A Glimmer of Hope

Lily squeezed Tom’s hand, her small fingers interlaced with his. The bright colors of the playroom, which had seemed so welcoming just moments before, now felt a little less vibrant. Ms. Clara’s words had settled over them like a warm blanket, but a blanket that still had a few chilly spots. “Your parents are working very hard to bring you home very, very soon,” she had said, her voice as soft as a whispered secret. “They love you so much, and they miss you too.”

Lily looked at Tom. His lower lip was still trembling just a tiny bit, but his eyes, wide and blue like forget-me-nots, seemed to hold a new spark. He squeezed her hand back, a silent message passing between them. It was true, they missed Mommy and Daddy terribly. They missed the way Daddy’s laugh rumbled like a happy bear, and the way Mommy’s hugs felt like sunshine. But hearing that their parents were trying to get them back, that they were thinking of them, made a little flutter of excitement start in Lily’s tummy. It was like a tiny seed of hope, pushing its way through the soil of their fear.

“So, we’re going to see them again?” Tom whispered, his voice still a little wobbly, but with a new question in it, not just a scared one.