halt in front of a vibrant bu

s of a sun and a rainbow. Near the entrance, children ran arou

l children's songs. Those same sounds used to bring me jo

d never be heard

my throat until brea

d over and softl

yself, nodded, and stepped

ight, and the walls were filled w

Handmade reindeer, paper snowflakes, and tiny sto

oved around the space. Had

llway stood the office o

woman in her fifties,

ed her face. "Mrs. Rivera, we're truly sorry

ay to meet Lily's friend Rose. Lily

nod. "Yes, of course. Rose really was Lily's closest friend

eath. "Please wait her

ained seated in the office chair

the class hung on the wall w

en across it, Lily's signa

red my vis

n as Helen stepped t

a blonde girl with pretty eye

time I saw her, yet she was sti

n a gentle voice. "She wants to ask you

once, her eyes

y Lily's mom? Lily told me you went somewhere

it me straight

and lowered myself u

Taking a slow breath, I continu

rough her backpack, then slowly open

th crayons. Two were tall, and one was sm

childlike, yet the drawing ha

n crayon letters were written. Th

quietly. "Whenever she missed y

e softened, "But Lily also said her dad wouldn't let he

ecr

d me, she wasn't allow

d Lily ever ask you to keep something safe

her eyes brightened as though s

she immediately began searchi

ally pulled out a tiny box wrapped in

ted the mome

and. Cartoon stickers covered its surface, stars

ur digits sat on top of it. Even though

ed with stars. It was the same wrapping pap

s because they watched over me

ive this to you," Rose explained while carefully pla

ded and grew tight with emotion. "After that, she stopped coming to preschoo

ey slipped down my face as I accepted the box, my ha

t felt unbearably heavy in my hands. This

it shook. "Thank you for staying by Lily's side as her friend. An

" Tears filled her eyes. "I miss her a lot. My mom says

aze toward me. "Did L

g her small, warm body reminded me o

y tears. "Lily became a bright star

my hands held the box tightly as

out of consideration a

and landed on my hands. The stickers on

herine asked, "Should

y eyes and held the box t

ared for me was fi

yet I had still made

nd out what she had

t it was, I w

ded to be done for

rom