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Evangelia smiled. “Who says the grace?”
“Can I?” Stelli asked.
“Yes, of course,” Leo answered.
“Thank you for this food and for keeping us safe. Please take care of Mommy in heaven and thank you for giving us Piper to take care of us. Amen.” He got up from his chair and went to Piper, pulling something from his pocket. “I took this. I’m sorry.” His eyes were wide, his small hand trembling as he held the glass rhinoceros out to her.
This was a good sign that he was learning, admitting he’d done wrong.
“Thank you, Stelli,” she said gently. “You hold on to him right now, and when we finish dinner, we’ll put him back with his other animal friends. If you’d like, you can keep the collection inyour room. I think they would like it there.” She looked around the table at each of them. These two young children whose lives had been so deeply affected by their mother’s mental illness; Leo, the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with; and his mother, who wanted to be a mother to her, too. She knew without question that thiswasher family now. Her perfect family. The one she’d been searching for all along. Perfect. Not like the others, whose flaws and imperfections had brought them tragedy. This time was different. This time they would all be good. And nothing bad would ever happen.
Otherwise, she’d have to start all over again.