Chapter 2
Could I fly now?
Suddenly, it all made sense.
On TV, those heroes always had to go through pain before they could master any magic.
So, Henry was teaching me magic just now?
Oh, I thought he was such a jerk.
Both shocked and thrilled, I hurriedly floated towards home.
I had to tell Mom this amazing news.
Maybe I could show off in front of Jamie.
But weirdly, nobody seemed to notice me at all.
Just now, when I accidentally bumped into someone, I went right through him.
What was going on?
My mind was pretty scrambled, and the urge to get home grew stronger.
Whatever, I'd go home first.
What were Mom and Dad doing now?
Was Jamie crying again?
A pang of something sour squeezed inside my chest.
Mom couldn't have meant to leave me behind.
Maybe she was punishing me again, just like before.
The wind whipped past my ears as I soared through the air.
In under five minutes, I was already standing outside my front door.
I tried to open it, but when I reached out, my hand passed right through.
I snickered and sneaked inside, ready to give Mom a little scare.
She always scared me. Now it was my turn to spook her.
Mom stood with her back to me, staring blankly at the juice and pizza on the counter.
There wasn't a trace of a smile on her face.
Oh, right. Today was my birthday.
Spotting Mom's slightly red eyes, I sighed like an adult.
She must regret giving me to Henry now.
I took a deep breath and said, "It's okay, Mom. I'm not mad at you.
"I know you wanted Jamie to behave. I'll make sure he listens from now on."
But her mom ignored me.
Feeling helpless, I called out once more.
But Mom still didn't respond, as if she couldn't hear me at all.
I'd been punished for Jamie and sneaked back home.
Back then, Mom would ignore me like this.
She wouldn't even look at me until she finally calmed down.
So I figured she was still mad at me.
I took a step back, nervously tugging at the hem of my shirt.
I wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words.
Alright, then, I'd go look for Jamie first.
He always relied on me. After seeing me taken away today, he must be terrified.
I put a smile back on my face and turned to leave.
But I passed right through someone again.
It was Dad.
He had just come home and opened the door.
My smile grew bigger. It felt like it had been forever since I last saw Dad.
He was definitely back to celebrate my birthday.
As I expected, he was holding a gorgeous Barbie doll in his hand.
Mom didn't get up to greet him like she usually did. She just sat there, looking frustrated.
It wasn't until Dad walked over to her that she finally spoke, her voice hoarse. "Why are you back?"
"It's Lily's birthday. I managed to get some time off, so I came home to be with you all and celebrate it," Dad replied.
He looked around with a smile. "Oh, right, where's Lily?"
"Dad, I'm right here." I floated over, grinning from ear to ear.
But he didn't seem to see me at all.
He walked straight through me and put the Barbie doll on the table.
Before Mom could answer, Jamie came running out, tears streaming down his face.
"Dad," he sobbed, "you have to go get Lily back. Henry grabbed her, and Mom said she didn't want her anymore."
Dad froze, shocked.
He turned to Mom, looking totally bewildered.
"What does Jamie mean by that? You did it again?" Dad snapped, anger written all over his face.
Mom frowned, stepped forward, and pulled him back into their room.
A wave of anxiety washed over me.
I didn't want them arguing because of me.
I quickly followed them.
Using my "magic," I slipped through the door into the room.
Dad put his hands on his hips, looking furious.
"I've told you, Lily and Jamie are two different people. Why can't you ever tell them apart?
"Jamie messed up, but why does Lily have to take the blame?
"Are you even her real mom?" he snapped.