Both Cecelia and Thomas were quite proud they'd figured out the puzzle. I poured more tea for us and we sat telling jokes to each other until we all laughed and laughed.

Just as we finished our tea, there was a knock on the door.

"Now, I wonder who that could be. I'm not expecting anyone," I said, getting up to answer it.

When I did, I found a child about about seven on the doorstep. "Hello," I said. She was a young black girl with beautiful dark skin and deep brown eyes. But, I noted with surprised (that I kept inside) that she didn't have any hair. It was unusual for a girl that age to not have hair.

"Hi! My name is Tamara. I'm looking for a friend."

"Hi Tamara, I'm Mr. Granger and you have come to the right place," I held the door open for her so she could come in.

"Mrs. Foster said that I might find my friend here since she wasn't living at her place."

"Yes, we might have the friend that you are looking for. Would you like some tea before we meet some of them?"

"Nah. I don't like tea," she said, looking around. "This is a nice place you have here, for being in the middle of the swamp."

I chuckled, "That's not the first time I've heard that!"

She smiled at me, teeth white against her rich skin. "So, what kind of friends do you have here?"

"Let's go outside and meet some of them," I suggested. "Hey, Thomas and Cecelia, would you clean up while I show Tamara around?"

"Sure thing, Mr. Granger!" Thomas said and I heard them get up and start to take the dishes to the kitchen to wash.

Tamara and I wandered outside and went to the back of the house.

"Hey, everybody!" I called, "I've a girl here looking for a friend. Come on out and say hi!"

The friends slowly came out of the forest.

"Oh, wow, y'all are mighty big," the girl said, craning her neck to take in the friends. "Can any of y'all shrink down to something closer to my size? I want a friend who can go to the hospital with me."

"The hospital?" I asked. "Are you okay?"

"I have leukemia. That's why I don't have any hair... it all fell out because of the chemo."

"Oh, wow. You're really brave then," I said, nodding.

"Not really," she replied sadly. "That's why I want a friend. I'm a little scared of the cancer coming back."

"I see. So, what are you looking for in a friend?"

"Well, I want one that's nice, and brave. And I want a girl. And..." she trailed off, suddenly shy.

"And?" I encouraged.

"And I want one that's bald like me," she said all in a rush.

I smiled a big smile. It suddenly all became clear. "Okay, I know just who you need to meet. Let me go get her," I said.

I entered the cabin through the back door, which opened into the kitchen. Thomas and Cecelia were laughing as they dried the dishes.

"Hey, Cecelia, I have someone I want you to meet."

"Yeah? The little girl? She's really cute... and she's bald like me!"

"I know. She's looking for a friend who is bald. I think this is the child you've been waiting for!"

Cecelia stopped in her tracks. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Come and meet her."

"Okay!" She was excited, as you might expect.

She followed me out onto the porch. Tamara was talking to Victor and the two of them were laughing.

We walked up to them and I cleared my throat. "Tamara, this is Cecelia."

Tamara turned around and her eyes got really big. "You're bald like me!" she blurted.

Cecelia blushed, her skin turning lavender from the pale blue that it had been, just like her fur had when she had it.

"Yeah," Cecelia said, "I just sort of all fell out."

"That's what my hair did, too! Did you have chemo? Do you have leukemia like me?"

"I didn't have chemo and I don't think I have leukemia. But, if you do, I want to help."

"Are you afraid of needles?"

"Nah," Cecelia said. I was surprised; I hadn't known that about her.

"Are you okay with hospitals?"

"Sure. Why wouldn't I be? Besides, if I was your friend, I'd go wherever you went. In fact, I shrank this morning a whole bunch just so I could fit through doors!"

"Wow! Did it hurt?" the two of them began walking together to go and sit on the porch. I watched them go.

"I'll be sad to see her leave," Thomas said.

"Yeah, me, too. But maybe they'll come and visit."

Thomas nodded.

I was happy that he wasn't more upset than what he appeared. Cecelia was his special friend and now she was going to be leaving.

"Will you still come around and help?" I asked.

He looked at me and grinned. "Of course! If I don't, who will put that moisturizer on Victor's back where he can't reach?"

We laughed together and watched Cecelia and Tamara bond. It was a good day.

The End