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I hugged and kissed her and then wheeled her out and helped her get into the elevator chair.

"Daddy put all your presents in the office," she said. "Take them up when you're ready. Oh, and a present arrived from England for you. from Grandpa Ward."

"Did it? He never forgets me. I can't wait to see him again," I said.

Mommy had located her real father when she had gone to England. He had left America years ago and had become a college professor. We had been to London twice to visit, and he had been here for Mommy's wedding and once with his wife Leanna and their children after Mommy had married. He had married a pretty English lady who was a poet and quite nice. I often felt our family was a little United Nations in and of itself.

"I look forward to seeing him, too," Mommy said.

I watched her descend and then I went back to my room and changed. I was going to go downstairs and sit with everyone until they decided to leave for their hotel, but when I gazed out my window and saw the party decorations gone and all the tables and chairs folded and taken away, along with the dance floor and small stage, I felt sad again.

It had all come and gone so fast. I thought.

I pressed my face to the window and stared down at the lake. Suddenly, a silhouette took shape on the dock.

It was Harley.

He had come back, and he looked like he was sitting there and gazing up at my window.

In seconds practically. I grabbed the present he had given me and was down the stairs and out the door, hoping he wasn't just a wishful thought.

.

"Hey," I said walking toward him quickly.

"Hey."

He looked down at the water and then at me.

"Where did you go? I went to your house and Uncle Roy said you had run away," I said stepping up to the dock.

"I did. but I turned back as usual. One of these days, I won't." he swore.

"Aunt Glenda's very upset. I heard her crying when I went to the house."

He grunted.

"How do you know she was crying for me?"

"Well, you had run away, or at least that was what she believed."

"She probably still doesn't even know it," he said. He lowered himself back on the dock and put his hands behind his head to look up at the stars. "I guess everyone hates me now, too. huh? I nearly ruined your party."

"Wrong," I said. "But Amber feels bad. She thinks she was responsible because she screamed so much when Chase threw her in."

He laughed. Then he turned to me, just realizing.

"How come you're not off somewhere still celebrating with him?"

"We sort of parted company," I said.

"Parted company? You mean for good?"

"Yes," I said.

"Because of me?"

"No. I mean, that was part of it, but there was more reason to break up with him."