TheThirdShiftWriter
Lily is five years old, but she only remembers goodbyes.
After too many homes-one where they watched how much she ate, another where the grown-ups hugged too much-Lily knows the rules:
Be quiet. Don't ask for anything. Don't ever get your hopes up.
Hope is just a trick, and the grown-ups always make you sad in the end.
When Ms. Carol drops her off at a house with a bright blue door, Lily decides the two ladies, Freen and Becky, will be just like the rest.
Freen is tall and guarded, and Becky has a smile that makes her eyes crinkle. Lily agrees to let them be her "Moms for now," certain that the clock on this family is already ticking.
But Freen starts unpacking Lily's one trash bag of possessions like they are treasure, and Becky handles a childhood accident like it was just a silly juice spill.
Can a two-eyed teddy bear, six chicken nuggets, and a promise about special shampoo convince Lily that "for now" might actually last?