Cutting Out Paper Hearts

All week, I packed for the move. All week, Denny helped me. All week, Mom kept herself busy with work and with her friends. All week, Thurstan kept Roydon away from our house. Neither of them took the news lightly when we told them. All week, Dad would come by to get some of my things bag-by-bag. Lucy would come by too with her son. He was my age and seemed nice enough.

Then it was my last day with my mom, with Denny, with Thurstan, with Roydon, with Bethany, and at my own house. In the morning, I’d get onto a plane and move into my dad’s new house.

Denny laughed, handing me the big spotted stuffed dog he won me. Being the amazing big brother he was, he decided we’d spend my last day at the state fair playing every single game and going on every single ride. “Ready to go back home, Bay? It’s about ten, so you’ll need sleep if you have to be at the airport at six.”

“I can’t believe I’m moving.” I grumbled, leaning my forehead against the glass of the window as Denny drove. He sighed, nodding. “Thank you, Denny, today was the best day ever. You’re the best big brother ever.”

“Just sleep, Bailey, just sleep.” Denny whispered. I fell into a dreamless sleep before he pulled into the driveway.

The next day I got on my plane, only saying goodbye to my mom and Denny. I guess I was sort of hypocritical for not saying goodbye to the Barnes family after being mad at them for not saying goodbye to me. It was easier this way though. I know why they did it now.

It was easier this way.

Beside me a little girl bobbed her head to the Jonas Brothers’ song that was playing loudly on her iPod. She had her eyes closed tightly, her lips pursed with concentration, and her legs swinging back and forth.

It was easier this way, I thought watching the girl before falling to sleep.