Somehow, Carter convinces the Joneses to
stay away.
Only Lily stares at me from a distance at
school.
t
I hate her, but not really.
It’s Dad, Mom, and Carter’s fault.
When she was young she liked me and clung
<
to me.
But Mom was jealous. Dad loves Mom.
So, Dad turned Lily against me.
Carter followed Dad’s lead.
Their guilt comes from beautified memories,
from the sins of the past.
Drawing makes me happy.
One day, Ms. Walker noticed me and offered
to take me as her student. She is one of the
world’s best artists.
She admires the talent in my work.
These days, she wants to take me
く
somewhere.
“Drawing is more than practice,” Ms. Walker
says. “You have to go out. See.”
She pinches my face. “And your art is all pain.
I want to help you, Rain. How about a trip?”
Ms. Walker is nice. She never asks about my
family. She picks me up from my house.
She takes me to her house. She makes
braids. She buys me clothes.
At night, she reads me stories, even though
I’m not a child anymore.
When I’m nestled in blankets, I’m happy.
Ms. Walker is like the mother I always wanted.
く
I now have the things I once envied Lily for.
Ms. Walker takes me around the country to
see the wonders I had never seen.
Each place she wants to take pictures with
- me. I put them on my apartment wall.
The past fades away.
But Mom won’t stay away. She finds me. She
looks at the pictures of Ms. Walker and me.
She glares in jealousy.
“You never took pictures with your real
mother.”
She pulls out her phone to take a picture with
me, and I knock it away.
Mom cries and grabs my arm. “Why do you
call her Mom?”
Ms. Walker runs out of the kitchen, worried.
She stands in front of me.
“Mom, you need to be calm.”
“You can’t steal my daughter!” Mom tries to
hit Ms. Walker and pulls me from her.
I say, “You are not my mother. A real mother
would not call me trash. A real mother would
not kick me out of the house.”
“I–I’ll change! Can’t you give me a chance?”
“I said, if you don’t let me free, I’ll die.”
Mom leaves, heartbroken.
L
Ms. Walker hugs me. “You’ve suffered.”
start to cry.
Ms. Walker holds me while I cry.
