LITTLE GIRL LOST by SARAH BETH LEE (bill gates books to read TXT) 📖

bell. She ran sweat sleeked palms on her pant leg as she made her way to the door. She took a deep breath and turned the knob. As soon as she pulled the door open she was engulfed in a hug and spinning in circles around the room.

“Hannah oh my god I have missed you.”

Hannah began to laugh as Maddie continued to whirl around the room like a Texas tornado.

“Hi Mad you look good.”

Her friend grew still as she held Hannah at arm’s length and took in her appearance.

“Hannah you look amazing. The last time I saw you what six years ago, you still had long hair.”

Madeline ran her fingers through Hannah’s chin length hair that was layered and curled upward and spiky on the ends. Hannah blushed under her friend’s intense gaze, before she ducked her head and pulled away.

“This look becomes you and brings out your eyes, I love it.”

“Thanks Mad, you look gorgeous but you always do. You always had that put together look that I could never pull off.”

“That is complete nonsense Hannah. The truth is you never tried.”

“Ok enough about my unbecoming years. Come in the kitchen and have some lemonade while we catch up.”

Madeline followed Hannah into the white kitchen with soft blue accents. She watched as Hannah grabbed a tray, two glasses and a pitcher of fresh squeezed lemonade. She then followed her to the patio that had an amazing view of the city below.

“So Hannah how are you really?”

Hannah placed the tray on the table and began to pour the sweet yet tart liquid into the glasses.

“I would tell you that I am young, healthy, successful and happy but you already know that’s a lie.”

Maddie ran her finger over the rim of her glass before she raised it to her lips while quietly studying Hannah’s eyes. She looked tired and scared, much the same as she had looked the last time she had seen her six years ago.

“So tell me what changed?”

Hannah began to nervously fidget with her napkin, “I really don’t know. I thought I was fine but this morning I woke up and it was like something had changed and I realized I was tired of being alone.”

Madeline reached across the table and placed one hand on Hannah’s and lifted her down turned face with the other, “Hannah I am so proud of you. I know how hard this is for you but honestly this is the first step and it’s always the hardest.”

Hannah nodded her head as the tears she had been holding back began to pour. Maddie was kneeling by her side in an instant holding her as she cried.

“Hannah it’s going to be okay, just let it all out.”

Hannah held onto Maddie and let all the tears she had been hiding fall. She cried for the father she had loved and lost, the Aunt who had tried to make it all better before she too was snatched away, for the mother she never knew and the childhood that had ended before it had even began. She had no idea how long she sat there crying on Maddie’s shoulder but she finally raised her head and looked at the love and kindness that was shining in Maddie’s eyes.

“I’m sorry for falling apart but I think I needed that.”

Maddie laughed at Hannah’s woebegone expression and pulled her out of the chair as rain began to fall. The two friends held their hands over their heads and ran inside as the cold wet splatters hit them on the face.

“I don’t want to pressure you Hannah but did something happen that triggered this? Did you see something or someone that reminded you of what happened?”

Hannah shook her head no as she thought of everything that had happened the day before…..

Hannah had gotten out of bed just seconds before the alarm was set to go off. She turned it off and climbed out of her nice warm bed, noting as she passed the window that it was raining. She groaned as she began her morning ritual ten minutes of stretching, half an hour on the treadmill, ten more minutes stretching then a long hot shower. Once she was dressed and ready for work she looked at her appearance in the full length mirror. She then headed to the kitchen to take her meds and breakfast a slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter, a diet coke and the morning paper. Hannah was a creature of habit and each day started exactly the same.

She had made her way to the lobby just as her car was pulling in front of the building. She had tipped the valet and headed to work. She really didn’t think of it as work she loved the hundreds of shelves of books and all the stories they had to tell. She could get lost in the character’s lives and adventures. Hannah may not venture out or have friends but she lived vicariously through her love of literature and books. She had always been able to find comfort in the words of others and the stories that filled her with happiness, joy, laughter and even sadness. However for some reason today Hannah was not herself she began to look at the world outside her driver’s side window and she wondered. She wondered why the lady standing at the bus stop was crying and why the man stopped at the light beside her was smiling as if he was the happiest man in the world. She had never paid any attention to the people around her. She parked on the curb in front of her store and stared at the ribbon of water as it ran down the windshield before breaking into dozens of tiny streams. Hannah was suddenly filled with a sense of what if she had done things differently all those years ago? Would her dad still be here? Would she be closer to Veronica? Would she be in love and happily married with family and friends to spend birthdays and holidays with? She swiped at the tears that were falling down her cheeks. She finally killed the engine and climbed out of the car letting the rain and her tears mix together.

“And that was how my day started yesterday. I am not sure why but something just seemed off.”

Maddie nodded her head as she filed away everything Hannah had told her. She wondered what it was that Hannah thought she could have done differently that would have changed her life today.

“Hannah is there some particular point in the past that you wish you could change? Some specific time that you feel would have changed your life?”

Hannah sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth and looked away. She wasn’t sure what Maddie would about her dream.

“Well I don’t know if it’s so much as change anything as it is find someone. Mad you know when my dad died it was like my whole world was ripped apart. I remember when I was at the wake and I met this man and I know he would be in his forties now but I feel like I need to find him.”

Maddie looked at Hannah with concern she knew who Hannah was talking about her imaginary friend. She had tried to convince her that it had been a hurt little girl’s way of coping with the loss of her daddy. She watched as Hannah’s face turned a soft shade of pink.

“Hannah, honey we have talked about that remember? There was no man that was just you hiding from the pain. Sweetie it’s okay to have an imaginary friend when your eight but don’t you think it’s time to let it go?”

Hannah nibbled on her lip and wondered if he was just someone she made up or was he her angel? Had her father sent him to watch over her? She wasn’t sure what was real and what a dream was anymore.

“I suppose you’re right Mad it just seemed so real that even seventeen years later I can still see his face.”

Madeline was worried about Hannah and she wondered if there was more this imaginary friend. She knew his name was Nick but that was all she knew. She would start with the hospital records, accident report and funeral announcements for the same dates as Hannah’s father, she feared that maybe this Nick was someone involved with her father’s accident.

“Hannah I want you to come see me on Monday at 10am we can have brunch at that little café by my office.”

Hannah nodded her head, ‘That sounds great Maddie. I hate to cut this short but I really need to drop by the store and check on a shipment of books.”

Maddie waved her apology away, “No problem I have to get to the office. I have just signed on with the Pentagon to be a counselor for employees in need of help. I can only imagine how hard it must be working with the military and high risk projects.”

Hannah walked with her to the door, “Well can I give you a lift?”

Maddie readily agreed. The two friends walked out into the now sunny day. Maddie took it as a good sign that the rain had disappeared and the sun was now shining and the birds singing. She and Hannah talked about old friends and promised to meet for brunch on Monday.

Hannah drove to the store and wondered if Nick was just someone she had invented. She just didn’t think she was that creative and he was so clear in her mind. She shivered at just the thought of his blue eyes and tousled brown hair. She locked her car and headed in the back door. She quickly checked the delivery and signed off on the invoice. She glanced at her watch and saw that it was only a little after 3 so she had a few hours to kill. She walked to the break room and grabbed an employee vest with the name Peyton embroidered on the pocket. She slipped it on and walked into the store. She waved at Jeff who was working the counter. She began to walk down the aisles straightening books and picking up magazines. She saw a little girl sitting in the floor reading The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. She smiled to herself as she remembered sitting in the same place in her daddy’s lap as he read the store to her. She approached the little girl and knelt down beside her, “Hi there would you mind if I read that with you?”

The little girl looked up and smiled, “Hi my name is Molly and I can’t read all the words so you can read it to me if you want.”

Hannah sat down beside the little girl and began reading the story of a silly old bear and an adventurous little boy. She and Molly became quick friends as they talked about Christopher Robin, Pooh, Tigger and Piglet. She had