"What are you doing out here?" he demanded. "I'm just taking a walk. Where were you?" I asked.
"I had to check something on the boat and didn't want to have to do it in the morning," he said, walking toward me.
"But it's so dark out there."
"Not for me. I've been back and forth over that piece of beach in storms and in darkness more times than care to remember," he said. "You get to know it as well as the back of your hand and your eyes get used to the darkness." He stared at me for a moment. "You look cold."
"I am cold," I said. I was shivering more from emotional ice than from the weather.
"So why don't you go inside?"
"I am going."
"Fine," he said curtly before continuing toward the house.
"Why don't you like me?" I asked. He stopped and turned back to me.
"Who said I didn't like you?"
"I did."
"I don't know you enough to not like you," he said. "Wait until I get to know you and then ask me again," he added.
"Very funny." I started back to the house. "How do I learn sign language?"
"You want to learn sign language?" he asked with surprise.
"Of course. How else will I communicate with May?" He considered a moment.
"There's a book I'll give you," he said.
"Could you give it to me now?" I followed quickly. He glanced at me again.
"Yes," he said and continued toward the house. I was right behind him, but he walked quickly to stay ahead. When we entered,
he went to speak to Uncle Jacob and I went up to my room where I found Aunt Sara waiting for me at the closet.
"Oh hi, dear. I thought I would choose a dress for you to wear to school tomorrow. This one is the one Laura wore the last day she attended school," she said holding out a dark blue, ankle-length dress. It had a matching belt. "It should fit you perfectly."
"I brought some of my own things to wear, Aunt Sara, things I wear to school."
"But this is such a nice school dress. Laura often wore it," she insisted.
"All right," I relented. It really was a nice dress.
"That's good, dear. Well, do you feel a little more at home now?"
"It's very different here," I said. "But you've been very kind," I quickly added before she took on a look of disappointment.
She smiled and put her hand on my cheek. "You're a very pretty young lady, a sweet girl. It is like having Laura back." She drew me to her to hug me and kiss my hair. "Have a restful sleep, dear, so you can be fresh and ready in the morning. Good night." She kissed me again.
Aunt Sara was fragile, but she was a nice lady. I wanted to make her happy, but I was frightened by the look in her eyes, too. She expected too much of me. I could never be the daughter she had lost.
How ironic, I thought sadly. My mother gave me away so nonchalantly and Aunt Sara would cut off her right arm to have her daughter back for an hour.
I threw myself down on the bed and buried my face in the comforter. I was lying there, forgetting the door was still open, when I heard a knock and looked up quickly.
"Here," Cary said. He tossed the book onto the bed. "Don't lose it or spill anything on the pages," he instructed. His eyes lingered on me for a moment and then he turned away quickly, as if in pain, and marched down the hallway to his room.