Sequel: The Epilogue ›
A Place on My Pillow
.9
The next morning, Pollyanna woke up to the smell of eggs and bacon, and the distinct strong scent of freshly brewed coffee. She didn’t feel Otto’s fur pressed into her as she had the night before, as she dozed off in a completely safe environment. She wasn’t woken up by any loud noise, or someone shoving her off a mat. She wasn’t woken by cold water being dumped on her, or the ground shaking as thunder crashed overhead. She woke up merely because her body was fully rested. This hadn’t happened in months.
She pushed herself up, shaking out her hair and glanced around. Late morning light flooded into the room through the uncovered windows, a cool brew accompanying it. She rubbed her eyes and stretched, looking around for her dog. She heard his nails tapping on the kitchen floor on the either side of the banister. She watched Cady dance around the kitchen, singing to herself. She was quite elegant, a shocking contrast to her clumsy, lanky twin brother.
“Bore da!” Cady, Alex’s sister chirped, breezing into the room, as if her feet didn’t touch the ground.
“Excuse me?” Polly croaked. Cady handed the girl a mug of coffee.
“It’s good morning in Welsh. I’m learning Welsh because this guy that I’m really into is Welsh. He’s been teaching me and I use the phrases I know whenever I can. So, bore da!”
“Yeah, yeah, bore da,” Polly mumbled, taking a sip from the perfectly strong liquid. She stared into the swirling black elixir.
“How’d you sleep?”
“Great, thanks,” Polly replied politely.
“Alex left me a note, said you needed a place to stay. I’m glad you decided to stay. He doesn’t normally open up to people so the way he described you and why you’re here, I know you’re something special. Although, I don’t think I was supposed to mention anything about that. Sorry. I just get talking and I can’t seem to stop. Anyway, I’m Cadence, but you can call me Cady, everyone does! Even the kids at daycare. They call me Miss Cady. Oh my, I am talking a lot, aren’t I? I’m sorry. I’ll stop now.”
Cady shut her mouth and plopped herself gracefully into the middle cushion of the other couch.
“I’m Pollyanna,” Polly introduced, not quite as excitedly as Cady had.
“It’s great to meet you, Pollyanna. Do you prefer Polly or Pollyanna, or Anna?”
“Polly.”
“Polly it is then! Anyway, I made breakfast. I hope you like eggs and bacon. That’s all we really had.”
“You’re very kind, Cady.”
Cady grinned. She was thin, with a dancer’s figure. Her hair, as disheveled as Alex’s, was a very light, caramel brown color and reached the small of her back. She only stood to Polly’s shoulder, if that. But what she lacked in height, she made up in her incredibly outspoken personality, her presence filling the room better than any giant could. Her big hazel eyes, the same color as Alex’s, seemed to stare into your soul and turn it to mush, putty for her to play with. But at the same time, Cadence Jackson could make you feel, with just one look, like the entire world was made of rainbows and gumdrops.
“So, you’re homeless, how’d that happen?” Cady blurted. Both girls’ eyes widened. Cady covered her mouth, realizing what she’d said. “Oh my gosh, that was so rude! I’m sorry, Polly. You don’t have to answer that! I promise I’m not that kind of person! I just speak without thinking sometimes!”
“It’s alright. It just caught me off guard.”
Cady nodded. “So you’re not mad?”
“No, of course not.”
“Oh, thank you!”
“Uhm, I had some bad luck, with a guy. He kicked me out and I didn’t have anywhere else to go, so, here we are. A year and a half later, still no home. Oh, gosh, listen to me. I sound pitiful. I promise, I’m not always this depressing,” Polly said, hanging her head and resting her chin in her hands. Cady shuffled closer, moving down the couch.
“We make quite the pair, Pollyanna,” Cady replied. She hopped up. “Let’s get your mind off being homeless, yeah? Let’s go shopping!”
“I don’t have any money. The most I could do was window shop, and that’s never any fun.”
“You’re so silly, Polly. You have me! I have plenty of money saved for rainy days. And, you, my dear, are the ultimate rainy day. Now, I’ll lend you some clothes for the day, and we can head on our way. Unless you want to shower first.”
“I showered last night.”
“I know you’re not used to showers every day, but I insist. Go shower and we’ll be on our way after that.”
Polly nodded and Cady grinned. That grin, it could move worlds, Polly was sure of it. That smile, on that slightly pudgy face, could not only melt a man’s heart but could melt a polar ice cap. That little girl, she could change the world. Polly could see why Alex wanted her to achieve everything she could dream of. Cady deserved it, more than anyone that Polly had ever met.
She pushed herself up, shaking out her hair and glanced around. Late morning light flooded into the room through the uncovered windows, a cool brew accompanying it. She rubbed her eyes and stretched, looking around for her dog. She heard his nails tapping on the kitchen floor on the either side of the banister. She watched Cady dance around the kitchen, singing to herself. She was quite elegant, a shocking contrast to her clumsy, lanky twin brother.
“Bore da!” Cady, Alex’s sister chirped, breezing into the room, as if her feet didn’t touch the ground.
“Excuse me?” Polly croaked. Cady handed the girl a mug of coffee.
“It’s good morning in Welsh. I’m learning Welsh because this guy that I’m really into is Welsh. He’s been teaching me and I use the phrases I know whenever I can. So, bore da!”
“Yeah, yeah, bore da,” Polly mumbled, taking a sip from the perfectly strong liquid. She stared into the swirling black elixir.
“How’d you sleep?”
“Great, thanks,” Polly replied politely.
“Alex left me a note, said you needed a place to stay. I’m glad you decided to stay. He doesn’t normally open up to people so the way he described you and why you’re here, I know you’re something special. Although, I don’t think I was supposed to mention anything about that. Sorry. I just get talking and I can’t seem to stop. Anyway, I’m Cadence, but you can call me Cady, everyone does! Even the kids at daycare. They call me Miss Cady. Oh my, I am talking a lot, aren’t I? I’m sorry. I’ll stop now.”
Cady shut her mouth and plopped herself gracefully into the middle cushion of the other couch.
“I’m Pollyanna,” Polly introduced, not quite as excitedly as Cady had.
“It’s great to meet you, Pollyanna. Do you prefer Polly or Pollyanna, or Anna?”
“Polly.”
“Polly it is then! Anyway, I made breakfast. I hope you like eggs and bacon. That’s all we really had.”
“You’re very kind, Cady.”
Cady grinned. She was thin, with a dancer’s figure. Her hair, as disheveled as Alex’s, was a very light, caramel brown color and reached the small of her back. She only stood to Polly’s shoulder, if that. But what she lacked in height, she made up in her incredibly outspoken personality, her presence filling the room better than any giant could. Her big hazel eyes, the same color as Alex’s, seemed to stare into your soul and turn it to mush, putty for her to play with. But at the same time, Cadence Jackson could make you feel, with just one look, like the entire world was made of rainbows and gumdrops.
“So, you’re homeless, how’d that happen?” Cady blurted. Both girls’ eyes widened. Cady covered her mouth, realizing what she’d said. “Oh my gosh, that was so rude! I’m sorry, Polly. You don’t have to answer that! I promise I’m not that kind of person! I just speak without thinking sometimes!”
“It’s alright. It just caught me off guard.”
Cady nodded. “So you’re not mad?”
“No, of course not.”
“Oh, thank you!”
“Uhm, I had some bad luck, with a guy. He kicked me out and I didn’t have anywhere else to go, so, here we are. A year and a half later, still no home. Oh, gosh, listen to me. I sound pitiful. I promise, I’m not always this depressing,” Polly said, hanging her head and resting her chin in her hands. Cady shuffled closer, moving down the couch.
“We make quite the pair, Pollyanna,” Cady replied. She hopped up. “Let’s get your mind off being homeless, yeah? Let’s go shopping!”
“I don’t have any money. The most I could do was window shop, and that’s never any fun.”
“You’re so silly, Polly. You have me! I have plenty of money saved for rainy days. And, you, my dear, are the ultimate rainy day. Now, I’ll lend you some clothes for the day, and we can head on our way. Unless you want to shower first.”
“I showered last night.”
“I know you’re not used to showers every day, but I insist. Go shower and we’ll be on our way after that.”
Polly nodded and Cady grinned. That grin, it could move worlds, Polly was sure of it. That smile, on that slightly pudgy face, could not only melt a man’s heart but could melt a polar ice cap. That little girl, she could change the world. Polly could see why Alex wanted her to achieve everything she could dream of. Cady deserved it, more than anyone that Polly had ever met.