Chapter 4

No, no, no! I haven't even gotten into place yet!

I hurried over to Mom and tugged at her sleeve. But my hand passed right through her, grasping nothing but air.

Mom glanced at Dad. After a brief hesitation, she said, "Yes, we're all here!"

The camera flashed.

But I wasn't in the family photo.

After they took the photo, I hovered nearby like an unwanted stray, watching them share a happiness that had never included me.

Mom gently squeezed Tommy's cheeks as she rubbed lotion onto his face. "Don't get too tan, sweetie. You'll end up looking like Riley, all tan and scruffy like she just came off a farm."

Dad smiled proudly at Jessica. "Enjoying the cruise? You've made us so proud!

"When you're ready to study abroad, go for it. Don't worry about the money. And if you decide to stay there, that's fine, too."

Jessica gave him a playful pout. "But what about you guys?"

Mom chuckled. "What's there to worry about? We still have Riley. She's never been any trouble. Don't worry."

Dad nodded. "Exactly. If she hadn't offered to stay behind, we wouldn't be enjoying this vacation right now."

They laughed and raised their glasses, enjoying their perfect family vacation.

Meanwhile, I couldn't even make it into a single photograph.

But I'd tried so hard to be good…

So, why had they still forgotten about me?

The days passed, and before I knew it, a week had gone by since Christmas Eve.

Linda grew concerned after hearing Buddy bark day and night, so she went to check on Grandma's house.

She knocked, but no one answered.

She called out several times, but Buddy just stood in the doorway, barking frantically, clearly distressed.

Something felt wrong. She stood on tiptoe and peered through a gap in the window.

Inside, Grandma and I lay motionless on the bed.

Her heart sank. She hesitated, then steeled herself and pushed open the door.

I wanted to lead her to us, but she couldn't see me.

All I could do was watch as she covered her nose and fumbled for her phone with trembling hands to call the police.

Meanwhile, Mom and Dad were back from their trip, busy sorting through vacation photos, posting them online, and playing with Tommy and his new toys.

Not once did they think of me.

Maybe that was for the best. The longer it took them to find out, the longer they'd have before the pain hit.

Then again, maybe they wouldn't be sad at all.

That evening, they gathered around a steaming pot of stew while a Christmas special played on TV.

Dad was scrolling through the local news when a headline caught his eye. "Girl Left Alone with Grandmother Found Dead on Christmas Eve."

He sighed with relief. "Thank goodness we brought Riley home with us. Who knows what might've happened if we'd left her behind?"

Mom blew on a piece of beef to cool it before feeding it to Tommy. She didn't even look up. "Exactly. It's just not safe out in the countryside. Kids should really stay with their parents.

They'd completely forgotten that I was still there.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Two police officers stood outside, their expressions grave. "Are you Daniel Carter? We found two bodies at your family's home, an elderly woman and a young girl. We need you to come identify them."