My Little Sister Gave Away Her Lunch Money to Buy a Lonely Boy at the Hospital a Birthday Cake – The Next Morning, We Found a Black Balloon Attached to a Red Box on Our Lawn

Eight years earlier, our parents disappeared during a hiking trip and never returned. One week I was arguing with Mom about staying out too late. The following week I was signing school paperwork for Della with trembling hands.

By the time Della turned eight, our life had settled into a routine. She had the bedroom. I slept on a foldout couch while continue reading …