loads more, if you like!”
It was weird, hearing such a posh British accent come out of a little girl’s mouth. Hermione’s voice in
Harry Potter
was different; she was a bit of a snoot. But Nell was shy; it didn’t fit together somehow.
Michelle smiled at her. “No, this is great! I like all that stuff, too. And watching TV sometimes.”
“Me, too.”
“Looks like we’re a good match, then.”
“Yes.” Nell seemed to turn a bit shy as she hit the screen saver on the computer.
“Are you all moved in?” she asked Michelle, not quite looking at her.
“Yup.”
She looked a little anxious. “For good?”
“Yes, honey, for good,” Michelle promised her. The question killed her. She wanted to scoop Nell up into her arms right now and promise her anything, everything. That she’d be loved, and she finally had an adult in her life she could count on. That even though things seemed to suck right now, they would get better. But that would come.
Michelle perched on the edge of the bed. “I’m surprised you didn’t come in to help me move.”
“I didn’t want to get in the way.”
“You wouldn’t have. Would you like to see my room now that it has all my stuff in it?”
“Yes!”
“C’mon, then.” Michelle started through the door in Nell’s room that led into their joined bathroom.
“As you know, this is
our
bathroom,” Michelle said, making it sound extremely exclusive. “If anyone else uses it, they’ll have to answer to us.”
Nell’s mouth curled into a small, pleased smile.
Michelle led her past the sinks and claw-foot tub into her own bedroom. “Here it is.”
Nell stood transfixed in the doorway, her eyes slowly taking it all in. Eventually, they hit on Michelle’s bookcase. She looked at Michelle hopefully. “Can I—?”
“Of course.”
Nell practically skipped across the room, her fingers carefully brushing the books’ spines as she read the titles to herself. Her hair was a tangled mess. Michelle wondered if she’d even tried to comb it out after she showered. Naturally, her uncle hadn’t noticed. Nell could probably chop her hair off and Esa wouldn’t see it.
Nell looked up at Michelle with disappointment. “A lot of these are boring old textbooks.”
“I used to be a teacher.”
“Really?”
“Yup.”
Nell considered this a moment, then returned to scouring Michelle’s books. “You do have a few good ones in here.”
Michelle tried not to laugh. “Like what?”
“
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
. . . and
Marley & Me
.”
Michelle decided to stick a toe in the water. “I liked
Marley
, but it was so sad when the dog died in the end,” she murmured. “I couldn’t stop crying.”
Nell swallowed and looked down at the carpet. Her body was as still as a beautiful figurine alone on a shelf. Michelle crouched down beside her.
“Nell,” she started gently, “I know about your mom.”
“Mum!” Nell cried. “It’s
mum
, not MOM!”
“Mum,” Michelle corrected. “And I know a little bit about how you’re feeling: my mom died when I was a little girl, too. So I just want you to know that if you ever want to talk about it, I’m here.”
Nell was stone-faced as she rose. “You have a very nice room.”
“Thank you. So do you.” She tugged on a lock of Nell’s hair. “You still want to do our fingernails tonight, right?”
Nell’s face lit up.
“Thought so. How about we see what kind of stuff we have for dinner later—what time do you and your uncle eat dinner?”
Nell shrugged. “Whenever.”
Michelle took a deep breath. “Let’s go in the kitchen and try to figure out a regular dinnertime for you and me and some other stuff we need to get settled, okay? And then we’ll do our nails.”
“And toenails! Don’t forget!”
“That goes without saying.”
A lot of things seemed to go without saying. But not for long.
8
“Esa Saari? Lord-a-me,
girl, you are one lucky bee-yotch.”
Michelle rolled her eyes at her friend,
It was weird, hearing such a posh British accent come out of a little girl’s mouth. Hermione’s voice in
Harry Potter
was different; she was a bit of a snoot. But Nell was shy; it didn’t fit together somehow.
Michelle smiled at her. “No, this is great! I like all that stuff, too. And watching TV sometimes.”
“Me, too.”
“Looks like we’re a good match, then.”
“Yes.” Nell seemed to turn a bit shy as she hit the screen saver on the computer.
“Are you all moved in?” she asked Michelle, not quite looking at her.
“Yup.”
She looked a little anxious. “For good?”
“Yes, honey, for good,” Michelle promised her. The question killed her. She wanted to scoop Nell up into her arms right now and promise her anything, everything. That she’d be loved, and she finally had an adult in her life she could count on. That even though things seemed to suck right now, they would get better. But that would come.
Michelle perched on the edge of the bed. “I’m surprised you didn’t come in to help me move.”
“I didn’t want to get in the way.”
“You wouldn’t have. Would you like to see my room now that it has all my stuff in it?”
“Yes!”
“C’mon, then.” Michelle started through the door in Nell’s room that led into their joined bathroom.
“As you know, this is
our
bathroom,” Michelle said, making it sound extremely exclusive. “If anyone else uses it, they’ll have to answer to us.”
Nell’s mouth curled into a small, pleased smile.
Michelle led her past the sinks and claw-foot tub into her own bedroom. “Here it is.”
Nell stood transfixed in the doorway, her eyes slowly taking it all in. Eventually, they hit on Michelle’s bookcase. She looked at Michelle hopefully. “Can I—?”
“Of course.”
Nell practically skipped across the room, her fingers carefully brushing the books’ spines as she read the titles to herself. Her hair was a tangled mess. Michelle wondered if she’d even tried to comb it out after she showered. Naturally, her uncle hadn’t noticed. Nell could probably chop her hair off and Esa wouldn’t see it.
Nell looked up at Michelle with disappointment. “A lot of these are boring old textbooks.”
“I used to be a teacher.”
“Really?”
“Yup.”
Nell considered this a moment, then returned to scouring Michelle’s books. “You do have a few good ones in here.”
Michelle tried not to laugh. “Like what?”
“
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
. . . and
Marley & Me
.”
Michelle decided to stick a toe in the water. “I liked
Marley
, but it was so sad when the dog died in the end,” she murmured. “I couldn’t stop crying.”
Nell swallowed and looked down at the carpet. Her body was as still as a beautiful figurine alone on a shelf. Michelle crouched down beside her.
“Nell,” she started gently, “I know about your mom.”
“Mum!” Nell cried. “It’s
mum
, not MOM!”
“Mum,” Michelle corrected. “And I know a little bit about how you’re feeling: my mom died when I was a little girl, too. So I just want you to know that if you ever want to talk about it, I’m here.”
Nell was stone-faced as she rose. “You have a very nice room.”
“Thank you. So do you.” She tugged on a lock of Nell’s hair. “You still want to do our fingernails tonight, right?”
Nell’s face lit up.
“Thought so. How about we see what kind of stuff we have for dinner later—what time do you and your uncle eat dinner?”
Nell shrugged. “Whenever.”
Michelle took a deep breath. “Let’s go in the kitchen and try to figure out a regular dinnertime for you and me and some other stuff we need to get settled, okay? And then we’ll do our nails.”
“And toenails! Don’t forget!”
“That goes without saying.”
A lot of things seemed to go without saying. But not for long.
8
“Esa Saari? Lord-a-me,
girl, you are one lucky bee-yotch.”
Michelle rolled her eyes at her friend,
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