"I had a really great day, Miss Farrell," Annie yawned as she climbed into bed.
Grace smiled. She'd heard these words every night for the last week and they still made her as happy as the first time. "I'm glad to hear it."
"Where do you think Mr. Warbucks'll take me tomorrow?"
"I'm not sure," she said as she walked over to Annie's bed. "He has a meeting in the morning, and you have a swim lesson before lunch. I'm sure he's got a fun outing lined up for the afternoon or evening." Tucking in the sheets, Grace bent down and kissed the child's forehead. "Don't keep yourself up guessing. You need your rest and I need to get back to work."
"Miss Farrell?" Annie asked meekly.
"Yes?"
"Is it my fault you and Mr. Warbucks are always workin' so late?"
"Not at all, sweetheart. These are normal hours for us." It wasn't a lie, but she neglected to tell her just how late into the night their recent hours were to make up for lost time during the day.
"Okay, good."
"Believe me, Annie. Your presence here has been nothing but a blessing."
Sitting up a bit, Annie pulled her knees to her chest, hugging the comforter between them. "You know, I used to think that all grown-ups were like Miss Hannigan. I mean, before comin' here I met some nice people in a Hooverville, but I didn't really know 'em long enough. But you and Mr. Warbucks are nicer than I ever could've imagined anyone being."
"A Hooverville?" Grace questioned.
"It's one of them places where the homeless people all live together. It's not as bad as the papers say, honest. They share their food with each other and make it into one big yucky stew. But it's a hot meal. They're not bad guys, just down on their luck and kinda grumpy."
"Oh, I know what they are, what I mean was how did you end up in one?"
Leaning back again, Annie sighed. "It's a long story..."
Grace glanced between Annie and her watch a couple of times before giving in and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Work can wait – I love a good story."
