someone may have accidentally pushed her.”
“But surely they do not think that Anais…”
“Etoile,” she said putting her arm around me, “they have Anais in custody until they figure out what happened, but she is safe.”
“Where is she?”
“She is in a special school for children who have problems in their lives. She lives there now.”
“You mean bad children?”
Giselle shook her head. “No, I do not think any children are bad. They may make the wrong choices sometimes, but I have never met a bad child. These children are sometimes there because they have nowhere else to go or like Anais, the police want them where they can go to school and be safe.”
“But Anais would never hurt Maman,” I said. “It was Maman who…”
I stopped because I did not want to speak of those things.
“Etoile,” Giselle said drawing me very close, “There were many things that happened to you, too – good and bad, non ?”
I nodded because I could not speak.
“I am so sorry for you and for Anais. If ever you want to talk about it, I am here to listen.” She waited for a little while and for a moment I almost told her everything, but I could not find a way to say the words.
“Do not worry about Anais. This will all work itself out. It may just take some time.”
“How much time?”
“It may be a while.”
“But couldn’t Anais come and live here?” I asked.
“ Non, Cherie , that is not possible.”
“But why not?”
“Because she is where she needs to be right now.”
I drew away from her. “But Anais took care of Maman, even when she had…bad days.”
“I know. She was very, very brave. You both were.”
“So Anais will not be coming for me soon?”
“ Non, but I have the address where she is staying at. Perhaps you would like to write a letter to her?”
“Do you think she would write back?”
Giselle squeezed my shoulders. “Of course she will. And in the meantime, you will stay with Jean and I for as long as you like. We are family after all.”
“But Jean is not family.”
“Of course she is. You are my family and Jean is my family, so we are all family.”
“But you and Jean are not even related.”
“No, but believe me, we are family.” She held out her left hand and displayed a silver ring with a very pretty green stone shaped like a heart on it. I had noticed that both she and Jean always wore the same ring. “Do you see this ring?”
“Yes.”
“One year, Jean and I were walking along a beach near her parents’ house when we stumbled across some sea glass in the sand. It was a large piece and had such pretty colors in it. I took the piece of sea glass home with us and always treasured it because it was such a pretty color and because I had such fond memories of that weekend. That Christmas, Jean took the sea glass to a jeweler in Boston and had them make the two rings from it. We wear them, always, because we are family. You do not have to be related to someone for them to be family.”
Giselle stood up and pulled the covers up under my chin. “I will wake you in the morning,” she said as she kissed me on both cheeks. “ Bonne nuit, Cherie.”
I laid in the bed staring at the ceiling as a soft breeze seeped through the crack of the window and touched my nose, my cheeks and my chin, as if the wind were kissing me goodnight. A secret wind, I thought to myself…
CHAPTER SEVEN
“ Se réveiller . Wake up, Sleepy Head,” I heard Giselle say as I turned over in the bed. The bed seemed so big compared to sleeping on the sofa. “Come on, it is a school day,” Giselle said shaking me by the knee. “Hurry up and come down and I will make you breakfast.”
I took my time getting up. I was suddenly not so sure about any of this. I pulled the white blouse and plaid skirt on and went very quietly and very slowly downstairs.
“I am worried for her, Jean,” I heard Giselle say quietly
“But surely they do not think that Anais…”
“Etoile,” she said putting her arm around me, “they have Anais in custody until they figure out what happened, but she is safe.”
“Where is she?”
“She is in a special school for children who have problems in their lives. She lives there now.”
“You mean bad children?”
Giselle shook her head. “No, I do not think any children are bad. They may make the wrong choices sometimes, but I have never met a bad child. These children are sometimes there because they have nowhere else to go or like Anais, the police want them where they can go to school and be safe.”
“But Anais would never hurt Maman,” I said. “It was Maman who…”
I stopped because I did not want to speak of those things.
“Etoile,” Giselle said drawing me very close, “There were many things that happened to you, too – good and bad, non ?”
I nodded because I could not speak.
“I am so sorry for you and for Anais. If ever you want to talk about it, I am here to listen.” She waited for a little while and for a moment I almost told her everything, but I could not find a way to say the words.
“Do not worry about Anais. This will all work itself out. It may just take some time.”
“How much time?”
“It may be a while.”
“But couldn’t Anais come and live here?” I asked.
“ Non, Cherie , that is not possible.”
“But why not?”
“Because she is where she needs to be right now.”
I drew away from her. “But Anais took care of Maman, even when she had…bad days.”
“I know. She was very, very brave. You both were.”
“So Anais will not be coming for me soon?”
“ Non, but I have the address where she is staying at. Perhaps you would like to write a letter to her?”
“Do you think she would write back?”
Giselle squeezed my shoulders. “Of course she will. And in the meantime, you will stay with Jean and I for as long as you like. We are family after all.”
“But Jean is not family.”
“Of course she is. You are my family and Jean is my family, so we are all family.”
“But you and Jean are not even related.”
“No, but believe me, we are family.” She held out her left hand and displayed a silver ring with a very pretty green stone shaped like a heart on it. I had noticed that both she and Jean always wore the same ring. “Do you see this ring?”
“Yes.”
“One year, Jean and I were walking along a beach near her parents’ house when we stumbled across some sea glass in the sand. It was a large piece and had such pretty colors in it. I took the piece of sea glass home with us and always treasured it because it was such a pretty color and because I had such fond memories of that weekend. That Christmas, Jean took the sea glass to a jeweler in Boston and had them make the two rings from it. We wear them, always, because we are family. You do not have to be related to someone for them to be family.”
Giselle stood up and pulled the covers up under my chin. “I will wake you in the morning,” she said as she kissed me on both cheeks. “ Bonne nuit, Cherie.”
I laid in the bed staring at the ceiling as a soft breeze seeped through the crack of the window and touched my nose, my cheeks and my chin, as if the wind were kissing me goodnight. A secret wind, I thought to myself…
CHAPTER SEVEN
“ Se réveiller . Wake up, Sleepy Head,” I heard Giselle say as I turned over in the bed. The bed seemed so big compared to sleeping on the sofa. “Come on, it is a school day,” Giselle said shaking me by the knee. “Hurry up and come down and I will make you breakfast.”
I took my time getting up. I was suddenly not so sure about any of this. I pulled the white blouse and plaid skirt on and went very quietly and very slowly downstairs.
“I am worried for her, Jean,” I heard Giselle say quietly
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