Saving Annabel

Chapter 2

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I smile at her little display. Annabel is the one person in the world who can make dinner seem like a special occasion.

I sit down across from her and dig into the warm food Luca prepared for us. I know he makes it out of guilt for my parents' deaths. He claims he just wants to be nice, but even the most generous person in the world wouldn't provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner for me and my sister everyday for three years.

I hate that he's the reason we get fed, but my only other option is to eat the grainy bread the government provides. Even if I did choose that, I would only be allowed one serving.

The government doesn't know Annabel is still alive. If they did, they would execute her because her disabilities are considered a 'burden' for society.

Annabel's voice startles me. "What's that?" She points at the locket hanging around my neck and I instinctively reach for it.

"It was mom's." I'm careful to keep my voice light. Slowly, I unclasp it and hand it to her.

Annabel has never seen my necklace before. I always keep it tucked away in a drawer, but today I decided to wear it. She turns it over in her hand for a while before asking, "What does it do?"

"It doesn't really do anything."

She stares at me with a small frown. "Then why have it?"

I give her a small laugh and shake my head. Taking it back from her I say, "Because it holds something very special."

I open the locket and hold it out to her. "Do you know who this is?"

Her little eyebrows scrunch together as she carefully examines the tiny picture of a woman with blonde hair and a loving smile.

Suddenly, she looks up at me with wide excited eyes. "Is that me when I'm all growed up?"

I can't help but laugh at her question. She looks at me expectedly, waiting for an answer.

"No. It's our mother."

"Oh." Annabel's face changes to confusion as she inspects the piece of paper more closely.

"She loved you very much, you know." I pause. "Mom was the one who gave you your first drawing pad."

At this, Annabel peers up at me with sudden recognition in her eyes.

"Mommy?"

My eyes widen. Then my mouth spreads into a huge smile.

"You remember something?"

Annabel nods her head vigorously. "She taught me how to draw a tree!"

I'm smiling so hard now my cheeks hurt. I grasp her little hands in mine.

"What else do you remember?"

Annabel opens her mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. Her eyebrows scrunch together in concentration, but after a while, she closes her mouth with defeat.

"I don't know."

I try my hardest to hide my disappointment. "That's okay." I say, giving her hands a squeeze before letting go.

"Can you tell me about her?"

I smile warmly. "Sure."

For the next hour, I talk about our mother, Michelle. I know Annabel won't remember our conversation tomorrow, but I can't help but to say yes when she looks at me with her baby blue eyes.