By the time Tess had written up another contract, Lily was practically oozing enthusiasm. She twitched and fidgeted in her chair, anxious to get her wish.

"What do you think I'll look like as a human, Liam?" she asked excitedly.

"Dunno," he muttered, "But if I were you, I wouldn't waste my wish on that."

Lily frowned.

"Liam, I HAVE to. If I'm human, my mama will love me again, and we can be a happy family."

He snuffed.

"Happy families don't come that easily. Changing the way you look won't be enough to fix everything."

Lily growled.

"How would you know? You hate your family."

Liam shook his head.

"That's not true. I just . . . It's complicated, okay?"

Lily sighed.

"Look, Liam, this has to work. I love my parents more than anything in the world, and I owe them this one thing, at least."

"Why?"

"Because I've made their lives miserable," Lily whispered, "I've ruined everything just by existing."

Liam put his paw on her wrist.

"What about that story you told me: the one about the cup? Didn't you say that your mother would love you no matter what?"

Lily bit her lip.

"No. She was lying the whole time."

"Why would she fake it for sixteen years?"

Lily's lip trembled.

"I . . . I don't know. She felt stuck with me, I guess. And she was a dinosaur too, so it's not like she could leave."

Tess placed the contract in front of her.

"Well, whatever the case, becoming human can't hurt. Why don't you sign and be done with it?"

Lily grabbed the quill from its holder and signed her name in the blink of an eye. She handed the paper to Tess and gave a wide smile.

"Done. I'm ready to change now."

Tess quirked a brow.

"Are you sure about that?"

Lily nodded vigorously.

"I am. I'm ready to become human."

Tess chuckled.

"I'll bet you are. Too bad you don't have a wish."

Slowly, Lily's face fell. She gave an uncomfortable laugh.

"You're just kidding around . . . right?"

Tess smirked.

"Not at all. If you had taken the time to read over the contract, you might have noticed that I didn't guarantee a wish this time. Honestly, I didn't think you were stupid enough to overlook that part, but I guess that's what happens when you trust a carny."

Lily shook her head in disbelief.

"No . . ."

"Oh, yes. You're mine for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. If you try to leave the circus, I'll send someone to find you, because no matter how far you run, I'll always know where you are."

Tears streamed down Lily's face.

"No! Tess, you can't do this!"

"I can. It's perfectly legal."

"But- But I thought we were friends!"

Tess sneered.

"Yet another example of how foolish you are. Why would I care about an ugly little dinosaur whose only talent is standing on a ball for five seconds?"

Liam snapped at her angrily.

"Hey! Leave her alone!"

Tess lifted her hand, and the two of them were pinned to the wall by an unseen force.

"Don't try my patience."

Liam squirmed uncomfortably.

"You can't do this! Lily signed a contract, but I'm free!"

Tess shrugged.

"Well, if I hold you here unlawfully, it's not like anyone will care. The only friend you have in this world will be locked up with you."

Lily whimpered.

"Why are you doing this to us?"

"That's my business!" she snapped, "Now, if you'll excuse me . . ."

She waved her hand, and they were transported to their box car. Lily made a dash for the door, but a heavy lock appeared on the outside. She slammed her fist against the wall and screamed.

"NO!"

As she fell sobbing in the hay, Liam gave her a sad look. He pattered over and curled up beside her, nuzzling her shoulder for comfort.

"This is all my fault . . ." Lily whispered, "I ran away from home, I signed a contract with an evil woman, and worst of all, I dragged you into this mess."

Liam shook his head.

"Lily, you didn't drag me into this. I came willingly. Besides, I'd rather be here with you than out there on my own."

She sniffled noisily.

"You're just trying to make me feel better."

Liam poked her with his nose.

"Don't lie to yourself. You know, I think you assume that people don't like you because you're afraid of what might happen if it's true. You tell yourself that you're ugly so it will matter more when someone says you're pretty. But it shouldn't matter in the first place, because if you can't see what makes you special, then you're hopeless."

Lily sniffed.

"That sounded like a compliment."

"It was. I'm your friend, Lily. I'd do anything for you."

"Can you wish us out of here?"

Liam squeaked.

"Well, not really, because if I use my wish, I'm in even more trouble."

Lily nodded and placed her chin on her hands.

"I understand. If there's a way to get you out of here, I'll do whatever I can to make that happen."

"I don't want to leave without you."

Lily exhaled.

"You may not have a choice."

They pondered the gravity of their situation. For a moment, it seemed like they'd go the entire night without exchanging another word, but just when Lily was about to break the silence, Liam lifted his head.

"I lied."

"About what?"

"About you being ugly. I didn't want to say anything nice because . . . because it would be weird."

Lily frowned.

"Why?"

"Well, I'm a raptor and you're . . . different . . . I mean, I'm not saying you're pretty or anything, but for a non-raptor, you don't look half bad."

Lily smiled weakly.

"And for a raptor, you look okay too."

There was a pause.

"I lied again," Liam said suddenly, "When I said that I wasn't saying you were pretty, I was actually kind of . . . doing that."

Lily's eyes went wide.

"Are you saying I'm pretty?"

Liam swerved his head noncommittally.

"Maybe . . ."

"It sure sounds like that's what you're saying . . ."

"Well, my sentence was structured in a way that-"

He gagged as she gave him a big hug.

"I can't tell you how much that means to me," she whispered.

Liam nodded.

"Okay, okay. Can you put me down now?"

"No," she hummed happily.

As she rocked back and forth with Liam in her arms, he went limp. Deciding that their embrace had lasted long enough, she put him down gently in the hay and ruffled his feathers.

"I'm sorry you're trapped here with me, but if there's one person I could bear spending the rest of my life with, it's you."

Liam smiled.

"Same goes for me. I guess if we're gonna be forced to work for the circus, we can make the most of it. Maybe we can even start a duo act."

"Like what?" Lily laughed.

"Like acrobatics!" he cheered, jumping on her back, "We'll be like those guys who balance on each other . . . only you should probably be on the bottom most of the time."

Lily rolled her eyes and shook him off. He landed near her backpack, and gave a surprised yelp when he felt something poking his posterior. He pulled Lily's birthday present out from underneath the hay, and all at once, her smile disappeared.

"Oh . . ."

Liam gulped and held it out for her to take.

"It's getting late, which means it's almost tomorrow. I don't think anyone would blame you if you opened it now."

Lily sighed.

"I don't know if I want to."

Liam flipped the package over and examined the wrapping paper.

"It looks small . . ."

"It's probably a form to disown me," Lily mumbled.

Liam shook the package and pursed his lips.

"I don't think so. There's something making noise inside."

Lily gave the present a side-glance. Liam raised his eyebrow and held it out for her. She sighed in defeat and grabbed her gift, making her way to the corner of the room. When she had torn off the paper, she took a deep breath and opened the box. She was surprised to see a small, gold necklace with a bar in the center. She picked it up delicately and held it in front of her snout.

"It's beautiful . . ."

Liam leaned on her for support as he gawked at the piece of jewelry.

"Wow! That looks like real gold! Are you sure your mom hates you?"

Lily frowned in confusion and picked up the box. There was a note inside. She unfolded it and started to read.

Dear Lily,

It's hard to believe that you're already sixteen years old! I still remember the way you looked at me when you first broke through your eggshell. You reached out blindly, hoping that someone would be there for you, and that's when I knew that my life had truly begun. You've grown so much since then, but in a way, I'll always see you as that shy little hatchling that couldn't see three feet in front of her snout, but somehow knew her mother simply by touching her. And you HAVE touched me, Lily. You've made me smile and laugh and cry, and through the years, you've been the best daughter I could have ever hoped for. I love you more than anyone else in the world (and yes, that includes your father). You've been the best part of my life- well, actually, you ARE my life- and I wouldn't have it any other way. I remember when your Aunt Karen told me how wonderful children were, and I thought she was crazy. God, I was wrong. I didn't really start living until you were born, because I used to think that life was something you had to endure on your own, but sharing it with other people is the best feeling in the world.

I guess I'm getting off track. I swear to god, I had this whole letter planned out, but when I realized how much I had to say about how perfect you are, I went off script. But that's the way it SHOULD be, Lily. Life isn't something you can plan out, because as much as you think you have everything under control, there will always be surprises. That's a good thing, though. Often, you'll find that unexpected events are the ones most worth holding onto, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time. Trust me, I know a lot about strange and random occurrences.

That brings me to my last point. I haven't been entirely honest with you, Lily. I think every parent has a secret or two, but this is something you deserve to know. Sometime after your birthday, I want us to go for a walk, just you and me (Dad can stay at home and practice his knitting). There are so many things I want to tell you, and I can't promise to be one hundred percent coherent, but by the end of the day, you'll know everything I kept from you. I guess a part of me always knew that I couldn't shield you forever, because even though you'll always be my baby girl, you're all grown up now, and it's time for you to decide who you really are. It's hard to figure out that kind of thing, I know. Once upon a time, when I was young (not as young as you, but in my thirties, if you can imagine that!), I thought that this necklace was the be-all end-all. For reasons I'll explain to you in person, I carried it around with me everywhere I went, afraid of what would happen if I removed it. But, speaking of unexpected surprises, I lost it one day, and although what happened afterwards seemed like something I'd look back on with regret, it ended up being the most important adventure of my life. It was the first step of a journey that led me to you, and for that reason, I'd do it a million times over if I had to. What happened to me is nothing to be ashamed of. It took me far too long to realize that. My only wish is that you have less trouble deciding who you are. It's not a simple question, I know, but I promise that the answer is well worth the effort. There's just one thing I want you to know. No matter who or what you think you are, you will always be my daughter, and I will always love you. Happy birthday, my beautiful Lily!

Love, Mom

Lily was crying, but not because she was sad. Here in her very hands was proof that her mother loved her, and all at once every scrap of doubt was purged from her mind. She was not ugly or fat or disgusting, at least not to her mother. Whatever she had written in her diary, that pain was long behind her, and it had been replaced by an unconditional love for her one and only daughter. Lily felt her heart glowing with pride and relief, but it faded away when she realized what she had done.

"I'm so stupid, Liam," she whispered, "My mother loved me all along, and I ran away without even asking if anything in her diary was true. Now I'm never going to see her again. I'll never be able to tell her how much I love her . . ."

She started shaking.

"What have I done? We're stuck here forever, and- and we're going to be miserable! Why did I ever leave home? I should have known that I'd ruin everything by running away! I just want to be back in my room with my toys and my blankets and my drawings! I want to drink warm milk and play monopoly and hear my mom's voice! I miss her! I miss her more than I've ever missed anyone in my whole entire life!"

Lily fell silent when she saw Liam trembling. She reached out and poked him gently.

"Liam?"

He sniffled.

"Lily, can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

He burst into tears.

"I MISS MY MOMMY TOO!"

They wailed miserably, leaning on each other for support as tears shot from their eyes. Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, the train came to a halt.

"What was that?" Lily asked.

Liam scurried over to the tiny, barred window. He scratched at the wall until Lily lifted him up so he could see. When he peeked out at the front of the train, his jaw dropped.

"Woah . . ."

"What?" Lily asked, struggling to keep him balanced on her shoulders.

Liam looked down at her with a big smile.

"You aren't going to believe this . . ."