"Good," Angelo said.
She continued to eat her orange and right as she finished, Papa and Daddy walked into the room.
She turned around in her chair and gave them a smile.
"No matter what Angelo said, I ate everything he gave me," Hedda said.
Papa and Daddy looked behind her at Angelo.
"She did," Angelo said. "Maybe with a little talking to, but she did. She had a couple oranges."
"Good girl," Papa said as he looked back at her.
She gave him a big smile. She was his good girl. Their good girl.
"We've got something to tell you," Daddy said.
Nerves ran through her body. They had just gotten back from talking to Rogan. What could they want to talk about now?
Storm grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.
"Yes?" she whispered. "What is it?"
For a second she felt like puking. This didn't feel right. Something was wrong.
"We're headed back to Missouri," Papa said and her heart sank.
Was she going with them? Or were they leaving her behind.
"Princess," Daddy said. "What's wrong?"
Hedda blinked back the tears.
"A-are y-you leaving me here?"
Daddy shook his head and took a step forward. "We aren't leaving you here. You're coming with us."
Hedda stared at Papa and Daddy, trying to understand what he just said. She was going with them?
"Is this for real?" she whispered.
She was afraid this was just like her dreams. She thought it would be real and in reality it wasn't.
"It's real Sweets," Papa said. "You're coming back home. We're going home."
A grin broke out across her face. She was going home.
She really was going home.
Hedda let go of Storm's hand and jumped off of the chair.
"Be careful!" Angelo yelled. "I don't need to put any stitches in."
"He's not nice when he does," Storm said.
But Hedda didn't pay any attention to them. She was going home.
She wrapped her arms around Daddy and felt Papa wrap his arms around them. This was real.