Cedar Woman (177 page)

“
It’s
a
m
azing
h
o
w
yo
u
k
no
w
w
h
e
n
I
am
i
n
ne
e
d
o
f
co
m
for
t
,”
Lena o
f
fer
e
d.

She
l
oo
k
ed
at Kelly
and
s
m
i
l
ed.
L
e
na
l
o
v
e
d
h
e
r
can
i
n
e
d
a
u
g
hter
with all
of
h
e
r
hear
t
,
and
at
t
i
m
es,
m
ourn
e
d
t
h
e
f
act
t
h
at
Kelly
w
o
uld
o
n
ly
be

with
h
er f
o
r a relati
v
ely s
h
ort
t
i
m
e.

I
wish
t
hat
ou
r
a
n
i
m
al
da
u
g
h
ters
a
n
d
so
ns
c
o
uld
live
as
l
o
n
g
as
we
d
o
,
s
h
e w
o
u
l
d oft
e
n
m
u
se.
S
till, t
h
ey live with
us f
o
rever in o
u
r
h
e
a
rts.

Lena
sat
upr
i
ght,
a
m
azed
and
c
o
nfused. It
was
if
a
thundercl
a
p s
o
un
d
ed
in
h
e
r ears.
S
h
e sat sti
l
l,
e
m
p
t
yi
n
g
h
e
r
m
i
nd
, waiti
n
g
for t
h
e gr
an
dfath
e
rs
t
o spe
a
k.

A
kn
o
ck
on
her
do
o
r broug
h
t
Le
n
a
b
ac
k
.
Sitti
n
g
b
e
f
o
re
h
er
I
n
a, Ke
ll
y
cont
i
nu
e
d
t
o
s
t
a
n
d
g
u
a
r
d
,
her
c
h
i
n
o
n
L
e
na
’
s
kne
e
,
as
i
f
t
o
sa
y
, “I’m here.
Y
o
u
’
re
oka
y
.
I
’
m wat
c
hing.”
Lena
b
r
u
s
h
e
d
her
h
an
d
a
c
ro
s
s her
e
y
es
a
s
i
f
t
o
clear her v
i
s
i
o
n
.
T
h
e d
o
o
r
bell r
a
ng a
n
d
L
e
na, r
i
s
in
g sl
o
wly,
wal
k
ed
fr
o
m
t
h
e
f
a
m
i
ly
r
oo
m
i
n
to
t
h
e
f
o
yer.
T
h
r
o
ugh
t
h
e
g
lass, she
co
uld
see
h
er
m
o
t
h
er.

Lena
o
p
e
n
ed t
h
e
d
o
or
a
n
d
step
p
ed
i
n
t
o
her
m
o
t
h
e
r
’s
ar
m
s.
M
u
r
m
ur
in
g
s
o
o
t
h
in
g w
o
r
d
s,
M
ary held
h
e
r chi
l
d
,
a
nd
t
h
e
n gent
l
y pu
ll
ed from
the
e
m
brace.
Passing
t
h
rough
the
door,
she
took
Lena’s
face
in
h
e
r

ha
n
d
s
.

“
W
e
n
eed to tal
k
.”

C
h
apter
T
w
enty Five

Do n
o
t
b
e afra
i
d
to cry.

It will free your
m
i
n
d
of s
o
rrow
f
u
l tho
u
g
h
ts.

H
o
pi

Le
n
a
m
o
ti
on
e
d
f
o
r
Kelly
to
f
o
ll
o
w
h
e
r u
p
s
t
airs.
S
h
e
lay
on
t
h
e
b
ed
with Kelly
fait
h
f
u
lly
stand
i
ng gu
a
rd
bes
i
de
h
e
r.
Lena
ne
e
d
ed
t
o
t
h
i
n
k,
t
o
s
o
rt out
h
e
r
feel
i
n
g
s,
to fi
n
d
a
n
an
swer to
h
e
r
f
u
t
u
r
e
.