Page 1 of Sweet Little Thing

Prologue

If only my backpack were larger, it would be easier to hide the items I was given today. It was sweet of them to give me something. I loved the pink teddy bear, its red heart saying, “Be Mine.” It was soft and pretty. I’d never had anything like it. The chocolate candies and heart-shaped necklace were nice, but the bear was my favorite. I had it shoved down into my bag so that not even its head could be seen. The other things were sticking out some. I hadn’t been able to zip my backpack up completely.

The hard part was hiding the presents while riding the bus back home. I was afraid someone would take them from me. I’d already prepared myself to hand over the necklace and chocolates first if Harriet Boyd saw my things. She was six inches taller, with a constant scowl, and I was sure even the bus driver, Ms. V, was frightened of Harriet.

Getting home with the teddy bear was my ultimate goal. The other things I could part with if I had to. Davey Eaton was cute, rich, and popular. I imagined this bear cost him a lot of money. It didn’t look like the ones I’d seen at the pharmacy or grocery store Valentine’s displays. It was special. The kind of special I’d never gotten before. That meant I had to keep it close.

The three different boys who had given me gifts today were allvery nice. I had known they liked me, but I hadn’t expected all three to give me something. Momma said not to worry about boyfriends, I was too young. But after getting these gifts, I thought I might need to pick one. At least that way, they’d stop fighting over who sat by me at lunch.

I glanced around quickly. Being careful not to make eye contact with Harriet because she would attack. Her voice was so loud I could tell without looking she was a few rows behind me. She was taunting another girl about her hair.

Harriet hadn’t bothered me too much this year. There was a girl who sat three rows back. She had red hair, and her teeth poked out a little. Harriet was mean to her. I wished I was bigger or older. That way, I could take up for the girl. Seeing as I was neither of those things, there was nothing I could do to make Harriet leave her alone. And today I had a teddy bear that needed to get home safely.

The bus slowed to a stop at my trailer park. I’d made it. My gifts would survive. I looked back at the girl Harriet was harassing. I wanted to say something, to help her, but the bear in my backpack kept me from doing anything. . . not that it would’ve mattered.

I quickly exited the bus and hurried down the gravel road. It was lined with oak trees and empty beer cans. The grass was overgrown, and ant beds were piled high on each side of the gravel path. I had to make sure to dodge them. Stepping in one of those beds could get you in a real bad fix.

The single-wide trailer we called home was a faded blue color. The siding was cracked, allowing the wind to blow through the walls. The roof worked just fine, though, and Momma always said we were right as rain with a roof over our heads.

When I stepped into the grass that brushed against my knees, the front door of our trailer swung open: “Beulah!” my twin sister’s high-pitched voice carried out over the yard. She wasn’tgoing to school yet, although she was one minute older than me. Momma said she wasn’t ready. Not now, but in a few years. I worried she’d never make it at school. Momma said there were special classes for kids like Heidi to attend. I hadn’t seen these special classes yet, but I hoped Momma was right. Heidi wanted to go to school. She asked me about it all the time.

“I have you a surprise,” I told her. She ran out meeting me halfway to throw her arms around my neck. Heidi was my favorite person other than momma. No matter what, Heidi was happy. Heidi loved me when I was having a bad day, even when I acted ugly.

She clapped her hands and squealed with delight. “What?” she asked. “Tell me!”

I liked making her giddy with excitement. I knew the moment I was given this bear today that Heidi would love it even more than I did. I slipped my hand into the overstuffed backpack and pulled the bear out to show her. Like I imagined, her eyes lit up. Heidi grabbed it, hugging it tightly.

“For me?” she asked, her eyes wide.

I nodded. “Yes, for you. Happy Valentine’s Day,” I said, although I knew she didn’t understand. Where I had gotten the teddy bear or the holiday wasn’t important to Heidi.

She hugged it, tucking its head underneath her chin, her smile so big that it spread across her face.

“I love you, Beulah,” she said it like a declaration she wanted to make sure I heard.

“I love you the most,” I replied making her giggle.

No matter what was wrong in the world, Heidi’s sunny personality was infectious. She couldn’t go with me to school or read the books that I brought home. We were different in many ways. Heidi wasn’t a regular little girl. She was a special angel God had sent to our family. I knew that was true because Momma said so, and Momma never lied.

Chapter

One

Beulah

Ten years later. . .

Today should be special, Heidi should be beside me eager to help make momma her birthday breakfast like we always did, but she wasn’t. There would be no celebrating. Heidi wouldn’t sing loudly and off key making both momma and I smile. This was always a day I looked forward to, yet now it was just like the others. For the last six months, I’d simply existed, my days all the same. Keeping my head down and doing what was asked of me was the only way to make certain that everything important to me was safe, secure, and protected. I woke up each day with a mission to complete and with hope that things would get better. That this wasn’t forever. That it wasn’t permanent.

“Beulah! For God’s sake, could you hurry with my coffee and get started on Jasper’s room? I’ve not seen him in over eight months, and he’ll be home anytime! I don’t expect him to stayvery long, but it needs to be perfect!” Portia Van Allan yelled at me from the dining room. She was sitting at the end of the ridiculously long table in there, although she didn’t eat food, at least not that often. She only drank coffee until midafternoon then she switched to wine, and because of this, I wasn’t expected to cook. Which was a relief, seeing as the daily list of duties she had me doing was enough to keep me busy from the time the sun rose until after it set.

“Yes, ma’am,” I replied, finishing her French-pressed coffee. Unlike a regular coffee maker, it took time to make a single cup. One of Portia’s singular cups. Gigantic and full of caffeine. Because that’s what kept her alive. Caffeine, booze, and arrogance.

When my mother had given me Portia’s name and address written on a piece of paper the day before she took her last breath, I’d been so scared and in denial that I was losing my mother that I hadn’t asked who Portia was. The day after her funeral, the landlord arrived to inform us we owed two months of back rent. Although he apologized for our loss, we had to pay or immediately move out. That day, I’d taken Heidi to Portia Van Allan’s address, not knowing what to expect.

When we arrived, I had been speechless. Heidi had asked me if it was a castle and if we had come to see a princess. I found out soon enough that it was inhabited by something closer to an evil queen, and it was definitely not a castle.

“While he’s here, I’m sure you’ll need to make him breakfast. You’ll have to ask him what he wants to eat. I can’t remember. I never cooked for him. We had someone else do that. His father liked French toast. I do remember that. . .” Portia’s voice trailed off, and the woman inspected the coffee as I handed it to her. “This seems darker than usual,” she said, frowning, although there were no frown lines. I suspected she got Botox for that. I wasn’t sure how old she was, but she had a son already out ofcollege.

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