story that makes them who they are. Even you.”
David straightened beneath the reminder of the time he’d been sickly, with limited energy and abilities. He couldn’t keep up with Adam or draw as well as Renee or figure out puzzles as fast as Jackie. His mom kept him close and allowed him to sleep with her because his rest was never easy. One day all of that changed. Even now he couldn’t recall what happened. He woke with energy and moved around the room without help or getting tired. Mama cried and daddy watched with a look David hadn’t ever seen before. Grandfather was right, he had a story.
“ That’s true. I’ll tell .” He moved to the door leading out the nursery unsure who was in the hall. Someone was always there.
“Tell my daddy Sarita is gone,” he said to Jarcee, one of his favorite security guards.
The large man bent to one knee and smiled. “David, you should be asleep.”
Instead of agreeing he repeated his words.
Jarcee frowned. “She’s downstairs. I’ll send word to check on her. If she’s missing, we’ll look for her. Don’t worry. Now get some sleep.”
“After you tell daddy.” He crossed his arms and watched Jarcee. The man didn’t want to wake his dad, but David sensed it was important daddy know about this right away.
“Okay.” A few seconds later Jarcee stood and leaned against the wall.
David heard his parents coming and relaxed. Everything would be okay now. He faced them.
“What happened?” his mom asked looking at him.
“Sarita is missing?” His dad asked Jarcee in a hard tone that caused David to look up at him.
“According to young David, she is. I’ve contacted the guards on the floor she’s resting to go and check on her. Still waiting for them to respond, Sir.”
“Good.” His dad looked down at him and picked him up. “Whoa, you’re getting heavy, soon I won’t be able to do this. Let’s sit in here and talk, okay?”
“Yes, Sir,” David said wrapping his arms around his father’s neck while enjoying the warmth of his mom’s hand on his back. Yes, everything would be fine soon.
His dad sat far from where the others were resting. “What happened?”
Secure on his lap, David leaned back against his dad’s chest and looked at his mom. “I woke up, something was wrong.”
“What makes you think Sarita left?” His mom asked.
David had never shared his relationship with Grandfather Wolf and wasn’t sure now was the best time. He shrugged. “I just know.”
His mom looked at his dad, and something flashed in her eyes but he didn’t know what. Should he tell them about Grandfather and how much time they spent together? Or that Grandfather knew things and shared a lot of secrets with him? Grandfather hadn’t said not to tell, but he hadn’t encouraged it either.
Jarcee stepped to the door. A few moments later, his dad nodded. “Sarita is not in her room. Do you have any idea where she went? Or why she left?”
David didn’t really believe she left because of them or how she was treated but Grandfather had never been wrong before. “She didn’t smile anymore.”
“What?” his mom asked moving closer.
“She stopped smiling.” He didn’t know how to explain it the way Grandfather did, but his mom was smart and would understand.
“Ah… no one played with her.”
“She didn’t want to play with us.” The idea that he or his siblings were responsible for her running away didn’t sit well with him.
“Did you try to play with her,” his mom held up her hand stopping him from speaking. “After she knocked the book from your hand?”
“No, Ma’am.”
She released a long sigh. “Did any of you try to play with her?”
“Everybody did, except me.”
“Why didn’t you play with her?”
“She was mean and selfish. I don’t like her. She breaks things, and don’t put the toys away. She’s always fighting and fussing.” His lips settled in a tight, straight line as he met his mom’s gaze.
“Okay. You
David straightened beneath the reminder of the time he’d been sickly, with limited energy and abilities. He couldn’t keep up with Adam or draw as well as Renee or figure out puzzles as fast as Jackie. His mom kept him close and allowed him to sleep with her because his rest was never easy. One day all of that changed. Even now he couldn’t recall what happened. He woke with energy and moved around the room without help or getting tired. Mama cried and daddy watched with a look David hadn’t ever seen before. Grandfather was right, he had a story.
“ That’s true. I’ll tell .” He moved to the door leading out the nursery unsure who was in the hall. Someone was always there.
“Tell my daddy Sarita is gone,” he said to Jarcee, one of his favorite security guards.
The large man bent to one knee and smiled. “David, you should be asleep.”
Instead of agreeing he repeated his words.
Jarcee frowned. “She’s downstairs. I’ll send word to check on her. If she’s missing, we’ll look for her. Don’t worry. Now get some sleep.”
“After you tell daddy.” He crossed his arms and watched Jarcee. The man didn’t want to wake his dad, but David sensed it was important daddy know about this right away.
“Okay.” A few seconds later Jarcee stood and leaned against the wall.
David heard his parents coming and relaxed. Everything would be okay now. He faced them.
“What happened?” his mom asked looking at him.
“Sarita is missing?” His dad asked Jarcee in a hard tone that caused David to look up at him.
“According to young David, she is. I’ve contacted the guards on the floor she’s resting to go and check on her. Still waiting for them to respond, Sir.”
“Good.” His dad looked down at him and picked him up. “Whoa, you’re getting heavy, soon I won’t be able to do this. Let’s sit in here and talk, okay?”
“Yes, Sir,” David said wrapping his arms around his father’s neck while enjoying the warmth of his mom’s hand on his back. Yes, everything would be fine soon.
His dad sat far from where the others were resting. “What happened?”
Secure on his lap, David leaned back against his dad’s chest and looked at his mom. “I woke up, something was wrong.”
“What makes you think Sarita left?” His mom asked.
David had never shared his relationship with Grandfather Wolf and wasn’t sure now was the best time. He shrugged. “I just know.”
His mom looked at his dad, and something flashed in her eyes but he didn’t know what. Should he tell them about Grandfather and how much time they spent together? Or that Grandfather knew things and shared a lot of secrets with him? Grandfather hadn’t said not to tell, but he hadn’t encouraged it either.
Jarcee stepped to the door. A few moments later, his dad nodded. “Sarita is not in her room. Do you have any idea where she went? Or why she left?”
David didn’t really believe she left because of them or how she was treated but Grandfather had never been wrong before. “She didn’t smile anymore.”
“What?” his mom asked moving closer.
“She stopped smiling.” He didn’t know how to explain it the way Grandfather did, but his mom was smart and would understand.
“Ah… no one played with her.”
“She didn’t want to play with us.” The idea that he or his siblings were responsible for her running away didn’t sit well with him.
“Did you try to play with her,” his mom held up her hand stopping him from speaking. “After she knocked the book from your hand?”
“No, Ma’am.”
She released a long sigh. “Did any of you try to play with her?”
“Everybody did, except me.”
“Why didn’t you play with her?”
“She was mean and selfish. I don’t like her. She breaks things, and don’t put the toys away. She’s always fighting and fussing.” His lips settled in a tight, straight line as he met his mom’s gaze.
“Okay. You
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