"Sheoflove，"Isaidandexplainedwhy。
Dadlryforamoment。Heeverstandanykioanimals，oreves。
"Well，"hesaidsoftly。"We'lljusthavetomakeituptoher。Whatmadeyougetan?"
"Well，I。。。"
"No，it'sallright。"Dadpattedmyhand。"IknowhowyoumissMeg。Thedo，too。She'llbepanyforyouandyou'llbeabletogofornigerhapsI'llbeabletotakeaturnwiththewalks。Idon'tiospeofmylifesitti;
Itwasthefirsttimeinmonthshe'dgivenanythoughttothefuture。Itwarmedmyheart。
"I'tgofaratfirst，"hewenton。"ButifIgraduallybuildupmystrength。。。"
Mattheearedthenaenedup。Sherahemasiftheywerelong-lostfriends。WheDad，hewaslaughing。
IthoughtofthepeoplewhohadabandonedSadieaheyreallykwhattheyweremissing。Itwastheirlain。Wewereherfamilynowandwe'dherdown。Ithi。
Infaastrangeway，Sadieseemedtotakeleftoff。
Daddidn'ttakeheroutofthegarden，buthe'danddowiime。She'dgazeupathim，entranced。
&erdaymarkedtheanniversaryofMeg'sdeath。Ayearhaspassed。Anewerahasbegun。
Theplantedsomesnowdropsberee，determiMegshotten。Weallshedafe>
&hemiracleI'dwaitedsolongforhappened。DadwalkedslowlyidtookSadie'sleaddownfromitshook。
Sadiebarkedmerrilyandturnedroundandroundiilshealmostfellover。Sheseemedtosehisecialo。
&quht，anyoneingforawalk?"
He'sonlyeverwalkedherroundthegardenbeferwalkswerelefttomeorthe。Iheldmybreath。
"I'llatthewgrabbedforhiscoat。
"A;LauraushingherarmsintothesleevesofherJacket。
Istoodattheatchedtheirslressdowntheroad，DadinthemiddleholdingtighttoSadie'slead，aeithersideofhim。Hegothalfwaydowhenstopped。Myheartstoppedwithhim。
Iheldmybreath，thenrealizedhe'dstoppedbecausehewaslaughing!HelaughedsoloudthatIhearhim。Tearsranfreelydo>
Ihurriedtothehall，pulledmythepegandranoutside。
"Dad!"Iyelled。
&oppedandturned。
"Dad，"Icalledagain，feelingallofsixyearsold。"e?"
"Themorethemerrier，"hecalledbadheldouthisarms，justlikeheusedtowhenIwasalittlegirl。
Irantohim，heartpounding，knowingthatthistimehewouldn'tbeabletoliftmeandwhirlmeround。