The Dummy Died, I Broke

Synopsis

When I was seven, Mom brought home a grimy little waif, Wendy Carter, from the dumpster to keep me company. The only word she could ever say clearly was my name. I thought she was an idiot and called her an annoying shadow, but she'd just grin that goofy smile and stick to me like glue. When I was nineteen, I spent a year in jail for accidentally hurting someone while trying to protect her. After I got out, it felt like my whole life had gone down the drain. I had to struggle to find work while still taking care of her. The weight of it all was crushing me. At a class reunion, I watched my old classmates, who now all had real lives of their own. And I couldn't stop thinking, if only she'd never come into my life. Back home, I plugged in a hair dryer and set it by the tub, then told her to go take a bath. She paused for a second, then turned and grinned at me like she always did, heading toward the tub. "Thanks, Ryan," she said.