&urnedame，takiwisterthatIwasn'talone。IlookedatDad'sface。Hestaredatthedogandforanawfulmoment，Ithoughthewasgoiher。ButDadeverbecruel…hestretchedouthishandaoher。
"eon，lass，"hesaidsoftly。"Iwon'thurtyou。"
Atlast，sheveohimahisbla。
"What'sher;Dadaskedme。
"Sadie。"
"Hello，Sadie。"
&besidehim，pressingagainsthislegswhilehestrokedherhead。He'diredofdoingthat，justashe'dingMeg。
"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。
Butasheenfoldedmeinhisarmsandhuggedmeclose，thefeeliasgood。
"Weleback，Dad，"Iwhispered，andhehuggedmeeventighter。