Jane sat contentedly on the rusty swing at the far end of the garden. The air was nice and warm, but a cool breeze kept it from being too hot. Sunflowers and tulips bowed happily toward the sun. Jane tilted her head and smelled the mixture of flowers and freshly cut grass in the air. The sky was a vibrant, cloudless blue and the water of the small lake near her Wendy's house glowed a blue-green. In the distance Jane could hear the sound of other children laughing and playing, they were probably going to the park down the street. She put on her black Converse and strange socks felt the damp grass between her toes. It was Jane's favorite place in the world. She was always happy here. Sometimes at night she would sit and stare up at the sky, gazing in awe at the twinkling stars that shone against the navy blue background. She noticed a tattered doll and a one-eyed teddy bear hidden among a small patch of uncut grass beneath the huge oak tree that formed the canopy above her head. She remembered how she brought them with her when she first moved here, and Jane thought back to how she ended up having this privileged life. Five years ago, Jane lived in a small apartment in the center of the city. It wasn't the nicest neighborhood and the school wasn't the best, but it was home. Her mother decorated their homes with ornaments and paintings purchased at rummage sales. She did her best to make it a home. Jane wore a uniform a size too small and her hair was often greasy because water was limited in their low-rent apartment. Her mother worked part-time at a dog shelter to pay the rent and buy food for her and Jane. Jane thought she seemed happy enough, despite the fact that her husband, Jane's father... middle of paper... to do. When Jane stopped crying, Aggie picked her up with surprisingly strong, chubby hands and helped her lay down. “Aggie,” Jane murmured thoughtfully, “do you think this will ever stop?” I mean, do you think it won't affect me as much, now that maybe it's all out of my system? Aggie sat on the edge of Jane's bed on the brown comforter and thought for a moment, her brow furrowed. , you'll never forget, and I doubt you want to," she began, thinking of a way to phrase her next sentence without sounding insensitive, "but I think it's not over. Everything will be fine for now, pet, but I think for now you just need to sleep. “Okay, Aggie. And – thank you. For today, I mean. » “Good night, my love. » With that, Aggie left the room and Jane, still in her day clothes, laid her head on her pillow and fell into a deep sleep. She would be fine, she always was.