35
Annie
I didn’t hear the banging on the front door or the subsequent doorbell. I’d cried myself to sleep the night before, and I hadn’t planned to surface the rest of the day. Jennifer had a photoshoot in the morning and evening. So, I’d expected to have the entire house to myself to wallow. Now that the floodgates had opened, there was nothing left to do.
Until a five-year-old jumped on me in bed and started giggling. “Aunt Annie!”
I peeked out from under the cover to find my niece, Aly. “Aly Cat, what are you doing here?”
“Daddy said that you were sad and we needed to bring you doughnuts.”
I laughed. “That sounds like your dad.”
“I want the chocolate ones!” Aly cried.
She hopped off my bed, and I could see that she was in a full ballet ensemble—tights, leotard, and tutu. Her ow
