Page 76 of Under an Endless Moon

She nodded again.

He seemed to waver then stood as he mumbled, “Wait right there.”

He was gone for a minute before he returned, and he knelt with two different things in his hands.

Interest sparked in Raven, and she sat up a little bit as he passed her a mirror with a handle. In the dark she could tell it was silver and looked old, a crack through the mirror that cut her intwo.

“That used to be my grandmother’s, and I’ve kept it for a long, long time,” Otto said quietly. “And now I want you to have it.”

With a frown, she stared at her murky reflection. “Why?” she whispered.

“Because when you look at it, I want you to see the way I see you. I want you to see this brave, strong, smart girl who’s amazing. Who’s a fighter. Who even when she’s scared, she knows that she’s going to rise above it.”

Her heart felt too big as she looked at herself in the night.

“You think I’m brave?” she asked.

“Yeah, Raven, I think you’re really, really brave.”

A long sigh puffed from his nose, then he shifted and handed her the other thing he’d brought in with him.

“And I want you to have this, too.” He passed her a notebook that was covered in pink fur.

“What is it?” Her voice was quiet.

“It’s a note from my sister. I told her about you today, and she thought it’d be a good idea if you two were friends, too.”

The sickness in her stomach shifted to something else.

Excitement, though she also felt nervous. She’d never had a friend before. Her mom wouldn’t let her.

“Really?” she asked.

He pointed at the notebook. “See for yourself.”

She set it on her lap, unsure, though Otto passed her a pen and said, “You don’t have to write back, but if you end up wanting to, I can take your message back to her.”

“Okay.” The single word sounded small.

Otto eased toward the door that was broken and didn’t shut all the way. “Try to go back to sleep and know I’m in the room right there.”

He pointed behind him.

She nodded, and he walked out.

There was only a tiny sliver of light that cut into her room, the moon coming through a crack in the piece of wood that was nailed to the window on the other side. She opened the notebook and peered down at the words.

Hi, Raven!

I’m Haddie, and I’m Otto’s little sister. We should totally be friends since you live with my brother now. I’m ten, and I just started ballet, and it’s my favorite thing ever. Also pink is my favorite color so I hope you like it, too, and the thing I hate most is spinach because it’s gross. Do you want to go get ice cream? I bet Otto will take us! Write me back!

Haddie <3

Hi, Haddie,

Thank you for wanting to be my friend. I’m nine, but your brother said he didn’t think you’d mind too much. I haven’t ever done ballet, but I think learning to dance would probably be my favorite thing ever, too. I like pink and ice cream. I think my brother won’t mind if I go with you to get some.

Raven :)

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