anything she had ever believed was true.
“Mom, I know you hate Dad right now, and I hate him too, sometimes, but talking to Dad tonight was so great. I really missed hearing his voice. I don't know what happened with Dad and that other girl or why he would ever do anything like that, but I still think...I still think I should have a chance to spend time with my Dad. Even if he's a screw up and you hate him, I know he loves me, deep down.”
Mom nodded and said nothing. She rose slowly from her chair and walked to the desk. She pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked the bottom drawer of the desk. It was the drawer where Mom and Dad kept all of their important financial papers and stuff like birth certificates and passports. Tabitha had never bothered to try opening the drawer because it never seemed important. But now, as Mom pulled a small, brightly wrapped package from the drawer, Tabitha wished dearly that she had snooped around.
“This is from your Dad: a late Christmas gift.”
Tabitha stared at the package for a moment before tearing off the silver and gold wrapping paper. It fell loosely to the floor and she opened the small box in her hands. Inside the box, nestled snugly in a bed of soft cotton, was the most beautiful necklace Tabitha had ever seen. A strand of silver held a pendant of a bird. Its wings were lined with sapphires and diamonds, and in place of an eye, the bird had a small emerald. Tabitha gasped softly.
“Help me put it on?” She told Mom, but it was more of a question than a command. Mom nodded and clasped the necklace behind Tabitha's neck. The bird lay across her collarbone.
“It's flying away from everything,” Tabitha whispered, staring at it. “It must be so wonderful to have wings.”
Mom placed her hand on Tabitha's shoulder. “I think it's about time you got to bed, Sweetie. It's late.”
Tabitha nodded and without protest, climbed the stairs to her bedroom and collapsed on her sea of blankets. She took the necklace off and held the bird in her hand.
“Fly away, little birdie,” she whispered as she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 14
Tabitha met Katie the next morning. She had decided to leave her new necklace at home so she wouldn't lose or break it. Tabitha was notoriously clumsy, and her necklace was so special that she wanted it to be protected. Mom had a large wooden jewelry box on her dresser and had allowed Tabitha to place the bird necklace inside the jewelry box for safekeeping.
“Hey Katie,” Tabitha greeted her friend as she neared the Miller's home. Katie was sitting on the front porch. As usual, she had a book sprawled in her lap. She looked up at Tabitha, a sly grin playing on her face.
“So, hotshot, how was your date?”
Tabitha laughed. “It wasn't really a date.” She blushed before admitting, “Actually, I kind of fell asleep and Ryan left. His sister drove me home when I woke up.”
Katie erupted in laughter. “Worst date ever!”
“I know. I was just so tired!” Tabitha stuck her tongue out at Katie and giggled, too. She hoped Ryan wouldn't be angry when she saw him today. In all the excitement of talking to Dad the night before, Tabitha had completely forgotten about her adventure at Ryan's house.
As the girls walked to school, Katie talked about a project she was working on, but Tabitha found it difficult to concentrate on the details of Katie's work. Instead, she began to think about what Kathy had said about parenting. Logically, Tabitha knew Mom had only been trying to protect her by keeping her from Dad, but her heart still hurt, and she still felt a little bit betrayed by Mom's secrecy. At least Mom had finally come clean, Tabitha told herself, and next week Tabitha would get to see Dad again when they all went to court.
“What do you think about that?” Katie asked, bringing Tabitha back to the present.
“Sorry,” Tabitha shook her head. “Explain it again?”
Katie laughed and gave Tabitha a gentle shove. “I
“Mom, I know you hate Dad right now, and I hate him too, sometimes, but talking to Dad tonight was so great. I really missed hearing his voice. I don't know what happened with Dad and that other girl or why he would ever do anything like that, but I still think...I still think I should have a chance to spend time with my Dad. Even if he's a screw up and you hate him, I know he loves me, deep down.”
Mom nodded and said nothing. She rose slowly from her chair and walked to the desk. She pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked the bottom drawer of the desk. It was the drawer where Mom and Dad kept all of their important financial papers and stuff like birth certificates and passports. Tabitha had never bothered to try opening the drawer because it never seemed important. But now, as Mom pulled a small, brightly wrapped package from the drawer, Tabitha wished dearly that she had snooped around.
“This is from your Dad: a late Christmas gift.”
Tabitha stared at the package for a moment before tearing off the silver and gold wrapping paper. It fell loosely to the floor and she opened the small box in her hands. Inside the box, nestled snugly in a bed of soft cotton, was the most beautiful necklace Tabitha had ever seen. A strand of silver held a pendant of a bird. Its wings were lined with sapphires and diamonds, and in place of an eye, the bird had a small emerald. Tabitha gasped softly.
“Help me put it on?” She told Mom, but it was more of a question than a command. Mom nodded and clasped the necklace behind Tabitha's neck. The bird lay across her collarbone.
“It's flying away from everything,” Tabitha whispered, staring at it. “It must be so wonderful to have wings.”
Mom placed her hand on Tabitha's shoulder. “I think it's about time you got to bed, Sweetie. It's late.”
Tabitha nodded and without protest, climbed the stairs to her bedroom and collapsed on her sea of blankets. She took the necklace off and held the bird in her hand.
“Fly away, little birdie,” she whispered as she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 14
Tabitha met Katie the next morning. She had decided to leave her new necklace at home so she wouldn't lose or break it. Tabitha was notoriously clumsy, and her necklace was so special that she wanted it to be protected. Mom had a large wooden jewelry box on her dresser and had allowed Tabitha to place the bird necklace inside the jewelry box for safekeeping.
“Hey Katie,” Tabitha greeted her friend as she neared the Miller's home. Katie was sitting on the front porch. As usual, she had a book sprawled in her lap. She looked up at Tabitha, a sly grin playing on her face.
“So, hotshot, how was your date?”
Tabitha laughed. “It wasn't really a date.” She blushed before admitting, “Actually, I kind of fell asleep and Ryan left. His sister drove me home when I woke up.”
Katie erupted in laughter. “Worst date ever!”
“I know. I was just so tired!” Tabitha stuck her tongue out at Katie and giggled, too. She hoped Ryan wouldn't be angry when she saw him today. In all the excitement of talking to Dad the night before, Tabitha had completely forgotten about her adventure at Ryan's house.
As the girls walked to school, Katie talked about a project she was working on, but Tabitha found it difficult to concentrate on the details of Katie's work. Instead, she began to think about what Kathy had said about parenting. Logically, Tabitha knew Mom had only been trying to protect her by keeping her from Dad, but her heart still hurt, and she still felt a little bit betrayed by Mom's secrecy. At least Mom had finally come clean, Tabitha told herself, and next week Tabitha would get to see Dad again when they all went to court.
“What do you think about that?” Katie asked, bringing Tabitha back to the present.
“Sorry,” Tabitha shook her head. “Explain it again?”
Katie laughed and gave Tabitha a gentle shove. “I
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