Page 51 of Left Behind

“Absolutely,” he said. “Now let’s go back to your room.”

“This is all mine?” she whispered.

“All yours,” Wiley said.

“Pink is my favorite color,” she whispered.

He picked her up and sat her down on the pink quilted bedspread.

“You don’t have to whisper. You don’t have to be afraid. You are safe here, honey. This is your room, in your home, with a bed and a pillow, and soft sheets and warm blankets. You have a closet and a dresser for your clothes. You can put your toys wherever you—”

She shook her head.

Wiley’s heart sank. “What? You don’t like—”

“I don’t have toys.”

He couldn’t take it. He picked her up and sat her in his lap and just held her until he could talk without cursing.

“Well, you will have some before bedtime tonight. A plushie to sleep with. A dolly to play with. And anything else that catches your fancy. Okay?”

She looked up at him, this giant of a man who said he was her brother. She wasn’t even sure what all that meant, and what her role would be in this place, but for the moment, she didn’t care. Nobody was screaming at her. Nobody was throwing things at her. And she had a bed and a pillow.

“Is that okay?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Now tell me,” Wiley said. “Who am I?”

“My Bubba?”

“Yes! I’m your Bubba. That’s me. Say my name.”

“Bubba,” she whispered.

“Nope, can’t hear you,” he said. “Say it louder.”

Her eyes suddenly lit from within. “Bubba.”

He winked. “That’s better. Now…how about we put up your clothes and then go shopping?”

“Corina shops, but she’s gone. Is she coming back to take me away?”

Wiley’s eyes narrowed. “No. Are you going to be sad?”

Ava shook her head. “No. I’m a mistake.”

“No, you’re not, baby. You’re a gift. A teeny-tiny gift we never saw coming. We’re sorry we didn’t know about you before, or we would never have left you behind. Okay?”

She nodded.

“Now, show me what’s in this bag. We might need to buy some new clothes, too. Who knows?”

Her eyes widened, and for the first time since he laid eyes on her, she smiled, and he was done for.

He dumped the contents of the bag onto the bed and then stared.

“Are these the only clothes you own?”

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