Page 33 (1/2)

"South America"

She looks me over and smiles, "Are store called Cabela and bought all the beige and khaki I could find"

She snuggles into me, "What if we lose each other?"

"I will always find you"

She doesn’t let up on her grip, "I never iined you would take my advice I’m twenty What do I know?"

I pull her back, "A lot Now, stay close to your brothers and please, for the love of God, don’t go out without theo with faelo and don’t let him kiss you, he’ll suck your whole dairl who dated him" It’s not true but I don’t want to have to beat hito miss you"

I brush the where you are at every moment I need to trust you"

She isn’t as convinced any to prove You don’t need to be a hero there You are my hero already You can learn to trust ht Behave yourself and I expect FaceTiht and I haven’t even gotten through security"

"Don’t leave s and I alain This isn’tyou"

I kiss her and s away Iand not cry like the baby I really am, but she sends rateful for you’

I take a deep breath and force myself into the security clearance

Chapter Twenty-Five

June 2013

Two s Holding the s up the dusty road fros tothe same word over and over, "Momma"

I hold her thin body toto be okay" They told me I had to leave, but I need to find the aunt she has in the next village over The dusty goat path of a road has caked s in filth as it’s mixed with my sweat

My back aches, my hands hurt, and my throat is parched so badly I’ue

We pass by soe?"

They nod and walk into the woods The little girl cries on, holdingto chant the saoat path heads into a dense forest I turn and follow it in People and huts are scattered about One of the doctors I recognize is there

I wave, "Hi, Dean"

He smiles, "Is she fro her, "Yes Her aunt lives here That’s the only family she has left"

His eyes narrow, "How bad was it when you left?"

I shake irl’s aunt if you want to head back into the town and get ready to leave"

I shake ot to theh hoarsely, "This is exactly what I expected" He thinks I mean the desperate way they live in this part of Brazil What I ined it would be The things I have seen, the loss and joy and desperation and passion have cured h it feels like it weighs as irl has lost a mother, father, three brothers and a sister as only ten reat and she has th and love of the people here, who have nothing but each other, is a and I finally see what Sarahher to not feel sorry for herself

Thinking about her makes me smile Dean coirl and speaks softly She asks her questions The girl shakes her head and whispers things The woman smiles and talks to Dean He nods, "Her aunt is down by the river catching fish with her children and doing her washing I can show you to her"

I stand and carry the now-quiet girl to the trail The path goes down a steep slope to where a riverpart to an inlet When we reach the spot where so atwhen she seesher loss She drops to her knees, sobbing and shaking her head She gets up, tearing the child froht I think she’ll break her She then wraps herself around me I don’t need to knohat she says, I understand her body’s language Gratitude is its own language