts digging in the sand,

and I wonder

if the questions

are getting too personal.

He nods. “My parents are divorced.”

“Mine too,” I say.

He pauses.

Stops digging,

and our eyes meet.

“Yeah. I know.”

“What? How?”

Wait.

Of course.

The news.

It’s been national for a while.

He goes back to making

his hole in the sand.

“Did you know it was me?” I ask.

“When you first saw me, did you know?”

He shakes his head.

“You looked familiar.

But I couldn’t place you.

Until lunch.”

Two little kids

with their mom

stop to admire

our sand castle.

I’m thankful

for the momentary

distraction.

The kids look

as if they wish

they could shrink

to the size of tiny crabs

and climb inside.

I wish I could climb inside.

Me, the princess,

and Cade, the prince,

saving me from Jeanie and Allen,

the big,

bad

dragons.

“When do you leave?” he asks.

I barely get the word out.

“Tomorrow.”

And then I reach

for another piece

of taffy.

The story

Four

unsuspecting parents.

Two

newborn baby girls.

One

incredibly busy night

in a small hospital.

Accidents happen.

For ten years

no one is the wiser.

Until one day

the unthinkable happens.

One of the girls, Charlotte,

comes down with

leukemia.

When her parents

are tested for a

possible blood transfusion,

the results are shocking.

Their blood types don’t match.

They don’t tell Charlotte.

The stress would be too much.

They simply love her

and make her comfortable

until the very end,

which comes faster

than anyone had predicted.

Most stories would end there.

Okay, maybe after the

sorry-ass hospital is sued

for millions of dollars.

But not this story.

Hell, no.

Charlotte’s parents,

Allen and Jeanie, try

to pull themselves

out of the nightmare

they’ve been living

by searching for

their biological child.

They want to find her.

They want to meet her.

They want to know her.

In a surprise decision

the judge is sympathetic

to the bereaved couple,

and she awards

shared custody.

Six months with one family.

Six months with the other.

I close my eyes and breathe.

The taffy rolls around on my tongue.

Strawberry.

My mom’s favorite.

My only mom’s favorite.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14