Page 114 of Reveal

She isn’t answering her phone at all.

I thought we’d turned a corner when she admitted she needed me . . . now I’m not so sure.

Hell, she isn’t even answering her door today, for that matter. At least she croaked out that she was sick as a dog from behind it or else I would have been breaking down the damn thing to make sure she was all right.

“Yes. She always makes me feel better. You should try it. All you have to do is tell her you’re sad.”

“Thank you.” For some reason I have a hard time getting those two words out. Emotion I don’t want to acknowledge clogs my throat.

“Either that or I can let you borrow my special necklace. Sometimes when I rub it, it makes me feel better.”

“Your special necklace? Does it have magical powers?” I ask, full well knowing I had planned on asking her about it.

“Just love.” She shrugs, her smile widening as she pulls a chain out from under the neck of her T-shirt. It’s the key she wears—a simple silver beaded chain with a tarnished key hanging from it. She surprises me when she takes it off over her head and holds it out to me.

“That’s beautiful. I can see the love on it.” I smile, expecting her to put it back on, but she just pushes it toward me.

“You take it.”

“Me?” I startle out a laugh. “I can’t take that.”

“You can borrow it. When you’re not sad anymore, then you can give it back to me.”

I can’t explain the burning in my eyes caused by the sweet gesture of this incredible little girl.

“I can borrow it?” I ask. “You sure?”

She eyes me briefly. “If you’re a friend of Auntie Vee’s, then I know you’ll take care of it and won’t lose it.”

“I won’t lose it.” I rub the key between my finger and thumb before looking back up to meet her gaze. “You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.” She adds eyelashes to the butterfly’s eyelids and then sits back with a smile. “It’s all done now. What do you think?”

I take a few moments to study it. “It’s perfect.”

She angles her head to the side. “Yeah. I think so too.”

“Should we hang it on the wall and then go have our picnic?”

“Picnic?” Her body begins to vibrate in excitement. “You’re taking me on a picnic?” Tears well in her eyes, and I can’t put words to what the sight of them does to me.

“Technically, we have to do it on the grounds here because I don’t have permission to take you off-site, but I saw a super cool spot in the shade under a tree.”

“By the fairy garden? That’s the best place ever.” She’s already standing, already tugging on my arm in that direction.

“We have to hang your picture first.”

“No, I want you to keep it.”

“Oh. Okay. Sure.”

She tugs on my arm again. “This will be my first date, you know,” she states matter-of-factly as we head toward where the counselors let me stash the lunch I’d thought to bring.

“Friend date,” I correct.

“Yes. Sure. Friend date. Now you need to go and pick me some flowers. That’s what all the princes do these days.”

It’s hard to leave when my time is up and Lucy’s daily classes resume. My fingers worry over the key I have in my pocket as I head to my car.