had in forever, and I can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds. But now, I’m getting ready for the official meet and greet. I take my pills and make a quick trip to the bathroom to freshen up.
When I walk outside, the humid summer night warms my skin. Countless stars twinkle on the horizon. It’s so clear out here, untouched. Manhattan is a concrete jungle; you almost forget another world exists outside.
A large group of people mingles along the dock and around the lake’s edge. Some sit with their toes dipped into the still water while others relax under the blossoming trees, chatting with newfound friends. A few kids splash happily in the lake, but everyone is happy to just chill.
Witnessing the kids enjoying themselves comforts me. I know as days turn into weeks, and weeks into months, things will get harder for them. Time isn’t on their side, and once the three months is up, I wonder where we will all be.
A young girl who looks no older than thirteen sitting under a large oak tree catches my eye. She’s all alone but seems content. When she leans against the trunk and buries her nose farther into the book she’s reading, I feel a kinship to her. She’s reading a tattered copy of Treasure Island.
Taking a deep breath, I walk over to where she sits, hoping not to disturb her. My sneakers crunch over the soft grass, catching her attention. She peers up, her short red hair styled into a pixie cut. Freckles are scattered across her rounded cheeks and small button nose. She nervously tugs at a silver locket around her neck, waiting for me to speak.
“Hi.” I wave.
“Hi,” she replies in a voice softer than a mouse.
“I love that book. It’s my favorite.” I point at the tattered copy in her lap.
Her face lights up. There is nothing like finding a fellow book nerd. “Mine too.”
“Can I sit?”
“Sure.” She shuffles over.
Taking a seat near her, I extend my hand. “I’m Lola.”
“I’m Sadie.”
“Nice to meet you.” We shake, her frail hand feeling skeletal in mine. “How do you like it so far?”
She raises her shoulders. “It seems okay.”
Wanting to change the pace, I ask, “Do you have any siblings?”
A sadness overcomes her. I know the look all too well. “No. Just me. You?”
“Same here.” A heavy weight submerges me. “I had a sister once,” I reveal, not holding back. “We may not have been related by blood, but she was my sister nonetheless.”
“What happened to her?” she innocently questions.
Not wanting to lie, I reveal, “She, ah…she passed.”
Her hands fly up as she covers her mouth. Her sympathetic eyes fill with tears. “I’m so sorry, Lola.”
“It’s okay. It’s nice to let someone know she existed. It’s the only way I can keep her memory alive.”
“What was her name?”
Swallowing down my fears, I reply, “Georgia Faye.”
“I think I’d like to hear more about Georgia. She sounds like a nice person.”
“She was,” I reply with conviction. “The best.”
“Well, whenever you want to talk, come find me, and we can discuss her.” Sadie may be young, but she is far wiser than her years.
“Thank you. I will. And the same applies to me. I’m here any time you need to chat.”
Her braces catch the full moon. “Sounds good to me.”
“I found a stowaway,” Zoe playfully says about Cassandra, who is wearing a pink glitter cowboy hat as they approach us.
Sadie nervously shifts beside me. The instinct to protect her overcomes me.
“Guys, this is Sadie. Sadie, that’s Cassandra and Zoe.” I point at each person. She nods, waving.
“Hi, Sadie,” they say in unison. “Shall we go?”
I nod, looking at Sadie with a smile. “Want to walk with us?”
Her happiness is palpable. “Yes.”
We make our way toward the pavilion.
Dusk has taken over the atmosphere, and it won’t be long until the stars are twinkling above. The wide, open space has a large white dome branching upward, touching the heavens. A lot of people are already here, most sitting and chatting loudly among themselves. We take our seats and wait for June to speak.
I notice Sadie tugging at her heart-shaped locket again. It must be her security blanket, just how Georgia’s bandana is for me.
June rises from a chair in the front row and walks to the white podium—our shepherd standing in front of her flock.
“Seeing this pavilion packed full makes me happy beyond words. I want you to have fun and make friends. The people you see around you are not only your friends