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in Boston would never think so, but I couldn't

remember ever feeling as small and alone as I did

right this moment.

I looked up and saw the North Star, and I

recalled Daddy explaining how sailors depended on it

whenever they were lost. Could I depend on it? It

twinkled back down at me. Maybe somewhere Daddy

was looking up at it too. Maybe he threw me a kiss

and that kiss bounced off the North Star and came

back to me here at Farthy.

"Good night, Daddy," I whispered.

"Good night, Princess," I pretended I heard him

say.

And I crawled back into bed, and for the first

time in my life, I wasn't so anxious for Christmas

morning that I couldn't wait to fall asleep.

I felt myself being jolted awake and opened my

eyes to see Troy tugging on my hand.

"Wake up, Leigh. Wake up!"

"What?" I scrubbed my eyes with my fists and

gazed around. It would be a while before I was used

to waking up in such a big bedroom.

"It's Christmas. Come on. We've got to go

down and open our presents. Come on. Hurry." "Oh Troy," I groaned. "What time is it?" I

looked at my clock. It was just seven A.M.

"Hurry up," he pleaded.

"All right. Okay, Troy. Give me a few minutes. Girls take longer to get up than boys," I said, hoping

for a small reprieve.

"Why?" He swung his dark brown eyes

skeptically at me.