Asking for a Friend

ri

o the sizzling hot pan on the stove in front of me. "And you bett

she rushed into the bathroom. "I'm doing it

me. I counted that as one of my many blessings with my little gir

ites started bubbling. She ran right up to my side and gave me a hug ar

ched for the salt shaker next to her and handed it over to me. This was our ro

laughing when Annie pulled back her lips to reveal her

t me see before flashing me a beaut

to be taken off the stove. I slid some onto the pieces of toast I already had waiting

e, she had no desire for lots of money. She could get by with the meag

y her what she was worth to us. There wasn't enough money in the wor

at the supermarket. Between the influence of Denise and I as her primary caregivers, Annie was growing up

e one, of course, but he wasn't in the picture. From the day sh

I wasn't bitter or anything, I had long since moved on from my failed attempt at romance, I was simply caref

ad ever even come close enough to our front door to be able to see Annie, n

and my one true love. I

ing if I lost my job on the back of the untimely demise of my boss. I had hardly any savings. Enough to get us by for maybe a couple of months, but that was it. I also had n

ll what would happen with that situation. I had a pretty

employed out of my mind, right along with my sadness o

ou know Justin got a dragon for Christmas? He told m

kind of stuffed dragon I was going to have to hunt down for he

with excitement. "A kimono dragon.

, when I realized what she was t

ows pulled together. "Y

obe thing you and I wore the morning before

e Annie and I left Texas. We'd been in Boston for almost a year now, whi

rom her face in a ponytail that hung off to one side. I remembered my heart bur

rprised me by nodding. "We ate a big chocolate cake a

se little robes Aunt Mary got for us were kimonos. I'm willing to bet the dragon

ned to her. She mostly trusted I was right and was telling her the truth. I tried every

out the dragon, when she was interrupted by the front