Katie's Angel by Tabatha Akers

not really a question, but more of a “you better say yes” type of thing.
    Knowing she couldn’t say no Katie said, “yes of course, but I just thought it would be nice for you and dad to have a nice romantic dinner just the two of you.”
    “Dad and I are just fine,” she replied to Katie as she pulled into the parking lot, “I think we need some family time.”
    At this very moment Katie wished she was still talking to all of her friends. She would have had a place to have a sleepover so that she wouldn’t have to worry about the conversation she knew was bound to take place tonight. Hoping to mask the discontentment in her voice she put a smile on her face, and said in the most upbeat voice she could come up with, “Sure mom, that sounds great,” as she unbuckled her seat belt, and hopped out of the car before anything else could be said.
    The conversation in the car had not gone as well as she had hoped it would. Walking towards the library door she could feel the lump in her throat growing bigger. She didn’t know how she was going to go inside, but she knew that she had to or the conversation at dinner wo uld grow into a conversation about her and a therapist. She walked closer and could feel her legs getting heavier. She saw her mom open the door for her, but suddenly she couldn’t move another inch.
    “Katie, come on, we are not trying to air condition the outdoors,” mom said just like she would say at home.
    Katie was trying but just couldn’t take that extra step. Suddenly when she was about to break down and tell her mom she just couldn’t go in, she felt the hands on her shoulders and felt like she was being pushed towards the door. Katie was baffled as she tried to look around to see who was behind her. She went through the door faster than she thought and stumbled over her own feet causing her to almost fall flat on her face.
    Regaining her composure Katie looked around to see who entered behind her. She knew it was not her mother because she was right there holding the door.
    “Katie will you please stop playing around and go find Mrs. Smith for your schedule? I will be right over here in the fiction section looking for a book,” her mom replied quietly as she walked away. Katie couldn’t answer, mainly because she didn’t feel like she could breathe. All she could do is stand. It was like her feet had been super glued to the carpet.
    “Katie it is so great to see you. It has been so long since you have come into the library. We definitely have missed having you here,” Mrs. Smith said in what Katie thought was a bit too loud for a library.
    Trying to keep her mom from getting any more information than necessary, Katie smiled her bright smile and said, “Mrs. Smith it’s great to see you again as well, even thought it was just last week when I was here last.” Katie was hoping that Mrs. Smith would just dismiss the topic and just give her the schedule she came in to get in the first place.
    “Last week? I didn’t see you last week. I may be getting on up there in age, but I remember the last time I saw you was right before…” her voice trailed off as she got that sad look in her eyes that everyone seem to get all the time now when they talked about Jackson. “Anyways dear it is nice to know that you will read to the kids this summer. They will be so excited; they always loved when you read to them.” Mrs. Smith said enthusiastically.
    “Yes I love to read to them as well. It will be lots of fun,” Katie said knowing that it would not be the same without Jackson there. She always brought him because he would do all the sound effects for the books, and the kids all loved him. “Everyone loved Jackson,” she thought.  Her last thought made her feel even sadder than normal.
    “Here is your schedule then dear,” Mrs. Smith said as she handed Katie the folded paper she had in her hand. “I have to get ready for the knitting class that is here at four o’clock, so I will see