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"Doctor Marlowe's okay, isn't she? I mean, she's not what you would expect a therapist to be," Jade said.

"I do like her, yes. Do you think she's helping you, then?"

"I suppose. Now, we're all supposed to help each other, right?" Jade asked.

"Right," I said smiling.

"See you tomorrow," she said, "when Star will be the star." She laughed at her own joke.

"I wouldn't mess with her," I called as Jade started toward her limousine. She looked back at me and smiled. She's really a very pretty girl, I thought. I bet my boyfriend stories were nothing compared to hers.

I watched her get in and the limousine start away. She waved and in moments, was gone like the others.

The sun was almost directly above the house now. It was warmer, but there was still a nice breeze. I wasn't as tired as I expected I might be after talking so much. In fact, I felt lighter, even more energetic. It was as if I had truly unloaded my dark baggage of trouble for a while.

Why was it so hard to be happy? I wondered. Was anyone ever happy? Even Doctor Marlowe?

Was Daddy happier now? Would Mommy ever be happy again?

What about me?

My mother would be here any moment and we would start for home. Across the city, we four girls went off in different directions, our lives like four comets in space, traveling through the dark.

For a short while, thanks to Doctor Marlowe, our paths would cross. We would share smiles and tears, laughter and heartbreak and we would hopefully learn that we were not as alone as we had thought.

Maybe that was enough.

Maybe we really could start again, holding hands, marching out this door, together, like renewed blossoms, welcoming the sun.

Maybe.