Chapter One
Murphy’s hands trembled as she saw the big brown envelope in the mail. It was everything she’d ever dreamed of, right there in her hands. They began to shake in anticipation, and she was so unaware of the goings-on that Ethan came up behind her and took the envelope.
“Hey, what’s this?” he asked in a teasing tone.
Snapping back to reality, Murphy swiped it away from him. “Just because you’ve decided to join the army, doesn’t mean you can make me feel bad about going to college.”
Ethan smirked and walked to the fridge. He took out a can of Coke and snapped it open. “I just don’t know what the big deal is,” he said, rolling his eyes as Murphy stroked the envelope. “That thing isn’t Simpkin,” Ethan said, his voice full of irritation.
“Simpkin...passed away seven years ago, Et
