Chapter 2

I wanted to cry, but when I thought of Emily, I tried to be brave and tugged at Ryan's sleeve.

I said, "I will be a good girl, Grandpa. Please don't send me away."

But Ryan got really scary all of a sudden. He shoved me to the floor and yelled at me, "Teaching you to lie at such a young age? Aren't you ashamed?

"Your mom thinks she's so great, huh? She vanished for seven years, and now she doesn't want to take care of you, so she just dumps you on me. Where was she when I was sick?

"From now on, as far as I'm concerned, she's dead to me. Don't ever come messing up my life again!"

Tears streaming down my face, I yelled at him, "Don't talk about Mom like that!"

I bit down hard on his arm, leaving a row of deep bite marks.

Ryan yelped in pain, then spun around and tossed me out of the house. "Get out of here, now!"

I was still sobbing as I made my way down the stairs, and there was Emily, perched on the steps, waiting for me.

When she saw me, Emily couldn't help but sigh, her face full of tired resignation.

"Let's just leave it for now. We've got plenty of days ahead—there's always next time," Emily said.

She wasn't telling the truth. Her real thoughts echoed in my mind. [There's not much time left. I have to make sure the old man accepts Sophie as soon as possible.]

I didn't say a word, just pressed myself tightly into Emily's arms.

It all started a week ago, when I first realized I could hear her thoughts.

I had just come back from kindergarten, excited to show Emily the little star I'd earned, when I saw her come out of the bathroom looking pale as a ghost.

I peeked into the sink and saw a faint red stain, just like the watercolor paint we used in art class.

Suddenly, her voice popped right into my head. [This isn't going to work. What's going to happen to Sophie?]

She didn't say a word out loud, but I could hear her thoughts as clear as day.

"Mom, are you feeling sick?" I asked, reaching up to touch her forehead. It was cool, so she wasn't running a fever.

Emily let out a soft laugh, her usual gentle smile returning.

"Silly girl, what do you want to eat tonight? I'll make it for you," she said.

Her face was all smiles, but inside, I could hear her crying.

[Sophie's still so little. How is she supposed to grow up without me?]

It took me a while to realize I was hearing her thoughts.

After dinner, Emily sat on the couch, checking out my homework from kindergarten.

It was a family portrait, but it was just Emily and me in the picture.

My classmate Leo Gustin drew everyone in his family—mom, dad, both sets of grandparents, and even their dog right in the middle. His drawing looked super lively.

Leo was actually jealous of me. He said, "I've got a whole crowd bossing me around every day. You're way freer than I am."

But when Emily saw how empty and lonely my picture looked, her eyes started to well up with tears.

She kept saying sorry to me in her heart, blaming herself for not being able to give me a real family.

I said, "Anywhere Mom is, that's home."

Her eyes got teary as she looked at me. After a long struggle, Emily finally said, "How about I take you to meet Grandpa tomorrow, Sophie?"

I never even knew I had a grandpa until now.

Emily walked me over to the little park, leaned down, and whispered as she pointed at the crowd, "He's there."

I raced over, my feet pattering, and called out in a clear, cheerful voice to the tallest old man, "Grandpa!"

The other elderly folks nearby jumped in surprise, then started chuckling and teasing him.

"Hey, Ryan, this kid really does look a lot like you," one of them joked.

Ryan laughed, lifted me up in his arms, and asked in a gentle voice, "Kid, I don't even have a daughter—so where did this granddaughter come from?"

Just then, Emily came over, dragging her feet, and muttered, "Dad."

Ryan's face fell. He put me down and walked away without saying another word.

I saw Emily bite her lip hard, then strode over and grabbed Ryan by the arm.

"Listen, old man! This is your own granddaughter. If you're walking away, you'd better take her with you!"

She had never looked so fierce before—it honestly freaked me out.

But Ryan was even scarier. He jerked his arm free so hard that Emily hit the ground hard, and her nose started bleeding.

He then stormed off, and I grabbed a tissue to wipe the blood from Emily's nose, sobbing so hard I could barely get the words out. "Grandpa's such a bad person! I never want to see him again!"

Emily usually let me have my way, but this time she just shook her head, looking really determined.

"Tomorrow, we'll try again," she said, her voice firm.