Departing was hard for both sisters a couple of hours later. Whenever possible, Dakota waited until Danielle drifted off to sleep before she’d leave. The visits were normally done in two-to-three hour increments, but at times they lasted longer. Dakota also tried her best to take Danielle outside the facility for a full day at least one weekend day a month when she was physically up to the challenge.

      Attending church regularly at the facility chapel also occurred. Once the religious services were over, they’d go to a local park, with a beautiful lake, and paddleboats. The girls had a blast rowing across the lake. When Danielle grew tired, Dakota had to do the work alone, but she didn’t mind one iota. A variety of sandwiches, fruits, cookies, chips and drinks were brought along on the outings, neatly packed away in a small cooler. But boating and a picnic didn’t hold a candle to Danielle’s love of dance and music.

      Mona Cassidy, a professional dance instructor, didn’t charge Dakota one red cent for lessons for Danni. What she earned off students at her private dance studio made pro bono cases affordable. It was a gracious gift. Mona, in fact, taught dance to several of the kids residing at the center. She had also offered Dakota lessons so she could tap-dance with Danielle. The sisters had fun making up easy dance routines to do together.

      Danielle also loved to sing and play guitar. No formal lessons for her yet, but she had been given a secondhand instrument she loved to sit and strum away on, a present from one of the nurses. Music seemed to be in the girl’s blood. It was amazing to watch how she easily got into rhythm with any kind of music. She could change gears in a minute, her tiny body moving to whatever beat she heard.

      Dakota entered her apartment and immediately dropped down on the sofa and stretched out. She looked up at the ceiling, thinking about her pleasant visit with Danielle. Rarely were the visits unpleasant. The little girl had so much love inside her and loved giving it away. Dakota recalled her parents saying they had to give love away to keep it.

      Even though she always tried hard not to think about it, Dakota wondered what it might’ve been like for the family had Sonya and Thomas survived. The warm and loving couple had doted on each other and their two girls. Thomas had been a good father and his girls had meant everything to him. He had referred to them as his precious blossoms from God.

      Explaining to Danielle what tragedy had befallen their parents was the most difficult and worst task Dakota had ever taken on. She shook her head from side to side, trying to stave off the horrific memories.

      The phone rang, causing Dakota to groan softly. During her times of bittersweet reflection she didn’t like to talk on the phone. The frequent calls she received from the health facility didn’t give her the luxury of ignoring the phone. She checked the caller ID. Ethan.

      “Did I call at a bad time?” Ethan asked.

      “You didn’t. I’m stretched out on the sofa and reflecting on some things. What’re you up to?”

      “I was into some deep thinking, too, thoughts about you. Do you roller-skate?”

      She laughed. “Yeah, but I haven’t skated in a long while. I was pretty good at it. Are we talking about roller-skating or in-line?”

      Ethan chuckled. “Plain old roller-skating.”

      Dakota had fun conjuring up an image of sophisticated Ethan on skates. “It’s really been a long time. Hopefully it’d be just like riding a bike, something we don’t forget how to do.”

      “How about joining my friends and me this evening at On Four Wheels, a roller rink located in my neighborhood? I’d like to introduce you to the folks I hang out with.”

      “Are you willing to risk total embarrassment? Like I said, I haven’t skated in years. You could spend the entire evening picking me up off the floor.”

      Ethan grinned broadly. “I’d love to play your hero.” He’d have to get used to his sudden desire to be gallant. A hero, he wasn’t. “Whether you’re on your feet or falling on your sweet bottom, I won’t be embarrassed. I can pick you up around six-thirty.”

      Dakota laughed. “I haven’t agreed yet, but if I do, I’ll just meet you there. And thanks for saying I won’t embarrass you. But if I fall on my butt, I’ll feel enough shame for us both.” She glanced at her watch, knowing she really did want to be with him.

      Ethan decided not to question her comment about meeting him at the rink, but it had aroused his curiosity. “Come on, now. Be a good sport. If you prefer not to skate, you don’t have to. But I’d still like you to be a part of my evening.”

      “You’ve just made the offer more tempting. I’ll seriously consider the skating part, but you can count me in as a spectator for now. Thanks for thinking of me. Care to tell me a bit about your friends and what I should expect?”

      “A little worried about my buddies perhaps?” Ethan queried.

      “Just want to know if I should worry or not.”

      “I understand perfectly. My friends are great. You can expect genuine, down-to-earth folks who all care about each other. In some capacity, we’re all employed by the California education systems. Everyone is single and close to becoming thirty. We all hang out regularly. I can assure you everyone is friendly.”

      “Sounds like a great start to the evening. I’ll see you at the rink, Ethan.”

      “I can hardly wait. See you there.”

      As Dakota hung up the receiver, she thought about meeting Ethan’s friends. Even though they’d dated only a short time, he hadn’t gone into any great detail about his buddies. She was curious about them. He’d said they were great, so she wondered why he hadn’t told her more about them before now.

      Perhaps he hadn’t said much for the same reason I hadn’t mentioned Danielle.

      It was just too soon for Ethan to meet her sister. From what she knew about the dating game, couples meeting family members