her busy so he has to ring our doorbell.
“Thanks for taking me tonight, ma’am,” Danielle said as we stood on the porch.
“You’re welcome over anytime, Danielle,” Mom said. “I’d love it if we could draw together.” Danielle smiled at that idea.
“See you tomorrow,” I said. We hugged.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
We watched her walk out to the farm truck with thedented door. I held my breath with hope for the entire long, long minute. Then I was rewarded. Charlie turned his head and looked back. I saw his smile and friendly wave, a wave that Mom gladly returned. I walked to my bedroom and sat on my bed, suddenly exhausted. Mom sat next to me.
“Quite an afternoon, huh?” she said.
“Yes,” I said. “Poor Alexia. No dad for her, either.”
“Everybody’s got a story, Anna.”
I lay down and rested my head on my pillow. Mom lay down next to me. “Is Mr. Terupt going to be okay?” I asked.
“I don’t know, honey,” Mom said. “I sure hope so.” She wrapped her arm around me and I started to cry.
“Is it my fault?” I asked.
Mom sat up. “Is what your fault?”
“Mr. Terupt lying in that bed.”
“Anna, how could it possibly be your fault?” Mom sounded shocked.
“Because I’m one of the kids who got Peter mad enough to throw that snowball.”
“Anna, you listen to me.” She sounded almost mad now. “Look at me.” Her eyes narrowed on mine. “You didn’t throw that snowball, nor did you force Peter to throw it. I’m not sure whose fault it is that this happened, or if it even matters, but I do know it’s not yours. Do you understand me?”
“I just want him to be okay.”
“I know, honey. Me too.”
I never thought I’d have the courage to ask my mom the next thing that came out of my mouth, but my feelings just poured out after seeing Mr. Terupt like that. “Do you ever blame me for what happened to you all those years ago?”
“Blame you?”
“Is it my fault that you were ostracized?”
“Anna, honey, please tell me you’re not being serious.”
I didn’t say anything.
“My goodness.” Mom placed her hands on my cheeks and spoke softly. “Anna, I consider myself lucky to have you. I would endure all that pain again in an instant so that I could have you. I’ve never blamed you, nor will I. You’re everything to me.” A tear fell from Mom’s face and landed on mine. “I’ve always been afraid that you’d end up hating me for bringing you into this situation,” Mom said.
“You’re the best mom ever,” I said. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Mom bent forward and we hugged. Then she kissed me on the cheek and lay back down next to me. I wanted to ask her about Charlie, but I was wiped out, so I closed my eyes.
Danielle
I ’m glad I went to see Mr. Terupt. It wasn’t easy, but it would have been a lot harder alone. I don’t know how Lexie did it. But I’m glad she was there, because now we’re friends again. I don’t think she’ll be mean anymore. I think Mr. Terupt helped her. Right from his coma, he helped the four of us make wrongs right.
I didn’t know about Jessica’s father. She seemed so perfect—I thought her family was, too. I used to think Lexie was so lucky as well. Maybe I’m the lucky one, even with this extra meat on my bones. Maybe we’re all lucky for having Mr. Terupt.
I’ve been trying to figure out why the accident happened. Every night I pray and ask for help making sense of the tragedy.
Mr. Terupt helped Lexie and us, and he helped me make it over to Anna’s house. I want to go again. Her mom’s very nice. And, when he picked me up, I noticed that Charlie seemed to like looking at her. I decided not to say anything, though—not to Charlie, or about wanting to go over to Anna’s again. Not yet.
At home, Mom and Grandma asked me how my visit went as soon as I walked into the kitchen. “Did that woman do or say anything crazy?” Grandma wanted to know.
“Was she okay?” Mom asked
“Thanks for taking me tonight, ma’am,” Danielle said as we stood on the porch.
“You’re welcome over anytime, Danielle,” Mom said. “I’d love it if we could draw together.” Danielle smiled at that idea.
“See you tomorrow,” I said. We hugged.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
We watched her walk out to the farm truck with thedented door. I held my breath with hope for the entire long, long minute. Then I was rewarded. Charlie turned his head and looked back. I saw his smile and friendly wave, a wave that Mom gladly returned. I walked to my bedroom and sat on my bed, suddenly exhausted. Mom sat next to me.
“Quite an afternoon, huh?” she said.
“Yes,” I said. “Poor Alexia. No dad for her, either.”
“Everybody’s got a story, Anna.”
I lay down and rested my head on my pillow. Mom lay down next to me. “Is Mr. Terupt going to be okay?” I asked.
“I don’t know, honey,” Mom said. “I sure hope so.” She wrapped her arm around me and I started to cry.
“Is it my fault?” I asked.
Mom sat up. “Is what your fault?”
“Mr. Terupt lying in that bed.”
“Anna, how could it possibly be your fault?” Mom sounded shocked.
“Because I’m one of the kids who got Peter mad enough to throw that snowball.”
“Anna, you listen to me.” She sounded almost mad now. “Look at me.” Her eyes narrowed on mine. “You didn’t throw that snowball, nor did you force Peter to throw it. I’m not sure whose fault it is that this happened, or if it even matters, but I do know it’s not yours. Do you understand me?”
“I just want him to be okay.”
“I know, honey. Me too.”
I never thought I’d have the courage to ask my mom the next thing that came out of my mouth, but my feelings just poured out after seeing Mr. Terupt like that. “Do you ever blame me for what happened to you all those years ago?”
“Blame you?”
“Is it my fault that you were ostracized?”
“Anna, honey, please tell me you’re not being serious.”
I didn’t say anything.
“My goodness.” Mom placed her hands on my cheeks and spoke softly. “Anna, I consider myself lucky to have you. I would endure all that pain again in an instant so that I could have you. I’ve never blamed you, nor will I. You’re everything to me.” A tear fell from Mom’s face and landed on mine. “I’ve always been afraid that you’d end up hating me for bringing you into this situation,” Mom said.
“You’re the best mom ever,” I said. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Mom bent forward and we hugged. Then she kissed me on the cheek and lay back down next to me. I wanted to ask her about Charlie, but I was wiped out, so I closed my eyes.
Danielle
I ’m glad I went to see Mr. Terupt. It wasn’t easy, but it would have been a lot harder alone. I don’t know how Lexie did it. But I’m glad she was there, because now we’re friends again. I don’t think she’ll be mean anymore. I think Mr. Terupt helped her. Right from his coma, he helped the four of us make wrongs right.
I didn’t know about Jessica’s father. She seemed so perfect—I thought her family was, too. I used to think Lexie was so lucky as well. Maybe I’m the lucky one, even with this extra meat on my bones. Maybe we’re all lucky for having Mr. Terupt.
I’ve been trying to figure out why the accident happened. Every night I pray and ask for help making sense of the tragedy.
Mr. Terupt helped Lexie and us, and he helped me make it over to Anna’s house. I want to go again. Her mom’s very nice. And, when he picked me up, I noticed that Charlie seemed to like looking at her. I decided not to say anything, though—not to Charlie, or about wanting to go over to Anna’s again. Not yet.
At home, Mom and Grandma asked me how my visit went as soon as I walked into the kitchen. “Did that woman do or say anything crazy?” Grandma wanted to know.
“Was she okay?” Mom asked
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