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"No, no, just stay with your sister," he replied and returned to his bedroo the door behind him

For a fewto Belinda's sobs and gasps I had yet to shed a tear of my own I went to her door and looked in on her She was sitting on the floor beside her bed, her head on her ar in small spasms

"Moht her breath and turned to look up at , "e do?"

"Do? There's nothing we can do I'll help Daddy with the funeral arrangenize the sound of , narrow tunnel,mechanical, a recorded voice with little emotion, si from prepared instructions

"What should I do?"

"You rief," I replied

"What do I do? I don't cause hirief!" she protested

"I don't have the strength or the desire to go through the long list of troubling things you do, Belinda Just don't do anything wrong for a few days, please," I concluded and returned to my own room

I heard her crying again Then I heard Daddy come out and start down the stairway I went to my door to call to him

"Are you sure you don't want , Daddy?"

"What? Oh, no, Olivia I won't be that long Get soet rest," he said and disappeared down the stairway, his footsteps falling away like the dru funeral parade I heard the front door open and close and then all was silent Belinda's crying began again, only louder

I went back to bed and stared into the darkness, thinking about ht smile, a smile I would see no more Less than ten minutes later, Belinda came to me She stood there at the foot ofand falling with her deep breaths

"She died before I had a chance to talk to her again," Belinda said

"What would you have said?" I asked

She was silent She looked away and took another deep breath