Texas, United StatesCassian woke to the sound of Emory's laughter.It was a sound he had not heard in weeks not since before the fever, before the seizures, before the long, terrifying days in the hospital. He lay in bed for a moment, letting it wash over him, feeling something loosen in his chest.He found her in the kitchen, sitting at the table with Colt, both of them wearing paper crowns that Maria had clearly made for them. Emory's crown was pink. Colt's was blue."Daddy!" Emory waved at him. "Maria made us crowns! We're the king and queen of the dinosaurs!""I see that. What does that make me?""The court jester," Colt said solemnly.Cassian laughed. It felt good to laugh.Today was Emory's first day back at school. The doctor had cleared her the day before, and she had been bouncing off the walls ever since. She had laid out her uniform the night before. She had packed her backpack three times. She had made a list of all the people she needed to hug."Are you ready for school?
Read more