Free With Wings I Soar by Norah Simone Page B

delicious.”
    Katie laughed. “You can come over to eat anytime, you know.”
    “I know. Mom doesn't cook like she used to.” Tabitha smiled. “And there's nothing like some good pepperoni to make you forget about the cold.”
    Tabitha waved goodbye to her friends and headed home. When she reached the house, Mom was sitting in the kitchen with Uncle Nick, talking loudly. The two siblings were reminiscing about childhood experiences. Tabitha felt a brief pang of envy as she saw them laughing. She had always wanted a bunch of brothers and sisters and was a little sad that she was an only child. Mom had complications delivering Tabitha, so she and Dad had decided to stop with Tabitha. While she understood this was the right choice for her parents, Tabitha couldn't help imagining what life would be like with a little brother or sister. Especially now, in her darkest hour, facing what she felt was an endless stream of important talks and hushed conversations, Tabitha couldn't help but wish for a sibling to share her feelings.
    “You're our perfect little miracle,” Mom and Dad told her when she was little. “And you will always be the center of our world.”
    Now, staring at Uncle Nick and Mom, Tabitha ached for the connection they shared. Katie and Kenny had a similar connection, she knew. Not only were they both going through the exact same experience, but they lived under the same roof. While Tabitha firmly believed that Katie would always be there for her, Katie had a great advantage with Kenny. If Katie got sad in the middle of the night, Kenny was just a few doors down the hall. If Tabitha got sad, she had a raggedy teddy bear to hold and comfort her until the morning. It didn't seem very fair.
    As Tabitha entered the kitchen, Uncle Nick stood up and gave her a hug.
    “Hey Peaches,” he said. “How's that journal treating you?”             
    Tabitha patted her backpack. “It's right here. Perfectly safe and filling up fast. I write in it almost every day.”
    Uncle Nick smiled his approval at her. “I'm glad you're getting so much use out of it.” He sipped his hot cocoa and nodded at Mom. “Your mother and I were just talking about winters when we were kids. We used to go sledding every day. Our parents got us matching sleds one year for Christmas and when your mom's broke, she stole mine and said it was hers. She said my sled was the one that was broken, and my parents believed her.” Uncle Nick chuckled. “I was so mad at her!”
    Mom laughed, too. “I'm sorry, ” she giggled. “But that was a long time ago, you know. More than 20 years, if I remember correctly.”
    “More like 30, sis. You're getting old!”
    Mom leaned across the table and gave Uncle Nick a playful punch in the shoulder. “You be nice to me in front of my daughter,” she laughed.
    “I'm always nice to you.”
    “I know.”
    “I should actually get going,” Uncle Nick stood. “It's late, and I have an early meeting tomorrow with one of my new managers.”
    Mom nodded and walked Uncle Nick to the door. She hugged him goodbye and lowered her voice to tell him something. Tabitha tried to make out the words but was unable to. When Mom returned to the kitchen, she sat down across from Tabitha.
    “Hot cocoa?” Mom offered, nodding her head toward the stove where a small kettle sat next to a jar of Tabitha's favorite cocoa mix. A large bowl of marshmallows called to Tabitha and she eyed them greedily.
    Tabitha thought about the offer for a moment before responding. “No, thank you. I ate a ton at the Miller's house. I'm seriously stuffed.” Tabitha stuck out her belly and patted it dramatically. “For real, I don't think I could fit anything else in there, even if I wanted to.”
    Mom smiled and nodded as she sipped her own drink.
    “What did you want to talk about?” Tabitha questioned. “You sounded really urgent and upset when you called me. Did something new happen with Dad?”
    Mom paused for a moment