The Lucky Paw

Chapter 17

"Yup, it's me. Or do you need a little toy to help you with your eyesight, too?" Brianna made a mock sad face. "Go away, Brianna!" Katy said, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Why should I? Is there something special about that thing?" "No," Katy replied, knowing her voice gave away the fact that she was lying.

"Oh? Then why did you clutch it, and grin like an idiot?" "Because I like it," Katy said, tossing her head and not even bothering to retort to the insult.

Katy's hands began to shake with fear, her lip trembling with the effort of keeping the tears in. She would not let Brianna see her cry. She would not!

"Whatever you say, Katy, but I will make sure that every person in this school knows about this, because I do know what it is. You have asthma, and I will make sure that fact is not forgotten!" Brianna said, wearing a smug little smile as she walked away.

After that, Katy was crushed. Tears made salty tracks down her cheeks, and she felt lost and disappointed. Not even the cool, refreshing wind as it rushed past her with a scent of pine could truly comfort her that day.

Track had gone perfectly, until Brianna stepped into the picture. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she was eager to climb upstairs, read the diary, and forget about Brianna, track, and asthma.

Luckily, Mrs. Patterson had gone to a movie with Anita. They were dining afterward, and had said that they might take a look at the park, because people had been decorating it for Christmas.

So Katy made a hurried dinner of frozen pizza, then climbed into her attic, after making sure that the inhaler was in her hand, and her necklace chained around her neck.

She removed the old, worn book, inhaling it's old scent and feeling it's brittle pages before she began reading.

April 7, 1999

Katy is four now. I expected her to be a little bit of a bother on the plane, but she was a complete angel during our flight to Jamaica. My, how she loved looking at the clouds! She looked at them all through the plane ride. She seemed quite fascinated with them. We are checked into the Royal Hotel, which has very comfortable furnishings. They even brought in a small bed for Katy! We can see the ocean from our room, and it is positively lovely! It's a deep aqua blue. Seabirds swoop by during the daytime. The waters are not clear, but they are beautiful. We plan to do much sightseeing, and I hope this will not bore my daughter. But we also plan to go to a Jamaican market, and any excursions off the resort that sound like fun. We are eager to see the ocean. Katy has not yet seen the ocean, and I hope she will find it as enchanting as I do.

May 7, 1999

Our trip was amazing! Katy was the most well-behaved child I have ever seen! We went sightseeing, took many pictures of the ocean, and went to the market. We took a day trip to see these wonderful falls. They were so pretty. The way the water ricocheted off of the rocks was captivating. They looked so wild, so free. Best of all, they were untouched by human hands. They were completely natural. You could climb them, but we didn't think we could do that with Katy. We played in the ocean every day and built sand castles on the beach. We all had so much fun! Now it is time to begin work again. I guess people must have missed me, because sales have almost tripled since we left. We are in good shape, financially and emotionally. The trip was exactly what we all needed. Now we are a hardworking, loving, and completely joined together family.

July 7, 1999

I almost didn't write because frankly, there is nothing to say. Every day has been quite the same routine. Nothing has changed, not a bit. Katy continues to grow like a weed in the sun, and we enjoy playing together after supper. Mike and I love her so much.

Katy smiled. "Well, it's nice to know she loved me so much," Katy said aloud. The thought of her mother's pretty face clutching her in a bear hug, her sweet scent surrounding her, made Katy smile now, rather than cry.

Memories. Once Chandler had shown a white blouse she had sewed to Katy, asking the toddler if she liked it. Stitched in blue were the words, People may die, but memories live on. Katy grinned remembering. She began to read again.