Emma's Secret: A Novel

overnight.
    Emma’s sleeping through the night had been the first step, and that had taken a few weeks. Megan and Peter took turns trying to soothe Emma during those long nights. Her wanting to venture outside their home to play would be another. That one hadn’t happened yet, but Megan thought it was due to her own hesitation in taking Emma out in public.
    Emma’s willingness to wear clothes other than what she’d brought home with her was a huge step forward. Megan had feared that she’d have to outgrow the old clothes first for that to happen. Kathy suggested that Megan use the clothes Emma did outgrow and make them into a quilt or miniature clothing for her dolls. Megan did not like that suggestion. She couldn’t wait to create a bonfire out in the backyard and personally toss each dress into the flames.

    As Megan walked down the stairs, she reminded herself to act casual when she noticed Emma’s outfit. She wanted to show her happiness without making it too obvious. There were days Emma seemed as skittish as a newborn colt, and it was all Megan could do to not say or do anything that might force her back into her quiet shell.
    Her hand gripped the handrail as she stood on the bottom step. Today was a new day. One full of new beginnings. New adventures. Did Dorothy and Jack take her to the beach while she lived with them?
    “Mom, can I have the last waffle?” Hannah stood in the kitchen doorway wearing pink track shorts and a black tank top.
    Megan placed her arm around Hannah’s shoulder and gave her a slight squeeze. “Morning, sunshine,” she laid a gentle kiss on the top of Hannah’s head. “You’re kidding me, right? I just bought those yesterday. There’s only one left?” She knew the waffles were a favorite with the girls, but she didn’t expect them to disappear so soon.
    “So who ate all the waffles?” Megan glanced around the kitchen. Peter stood at the counter pouring a cup of coffee. Alexis sat at the table scarfing the last bite of waffle, while Emma’s head hung low as her hand rested on top of Daisy’s head.
    “Let me guess: Daisy had breakfast too.” Megan crossed her arms and frowned. “Emma, honey, we talked about this. It’s not healthy for Daisy to eat people food. Remember?”
    As Emma slowly nodded her head, still not looking up, Megan glanced over at the empty dog bowls.
    “Daisy has no food or water, honey.” Megan lowered her voice as she leaned over the table. It was hard to keep the smile both out of her voice and off her face as Emma slid off her chair and headed over to the cupboard where the dog food was kept.
    While Emma filled Daisy’s bowls, Megan reached for an envelope she kept tacked to the bulletin board by the phone. When Emma was finished, Megan held out the envelope and let her youngest daughter go through and pick out a sticker. Megan winked at her when she pulled out a bright-yellow daisy and placed it on the chore chart they’d made up.
    Integrating Emma into their family routine also meant allowing her to take ownership of certain chores. Feeding Daisy was one of them. For every chore completed, the girls would place a sticker on top of that specific chore, and if they were all covered by the end of the week, they received a special reward. Normally, it was ice cream or a small item the girls had requested.
    “Coffee?” Peter held out a mug. Megan reached for it and took a sip. Peter made the best coffee. Years ago, they’d both decided Peter’s strong brew was preferable, especially since Megan always seemed to make a weak pot.
    “Hey, Mom?” Alexis raised her head from the plate she was licking clean. Smears of maple syrup covered her mouth and the tip of her nose. “Do you think we could go over to Laurie’s pool today? It’s gonna be a scorcher.” Alexis pointed to the small kitchen television that sat on a shelf above the built-in desk.
    “Scorcher, huh?” Megan winked at Peter before taking another sip. At Alexis’s nod, Megan smiled. “Actually, I thought maybe we could have a picnic lunch down by the beach today.”
    A wide smile crossed Alexis’s face before she launched herself at Megan and threw her arms around her. Megan held up her coffee just in time and laughed.
    “Really?” A look of disbelief covered Hannah’s face.
    Megan nodded. “Really. Your dad might even join us for lunch,” she said.
    “Awesome!” Alexis untangled herself from Megan and ran over to Peter, who was waiting. He gripped her in a