Emily opened her eyes. She could hear her mother calling to her from outside.
Gently, she extracted herself from underneath Stella’s protective arm, and slid out from under the covers. She crept over to the window and pulled back the curtains.
Her mother smiled up at her from the lawn.
She wanted Emily to let her inside the house.
Emily understood immediately, they did not need to exchange actual words to understand each other.
Excited by the prospect of seeing her again, Emily left the room and stealthily made her way down the stairs to the front door. As with the last time, Emily removed the front door key and turned it in the lock as quietly as she could.
Her mother was already standing directly outside the door when she opened it, her beautiful countenance beaming down at the lit
