Chapter 1
"Are you sure you have everything packed, Emma? You know how to get in touch with me if you need me, don't you? Just one phone call, honey, and I'm there. On the first plane to the States. I promise..."
"Mom! Mom!" she said. "Calm down. I'll be fine. I'm almost twelve. I'm not a baby anymore. Besides. It's just camp. I'll be back before you know it. And you don't have to worry about the flight over there. I have Uncle Ethan," she said. Imploring him with her eyes to help her out here.
Some of the worry finally left her mother's pretty blue eyes. And the tension left her face. Replaced by a beautiful smile. "That's more like it," Emma teased. Hugging her mother tightly about the neck. "Emma Crane, you're so much like your..." She paused. Biting her lip nervously. Her worried expression back.
"Like who, Mom? Who am I like?" she asked curiously. Her mom's eyes darted away from hers. Then back again.
"Like someone I used to know," she replied wistfully. She wanted to ask her more. Push her for the truth. But her and Uncle Ethan's flight number was announced. "Bye, baby," her mom whispered. Nearly crushing her in her embrace. She looked back one last time. To see her mom holding her palm out and closing it slowly. Bringing it to rest on her heart with a smile. Then waved goodbye.
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"Penny for your thoughts," her Uncle Ethan asked later as she stared out the window. At the clouds. "Aren't they worth more than that?" she joked. Before sobering again. "I was just wondering," she said. Fingering the gold locket about her neck. "Who do I remind Mom of? And why does she get so sad when I ask questions?"
"Emma," he chided. Playfully tugging a strand of her dark hair. "You're making too much of it. She was just upset about letting you go. Do you realize this is the very first time she's been apart from you? This is hard for her."
"But Uncle Ethan," she huffed. "I'm not a baby." "You're HER baby," he said. Poking her in the ribs and making her giggle. The elderly lady seated beside them smiled at them benignly. "You have such an adorable niece."
"He's not..." "She's not..." "We're not related." They could only laugh at the look of confusion adorning the old woman's face. "You see," Ethan began. "It's a long story," Emma continued. "Well, it's a long flight. I've got all the time in the world. All the time in the world, Dearie," she said. Patting Ethan's arm. And relaxing in her seat. All ears.
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Leia Lopez-Fitzgerald watched the scenery pass them by from the window of her dad's old jeep. She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. She'd been so excited about camp for weeks now. But now...now she was a little nervous. Her dad had been acting strange lately.
"Dad?" she asked. Twirling the gold necklace about her neck around her finger. He looked at her curiously out of the corner of his dark brown eyes. "Hmm? What is it, Leia?" he asked with an absent-minded smile. "Are you sure you're going to be okay without me? I mean, 8 weeks is kind of a long time," she rambled.
He grinned to himself. She reminded him so much of her mother sometimes. Her gestures. And all those new facets of her personality he was thrilled to discover on a daily basis. Leia watched her father intently and wondered what made the smile on his face fade. But the smile was back when he turned to face her again. "Little too late for this discussion, don't you think, Lulu?" "Aww, Dad. Do you have to keep calling me that? You know I don't like it."
"Come on, Leia," he teased. Taking the keys out of the ignition. "You know you love it. See? You're smiling already." She bit her lip to the point of pain. Desperately trying to hide the traitorous smile that threatened to take over her entire face. It didn't work. It never worked. One giggle escaped. Followed by another. And she was helpless to stop it.
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"Bye, Dad!" she waved. "I love you!" Smiling brightly as he held his hand in front of him, slowly closing it, and bringing it to his chest. Right above his heart. She did the same. It was the way they said goodbye. Always. For as long as she could remember.
"That your dad?" a girl beside her asked. "Yeah," she answered proudly. She already missed him. "He's hot," she gushed. Earning an incredulous look from Leia. People were always saying that to her. He was her dad. "Hi," the girl with blond pigtails said, "my name's Kelly. This," she said. Pointing to the curly redhead beside her, "is Annie. Oops! I mean, Anne," she corrected as the other girl elbowed her in the ribs. Then shyly said, "Hi." Leia bit her lip to keep from laughing. She knew she was going to like it here.
"Oh man," Kelly whistled. "Would you look at that?" she exclaimed. Leia's eyes landed on the limosine, and she scowled. "I wonder who that is," Anne said quietly. Leia shrugged her shoulders, and Kelly said, "Probably some spoiled little princess who's never set foot in the Great Outdoors. Hey," she called after Leia's retreating form. "Where you going? Don't you want to see who it is?" she called. Running after her. Leaving Anne in the dust. Anne's big blue eyes widened in shock, and she shook her head. Sure she was seeing double. "You guys...wait for me!"
"Are you sure you have everything packed, Emma? You know how to get in touch with me if you need me, don't you? Just one phone call, honey, and I'm there. On the first plane to the States. I promise..."
"Mom! Mom!" she said. "Calm down. I'll be fine. I'm almost twelve. I'm not a baby anymore. Besides. It's just camp. I'll be back before you know it. And you don't have to worry about the flight over there. I have Uncle Ethan," she said. Imploring him with her eyes to help her out here.
Some of the worry finally left her mother's pretty blue eyes. And the tension left her face. Replaced by a beautiful smile. "That's more like it," Emma teased. Hugging her mother tightly about the neck. "Emma Crane, you're so much like your..." She paused. Biting her lip nervously. Her worried expression back.
"Like who, Mom? Who am I like?" she asked curiously. Her mom's eyes darted away from hers. Then back again.
"Like someone I used to know," she replied wistfully. She wanted to ask her more. Push her for the truth. But her and Uncle Ethan's flight number was announced. "Bye, baby," her mom whispered. Nearly crushing her in her embrace. She looked back one last time. To see her mom holding her palm out and closing it slowly. Bringing it to rest on her heart with a smile. Then waved goodbye.
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"Penny for your thoughts," her Uncle Ethan asked later as she stared out the window. At the clouds. "Aren't they worth more than that?" she joked. Before sobering again. "I was just wondering," she said. Fingering the gold locket about her neck. "Who do I remind Mom of? And why does she get so sad when I ask questions?"
"Emma," he chided. Playfully tugging a strand of her dark hair. "You're making too much of it. She was just upset about letting you go. Do you realize this is the very first time she's been apart from you? This is hard for her."
"But Uncle Ethan," she huffed. "I'm not a baby." "You're HER baby," he said. Poking her in the ribs and making her giggle. The elderly lady seated beside them smiled at them benignly. "You have such an adorable niece."
"He's not..." "She's not..." "We're not related." They could only laugh at the look of confusion adorning the old woman's face. "You see," Ethan began. "It's a long story," Emma continued. "Well, it's a long flight. I've got all the time in the world. All the time in the world, Dearie," she said. Patting Ethan's arm. And relaxing in her seat. All ears.
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Leia Lopez-Fitzgerald watched the scenery pass them by from the window of her dad's old jeep. She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. She'd been so excited about camp for weeks now. But now...now she was a little nervous. Her dad had been acting strange lately.
"Dad?" she asked. Twirling the gold necklace about her neck around her finger. He looked at her curiously out of the corner of his dark brown eyes. "Hmm? What is it, Leia?" he asked with an absent-minded smile. "Are you sure you're going to be okay without me? I mean, 8 weeks is kind of a long time," she rambled.
He grinned to himself. She reminded him so much of her mother sometimes. Her gestures. And all those new facets of her personality he was thrilled to discover on a daily basis. Leia watched her father intently and wondered what made the smile on his face fade. But the smile was back when he turned to face her again. "Little too late for this discussion, don't you think, Lulu?" "Aww, Dad. Do you have to keep calling me that? You know I don't like it."
"Come on, Leia," he teased. Taking the keys out of the ignition. "You know you love it. See? You're smiling already." She bit her lip to the point of pain. Desperately trying to hide the traitorous smile that threatened to take over her entire face. It didn't work. It never worked. One giggle escaped. Followed by another. And she was helpless to stop it.
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"Bye, Dad!" she waved. "I love you!" Smiling brightly as he held his hand in front of him, slowly closing it, and bringing it to his chest. Right above his heart. She did the same. It was the way they said goodbye. Always. For as long as she could remember.
"That your dad?" a girl beside her asked. "Yeah," she answered proudly. She already missed him. "He's hot," she gushed. Earning an incredulous look from Leia. People were always saying that to her. He was her dad. "Hi," the girl with blond pigtails said, "my name's Kelly. This," she said. Pointing to the curly redhead beside her, "is Annie. Oops! I mean, Anne," she corrected as the other girl elbowed her in the ribs. Then shyly said, "Hi." Leia bit her lip to keep from laughing. She knew she was going to like it here.
"Oh man," Kelly whistled. "Would you look at that?" she exclaimed. Leia's eyes landed on the limosine, and she scowled. "I wonder who that is," Anne said quietly. Leia shrugged her shoulders, and Kelly said, "Probably some spoiled little princess who's never set foot in the Great Outdoors. Hey," she called after Leia's retreating form. "Where you going? Don't you want to see who it is?" she called. Running after her. Leaving Anne in the dust. Anne's big blue eyes widened in shock, and she shook her head. Sure she was seeing double. "You guys...wait for me!"