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I press ers down her hairline and wipe away the loose strands from her face She looks absolutely content and it’s theI’ve ever felt

"You’re incredible," I say, knowing that word is a severe understatement for what she actually is She smiles at me and inhales a deep breath at the saet off her iht now and the only thing that I know could satisfy ain with e of it out ofpattern with hers

After silently finding a stable enough point to touch her again, I move my hand closer to hers on the bed and wrap my pinky around hers The sensation of her pinky inoverdue I squeeze my eyes shut and atteht

She’s Sky That’s who she is I only doubt this because of how she feels so fah to convince , because if I’ht, the truth will destroy her

Please, just let her be Sky

My fear of being right keeps pushing through and I sit up on the bed, needing to separate myself from her I need to cleardown at her "I can’t be on this bed with you for another second"

I’ honest I can’t be on this bed with her for another second, although I’m sure she thinks it’s for other reasons Not for the reason I really need to separate myself froht for once

I stand and pullat ht I’d end up kissing her tonight, but she’s got a lot to learn when it co my word

I lean in close to her and s kissed tonight, Idifficult you would make it" I slip my hand behind her neck and lean in to kiss her cheek When she gasps, it takes everything I have to release my hold and climb off the bed I watch her as I walk toward theand pull my phone froht before I climb outside I pull theshut and back a few steps away As soon as theis shut, she jumps off her bed and runs out of her bedroorab her phone and check her text Norh Instead I find h her bedroomMy heart feels heavy and in to fit together, right down to her name

"The sky is always beautiful"

The ainst the brick wall and inhale a deep breath It’s alhable, really--the fact that I can sit here and entertain the possibility that this could actually happen after thirteen years If it were trueif she really were herit would ruin her Which is exactly why I refuse to accept it without tangible proof--so I can actually touch that would confirible proof, she’ll remain Sky to me

I just want her to be Sky

Chapter Fifteen

Les,

Re o by Holder, not even you

We were eight years old and it was the first and only ti in line for one of the roller-coasters and you and Dad were in front of me because you couldn’t ride it by yourself I was a few inches taller than you and it pissed you off that I was able to ride most of the rides alone and you weren’t

When we made it to the front of the line, they put you and Dad on first and I had to wait for the next car to pull in I was standing there alone, patiently waiting I turned around to find Mom and she was about a hundred yards away at the exit to the ride, waiting for all of us to finish I waved at her and she waved back at me I turned back around when the next car pulled up

That’s when I heard her

I heard Hope yellingthe sound of her voice

"Dean!" she yelled She sounded really far away, but I kneas her because she said it with that accent of hers She always dragged out the er than one syllable I always liked how she saidher yell it, I kneas her Sheto call for ain, only this time she sounded farther away I could hear the panic in her voice I began to panic et in trouble if I lost my place in line Mo us to stay by one of thelanced over at Mo you and Dad on the ride I didn’t knohat to do, because she wouldn’t knohere I was if I left the line But as soon as Hope screaain I didn’t care I had to find her

I started running toward the back of the line--toward the sound of her voice I was yelling her na she would hear me and walk toward the sound of my voice

God, Les I was so excited I was terrified and excited and knew that all our prayers had been answered, but it was up to me to hurry up and find her and I was scared I wouldn’t be able to She was here and I couldn’t get to her fast enough

I had it all planned out inthe hell out of her first, then I was going to grab her hands and pull her back to where Mo to wait by the exit to the ride so when you walked off, she would be the first thing you would see

I kne happy you were going to be when you saw her Neither of us had been truly happy in the two years since she was taken and this was our chance After all, Disneyland is the happiest place on earth, and for the first ti to believe it

"Hope!" I yelled, cuppingfor severalto listen for the sound of her voice She would yell my name, then I would yell her name, and this went on for what felt like forever until so ed rasp

"Dean, you can’t run off like that!" she said She was kneeling down, shaking ht I lost you"

I pulled away fro toward Hope, but Moo ofto get away from her