Cierra closed her eyes and drew in a breath. When she released it … the life in her body seemed to leave her. When she opened her eyes the sparkle had faded and the blue was almost grey. Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

“I … I’m sorry. I … I just wanted to try … to try extra hard ‘cause … ‘cause now I understand … and … and well … I just think I could get there you know. I think if I tried with … with all that I am … that I could make something happen."

After being forced to stay overnight in her remote cottage, David accompanies Elaine to the music festival. Their day out is a turning point for them both.

A senior detective makes a visit to a lonely marshland cottage while following up a new lead in a 30-year-old murder case. Needless to say, his visit does not go as he anticipated.

Cierra nodded solemnly and swallowed, “But … I think I could be pretty good at sports … for a girl that is … and … and I know it wouldn’t be as much fun for you … like it would be if I was your son … but … I’ll try really hard and I won’t cry and … if I’m tall I bet I’ll be good at basketball if my knees aint busted again … or I’ll play baseball … or maybe even football … and that would be cheaper for you then if I was a boy ‘cause you won’t got to buy me a cup … just pads.”

David’s face turned crimson as he dropped it against his chest and whined. “Five women in the house … I’m always buying pads.”

“It wasn’t my fault. I wasn’t being punished for being bad. I … I was just stuck … stuck inside … but not no more. Maybe it was God’s fault … and maybe it wasn’t but it don’t matter no more. Now I’m outside and I’m whole … and I’m a real girl and not a lost one. I’m not sad and I don’t live on TG Misfit Island anymore!”

“No matter what happens … no matter whether or not you grant my wish … I just want to say how much I appreciate your friendship. You’ve been kind and patient and compassionate, helpful and honest and … most of all … been there when I’ve needed you. Thank you.”

To say that my sympathy level was withering like a daisy in the Sahara would have been a gross understatement. More like I was thinking that I should throttle my utterly clueless mother, then go hunt down the feckless bigot I got as a father, armed with a two dollar whore sporting an incurable itch.

Grace has trouble in the home, but how did it all go so wrong so quickly? I hope you find this addition to the String of Pearls satisfactory.
- Eclectic Kitty