The directions Sarah had received from the bookshop's clerk led her to a small ranch house with a covered porch out front. As she walked up to the front door, Sarah took note of the simple wooden mailbox that featured the name 'W. Faber' painted onto one side, as well as the large white ash that stood near the house, partially shading the roof with its thick branches. A simple swing made from rope and a plank of wood was hanging down from one of the lower branches.
Stepping up onto the porch, Sarah rang the doorbell. She didn't have to wait long before the door opened and a man with thick blonde hair and wide blue eyes came into view. Sarah was momentarily taken aback that this man was only a few inches shy of five feet.
"May I help you?" the man asked kindly, looking up at Sarah.
"Y…yes," Sarah replied, managing to get past her surprise at his height. "I'm Sarah. I was told that Stacey lived here. She left her bag at the bookshop, and I wanted to return it to her."
"Oh, yes," the man laughed, glancing at the navy blue bag in Sarah's hand. "That's Stacey's bag, all right. Thank you for going through the trouble of bringing it back. I'm afraid Stacey's not back yet, but you're more than welcome to come in for a bit if you want to wait for her. I've just made some tea, and there are some almond cookies in the cupboard.
"No, I don't think that'll be a good idea," Sarah shook her head.
"Ah, won't enter a stranger's home?" the man smiled knowingly. "That's very wise. Your parents obviously raised you to have a good sense of judgment. My name is Wayne Faber, so I'm not a stranger anymore, am I? And since you're clearly taller than I am, I can't pose much of a threat to you."
"I guess you have a point," Sarah admitted, unable to hold back a smile at Wayne's blunt referral to his short stature. "But I can't stay long. My dad and stepmother are expecting me."
In Wayne's kitchen, Wayne poured some more tea into Sarah's cup while she related her meeting with Stacey in the bookshop.
"That does sound like Stacey," Wayne spoke morosely when Sarah's story was finished. "I'm afraid she's never had the easiest time here. She never managed to get along with the other children at the school. There was always something that made her different, and most children tend to be cruel to those who are different. In spite of all that, Stacey has always been a good assistant in my carpenter's workshop. She has an amazing knack for thinking up new designs when I'm building furniture or constructing new houses. And, more importantly, she's like the daughter I never had."
"Phoebe said that you found her in your yard," Sarah remembered. "Is that true?"
"Yes, it is," Wayne confirmed. "I first came to this town when I was old enough to live on my own. My hometown had too many painful memories for me. See, I lost my younger brother when I was twelve. He was kidnapped, actually. And it was my fault. I was supposed to be watching him when it happened. It was my job to protect him, but I failed. My parents took the loss extremely hard. In the end, it tore our family apart."
"That's horrible," Sarah said. "I'm so sorry that happened."
"Thank you," Wayne replied with a sad smile before continuing with his story. "I moved here to Kent the moment I finished high school, when I was about your age. Once here, I started up a trade as a carpenter. For a while, things stayed the same. Then, seventeen years ago, I was returning home from the lumber store with more wood for my workshop. When I was coming up the walk, I heard a baby crying. When I looked up, there was a baby girl, only three months old, just deposited at the base of that white ash tree out front."
"Someone just left her in your yard?" Sarah gaped in shock.
"I'm afraid so," Wayne nodded. "The police never were able to find out where she came from, or what happened to her parents. Living in this house alone was very lonely, and now there was this little baby, with no one around to take care of her. I couldn't help but see some kind of sign in that. So, after filling out all the necessary red tape and paperwork, I was allowed to take her in and raise her."
Sarah was quiet for a moment, just thinking about what Wayne had just told her, but a sudden noise pulled her out of her thoughts. Turning, she saw a diminutive owl perched in the open kitchen window. The tiny owl blinked his large golden yellow eyes before flying into the kitchen, landing directly on the table and glancing up at Sarah, almost curiously. Wayne promptly fetched a drinking saucer and filled it with water before serving it to the owl, who started drinking without hesitation.
"I've never seen an owl that tame," Sarah noted in amazement.
"Saw whet owls are noted for being tamer than other owl species," Wayne explained. "But this particular owl is Daedalus. He showed up outside one night, just sitting on the porch outside. We think he flew into the window and stunned himself, because he wouldn't fly off, no matter what we did. When he was gone in the morning, we figured he must have recovered on his own and returned to the wild. But ever since then, he seems to consider this place as his roost, as he kept coming back nearly every night. We thought about calling in a wildlife rehabilitator about the matter, but every time someone came by to relocate him, this little owl would suddenly disappear, and wouldn't make another appearance until after the official left. Stacey eventually decided to just name him Daedalus, and, in a way, he's become something of an unofficial pet."
At that moment, the sound of the front door opening caught Sarah and Wayne's attention. Seconds later, Stacey walked into the kitchen, but she stopped in her tracks upon noticing Sarah.
"Um, Wayne?" Stacey glanced over at the carpenter. "Why didn't you mention we had company?"
"Stacey, Sarah here was returning your bag," Wayne gestured to Sarah as he spoke. "You left it in the bookshop."
"Oh. Well, thanks for that," Stacey gave Sarah a brief smile before noticing Daedalus. "Hey, Daedalus." The tiny owl let out a high whistling cry, and flew over to Stacey, landing on her left shoulder and nipping on a lock of her hair in greeting.
"Doesn't his talons hurt?" Sarah asked, wincing at the sight of the talons clamping down onto Stacey's shoulder.
"Not at all," Stacey replied. "I can't feel anything in that shoulder." Taking note of Sarah's tangible confusion, Stacey lightly nudged Daedalus with her finger, who abandoned her shoulder for a thick wooden perch that had been secured to the nearby wall. Once Daedalus was safely positioned on the wooden perch, Stacey pulled down her shirt collar enough to reveal a blotchy blemish positioned along her collarbone. It almost looked like a scar from a third degree burn.
"I've had this burn for as long as I can remember, since before Wayne found me as a baby," Stacey explained. "We don't know what caused it, but whatever it was, it damaged the nerves in my shoulder. You could cleave me through this shoulder with a red-hot poker, and I'd never feel a thing. So Daedalus' talons aren't a big issue."
It was at that moment that a clock on the wall began to chime, signifying that it was four o'clock. Realizing what time it was, Sarah quickly got to her feet.
"Oh, great," she groaned. "I was supposed to be home by now! I gotta go!" Before heading out, Sarah paused long enough to thank Wayne for the tea. Once she was outside, however, she instantly realized that she wasn't completely sure of what direction her new house was.
"You don't know the way, do you?" Stacey asked, appearing in the doorway.
"No, not really," Sarah admitted.
"Okay, then," Stacey sighed, stepping over to her side. "Just tell me your address, and I'll help you find it."
"Really?" Sarah was unable to keep herself from being surprised. This was the same girl who acted defensive at the bookshop, barely giving her the time of day, and now she was offering to help direct her back to her house?
"You returned my bag, didn't you?" Stacey pointed out. "Wayne raised me to always return the favor when someone does something nice for you. Since you brought my bag back, that means I need to do something for you in return. So, let me help you find your way back home. After all, it's probably not easy getting used to a new town."
"Thank you," Sarah smiled, accepting Stacey's offer.
With Stacey's help, Sarah managed to find her new house without any trouble.
"This is the house you moved into?" Stacey eyed the Dutch Colonial as the two girls headed up the walk.
"Is something wrong with it?" Sarah paused, glancing back at the blue-eyed girl behind her.
"No, nothing like that. This is just one of the houses Wayne helped build, and it's always been one of my favorites. Out of curiosity, which bedroom is yours?"
"The one that's across the hall from the staircase, and a bit to the left."
"Good choice. There's a secret about that room," Stacey announced. "Your closet has a door built into the ceiling. It leads to a small attic room. You could easily turn it into a private room or something like that." Sarah was just about to inquire more about the hidden attic room when the front door opened and Irene stepped out, looking furious.
"Sarah, I thought you were over this," she scolded. "I told you that your father and I needed help with the unpacking. I gave you a little more time to come home since you called and said you were going to be a few minutes late, but that was well over an hour ago." Sarah started to open her mouth to explain, but Irene cut her off before she could begin. "No, I don't want to hear it! You were supposed to come home right after school…."
"Please, Mrs. Williams," Stacey suddenly interrupted, stepping forward. "It really isn't Sarah's fault. I mean, you just moved here, so she doesn't really know her way around just yet. With all due respect, you shouldn't blame her for getting lost."
"Yeah, that's right," Sarah agreed, pretending Stacey's story wasn't new to her. "If I hadn't run into my new classmate, Stacey, I'd probably still be going in circles."
"I see," Irene nodded, seeming less stern as she glanced over at Stacey. "In that case, thank you for helping Sarah get back home."
"Yeah, sure," Stacey shrugged, turning to leave.
"Hang on!" Sarah stopped her. "You want to spend the night here?" Ignoring Stacey's sudden look of shock, Sarah turned back to Irene. "That's okay, right?"
"As long as she'll excuse the mess, and doesn't expect anything fancy for dinner. The boxes with most of my pots and pans are still buried at the bottom of the pile."
Once Irene had gone back inside, Stacey frowned at Sarah.
"And when were you going to ask if I wanted to spend the night?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. "I don't really do that whole slumber party thing, you know."
"Didn't you tell me about how Wayne raised you to repay people?" Sarah smiled. "Well, you repaid me for returning your bag by helping me find my house. Now I can repay you for getting me out of trouble with my stepmother by having you over for the night." Stacey pursed her lips, thinking about this.
"I know I'm going to regret this," she replied finally, "but I can't come up with a good argument for that. Okay, I accept your invitation." Sarah smiled in relief, but to her confusion, Stacey turned and started walking off.
"Hey, where are you going?" she asked.
"Well, if you expect me to spend the night," Stacey called over her shoulder, "I'm going to have to go back home and pick up my toothbrush and a pair pajamas, won't I? Also, I should tell Wayne where I'm going to be."
AN: I hope everyone is enjoying this story so far. I'm honestly a bit nervous about this story. Reviews are always appreciated