looked back at me. "You're gonna start holding your
head up high. You are who you are and it isn't gonna change, so you
might as well get comfortable in your skin-perfect, flawless skin
or not.
"Fourth, you've got to think of something else to call us other
than Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. You're like a daughter to us, and Mr.
and Mrs. seems a little cold and unfamiliar. Deal?" He held his hand
out to me.
I grabbed it and shook it a few times. "Deal."
"Good. Anything else we need to discuss while we're all here?"
"I would just like to say a few things," I admitted.
"Shoot."
I took a deep breath. "First, thank you for everything. For letting
me live with you and for putting up with my emotional outbursts
and for loving me unconditionally. I appreciate it more than you can
know. I haven't had that in a long time."
Mr. and Mrs. Bennett smiled at me, and I finally snuck a peek
at Riley. He sat with his elbows on the table, and both of his hands
held tissue, which he pressed to his eyes.
"And secondly... " I looked back at Mr. Bennett. "I'd like to add
that I've never heard you say that many words in all my time of
knowing you, which evidently is forever."
From beside me I heard Riley chuckle. Mr. Bennett threw his
head back and laughed. "I've been saving up all my words for such
a time as this. I'll go on record right now as saying that I'm now officially talked out, so don't plan on hearing anything out of me for
a while."
With that he stood, leaned over to give me a kiss on the forehead, and told me he loved me.
"I love you too."
I did.
I spent much of the week helping the Bennetts spruce up their flowerbeds, and for hard work it was a lot of fun.
Mr. Bennett had already talked to the cheerleading coach, and
she reassured him that all would be fine and it would be handled
diplomatically so as not to cause problems with the other girls. I was
glad to have one less thing to worry about.
While we worked, we took turns telling stories about Mom and
Melody. It was refreshing to focus on happier memories rather than
the accident. I hadn't done it in a year. I even felt like the worst was
behind me and I was doing better and moving on.
I suffered from nightmares every night since the second night
at the Bennetts'. Riley started sleeping in my room so that he could
wake me up if necessary. Against his wishes, I decided that tonight
I would attempt to sleep in the room all by myself. I needed to start
dealing with the nightmares on my own. But when Mr. Bennett
announced that we should start cleaning up because it was getting
dark outside, my heart sank, and I feared the approaching night.
Mrs. Bennett happily sang the Barney song as she cleaned up
the mess we'd made. She sang it over and over until Riley finally told
her she was ruining the whole day and begged her to stop.
After finishing up, we showered, ate dinner, and sat down to
watch a movie. Riley begged for us to watch lAm Legend. The movie
had just come out on video, and he hadn't gotten to see it while it was in the theaters. I agreed to his movie choice, wrapped myself in
a blanket, and settled in on the couch next to him.
"This movie better not give me nightmares," I said.
His lips spread across his face in a toothless grin. "Hey, at least
it would be a change of topic."
I never imagined dreaming about something different. For so
long having dreams that told a different story didn't even seem
possible.
Mrs. Bennett put a bowl of popcorn between us on the couch,
and we started the movie.
Watching a horror movie with Mrs. Bennett in the room was
like watching two movies in one, with the other being a comedy.
She talked back to the screen as if Will Smith were going to hear
her suggestions and follow them, and she constantly added her own
dialogue when it was a horrible time to do so. Luckily, the movie
became too much for her to watch, and she excused herself from the
room, leaving us to watch the drama unfold in
head up high. You are who you are and it isn't gonna change, so you
might as well get comfortable in your skin-perfect, flawless skin
or not.
"Fourth, you've got to think of something else to call us other
than Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. You're like a daughter to us, and Mr.
and Mrs. seems a little cold and unfamiliar. Deal?" He held his hand
out to me.
I grabbed it and shook it a few times. "Deal."
"Good. Anything else we need to discuss while we're all here?"
"I would just like to say a few things," I admitted.
"Shoot."
I took a deep breath. "First, thank you for everything. For letting
me live with you and for putting up with my emotional outbursts
and for loving me unconditionally. I appreciate it more than you can
know. I haven't had that in a long time."
Mr. and Mrs. Bennett smiled at me, and I finally snuck a peek
at Riley. He sat with his elbows on the table, and both of his hands
held tissue, which he pressed to his eyes.
"And secondly... " I looked back at Mr. Bennett. "I'd like to add
that I've never heard you say that many words in all my time of
knowing you, which evidently is forever."
From beside me I heard Riley chuckle. Mr. Bennett threw his
head back and laughed. "I've been saving up all my words for such
a time as this. I'll go on record right now as saying that I'm now officially talked out, so don't plan on hearing anything out of me for
a while."
With that he stood, leaned over to give me a kiss on the forehead, and told me he loved me.
"I love you too."
I did.
I spent much of the week helping the Bennetts spruce up their flowerbeds, and for hard work it was a lot of fun.
Mr. Bennett had already talked to the cheerleading coach, and
she reassured him that all would be fine and it would be handled
diplomatically so as not to cause problems with the other girls. I was
glad to have one less thing to worry about.
While we worked, we took turns telling stories about Mom and
Melody. It was refreshing to focus on happier memories rather than
the accident. I hadn't done it in a year. I even felt like the worst was
behind me and I was doing better and moving on.
I suffered from nightmares every night since the second night
at the Bennetts'. Riley started sleeping in my room so that he could
wake me up if necessary. Against his wishes, I decided that tonight
I would attempt to sleep in the room all by myself. I needed to start
dealing with the nightmares on my own. But when Mr. Bennett
announced that we should start cleaning up because it was getting
dark outside, my heart sank, and I feared the approaching night.
Mrs. Bennett happily sang the Barney song as she cleaned up
the mess we'd made. She sang it over and over until Riley finally told
her she was ruining the whole day and begged her to stop.
After finishing up, we showered, ate dinner, and sat down to
watch a movie. Riley begged for us to watch lAm Legend. The movie
had just come out on video, and he hadn't gotten to see it while it was in the theaters. I agreed to his movie choice, wrapped myself in
a blanket, and settled in on the couch next to him.
"This movie better not give me nightmares," I said.
His lips spread across his face in a toothless grin. "Hey, at least
it would be a change of topic."
I never imagined dreaming about something different. For so
long having dreams that told a different story didn't even seem
possible.
Mrs. Bennett put a bowl of popcorn between us on the couch,
and we started the movie.
Watching a horror movie with Mrs. Bennett in the room was
like watching two movies in one, with the other being a comedy.
She talked back to the screen as if Will Smith were going to hear
her suggestions and follow them, and she constantly added her own
dialogue when it was a horrible time to do so. Luckily, the movie
became too much for her to watch, and she excused herself from the
room, leaving us to watch the drama unfold in
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