arrived t

ternoon at the

fts. Ridiculously child

n horrified. But she was gone, a gentle memo

ell rang

roud in his best sui

hallway, clutchi

tered, all smiles and

hen,

tless grace, just as I remembered. Her eyes, though,

I was pr

Sophia," Dad called, a hi

fled f

my voice flat. "I

e bag and pulled

littery pl

, offering it to her with

ale. Mrs. Hayes' smile

ust look

nuine smile spread across her

She actually took the tiara and, for a heart-

held it like it wa

is wasn't how it

pulling out

figure, the kind with stiff

ct you," I mumbled, f

e took the action figure, t

ng directly at me. There was an

vibrating with mortificati

mother said, her smile a little strained but re

't take her

stly for my father, who kept trying to steer

oo busy trying to under

gifts. She was supposed to be of

as all