I was so startled that I almost jumped to the ceiling! So grateful that I did not. I dropped the duster and jerked away my hand. I turned around and was relieved - and embarrassed. Just Mrs. Lloyd. I examined her. She did not have any tarantulas or expired food. She wiped her hands and apologized for the scare.

I relaxed and picked back up the duster. "Please. Takes more than that to scare me."

Mrs. Lloyd pointed at said ceiling. A grin spread across her face. "Then why did you nearly jump to the ceiling? You could have bonked your head."

I eyed her suspiciously. "You reading my narration?"

She lowered her arm and giggled. "Maybe. But can you blame me? This book that we are in is one of the best - if not the best - Forlot books that I have ever read. Just wait until the readers get to the plot twist."

I pressed a finger against my lips and shushed her. "Do not spoil anything. Our fans will stop reading if you do, and I do not want that. I want to be a favorite."

She placed a hand on my shoulder. "You already are - because you are a good person. A special person."

I pried off her hand and held it. "You will be a fantastic mom. I pray every day that you will have a child."

The attic was piled up with boxes and other junk. I was both overwhelmed at the sight and happy to not have a messy house. My family and I are organized. If you ask me...too organized. I am the only member who is not a perfectionist. I love my family, but they can sometimes get on my nerves. Not everything should be perfect. No one is perfect. We all live in an imperfect world. If only my family would understand. At least that they respect my space.

I estimated that this cleanup would take a couple days. I could not help Mrs. Lloyd the next day because I had school. I did not want her to do the rest by herself. But I did not have to worry because we finished. Thanks to Mrs. Lloyd's quick decisions, we cleared the attic in the evening. We were understandably exhausted. I wanted to hit the hay and have sweet dreams.

I was sitting at Mrs. Lloyd's kitchen table and drinking a glass of water. I was so hot and so thirsty. It was as if I ran in a marathon. I drank and drank until said water was gone and laid back. I was drenched in sweat. Little did I know that the horror was yet to begin.

Mrs. Lloyd came in with a towel over her shoulder. She was massaging her neck and moaned. "I cannot believe that attic is clean."

"Me neither," I said. I was breathing heavily. "I did not think...that we would get done today."

She grabbed said towel and dropped it on the table. "It would not have gotten done today if you did not help. I cannot thank you enough for all your assistance. I wish that there were more children like you."

"Same."

"Let me fetch you more water."

"I can get it, Mrs. Lloyd. It is no problem."

"I insist." She snatched up my empty glass and strolled to the counter. "Susu. I have been thinking."

I drummed my fingers on said table. "What would that be?"

"You had the initiative to assist a person who...just lost her baby."

"You do not have to mention the baby. I do not want to see you upset."

She sniffed and poured ice and water into my glass. "It would be a shame if I did not repay your kindness."

"You do not have to repay me. It is not necessary. I was more than happy to do it."

She returned to the kitchen table and gave me back my glass. She spoke sternly. "Susu. Let me do this for you. Let me repay you for all the work that you have done. I will not sleep tonight if I do not."

I sipped on my water. "I did not help you to get a prize. I helped you because I wanted to. It was the right thing to do."

My neighbor gave me a smile. "There is nothing wrong with a reward once in a while. And I have a perfect gift. Something that you have always wanted."

"A cure to depression?"

She was surprised. "Do you have depression?"

I acted like that I was fine. I was screaming inside. "No depression here. I would not have helped you if I did."

"Good point." She hugged me. "I honestly do not know what I would do without you."

"Y-yeah."

I wish that I could kick my depression in the butt.

Mrs. Lloyd told me to stay put and picked up the towel. She added that she would return shortly and ran out of her kitchen. I thought that something bad would occur because I was all alone. And I am in a Forlot book. Bad things always occur when a main character is by her or himself. My eyes darted all around the room as I drank my water. To my surprise, nothing spooky happened. I guess that the writer could not come up with anything.

Mrs. Lloyd returned with a big item. My eyes widened. It was the mirror. The mirror that I dusted. We moved it to her living room because she assumed that it would look good in there. I asked her if she changed her mind and was putting it in the kitchen.

She giggled and shook her head. "It is no longer mine."

I set my glass back on the table. "Are you donating it?"

"Yes." She put the mirror next to me. "To you."

I pointed at myself. "To me?"

"Yep. I am giving you this mirror as a thank you for the help."