I'm hungry, I realize as I pull my pajama shirt- which is really just a big t-shirt- out of my suitcase and begin to change into it. One it's over my head I glance at the door, thinking about the kitchen.

Ok, so I know that I'm supposed to make this place feel like home and all... But I still feel awkward just taking food out of the pantry...

I sigh to myself and shrug. I'll be fed at some point. I've gone several days without food before. One night won't kill me.

I grab my pajama pants and slip into those. Next I let my hair loose and flip it.

Then I just kind of stand there, in my soon to be new room. I feel... I feel really eerie. It's a feeling that's hard to describe but...

My heart catches in my throat as I realize it reminds me of my first night at the Tolias. Only... Different.

Once again I feel my conscience telling me to spend some serious time talking to God but I ignore the nagging.

Licking my lips and tensing with the effort not to think about Lacy, I turn to my suitcase to slam it shut- but stop when I see a piece of paper sitting, folded neatly right where my pajamas just were.

Hesitantly, I reach out to take it. I sit down on the floor and rub my thumb across the surface of the paper. Taking a deep breath, I open it hoping it's not what I think it is.

My heart drops into my empty stomach and I start laughing quietly and crying at the same time.

It's a drawing. Just a picture of a smiling sun, with Liam's name scrawled out in big letters on the bottom.

The tears take their sweet time crawling down my face and I don't bother to wipe them away.

I just stare at the picture for a while, thinking, when a faint knock sounds at the door.

"Gen? Are you in there?"

My head snaps up and quickly stand up. Fast yet careful, I place the picture back in the suitcase and close the top. Then I hop to the door and open it. Sure enough, there's Josie.

"Franklin asleep already?" I ask.

"Basically," she answers with a slight smile. "He was tuckered out."

I nod and we both return to uncomfortable silence.

"So," I start. "Uhhh... Could you show me where the bathroom is?"

Josie looks up suddenly. "Oh! Ugh, I really am an idiot, come here I'll show you."

Sh motions to follow her, and we head back through the kitchen and into the front area. Tucked in a tiny corner that I hadn't even notice when I first came, is the restroom.

"Ok sweet, thanks," I reply.

We both stand there and Josie gives me a funny look.

"Do you need to go?" she laughs.

"Oh no!" I chuckle. "I just... Didn't... Know where it was," I stutter.

Josie mouths "ooohhhh" and lets out one more single laugh. Then she smiles up at me- her real and beautiful smile.

"Do you want to watch a movie or something?" she asks. "I can't imagine you're tired since you were uh- sleeping earlier."

I smile quickly and shrug. "Sure, why not?"

"We don't have a wide selection or anything," she admits.

"Josie," I laugh, signaling that she doesn't have to apologize since we can pick from over a thousand movies.

She runs her tongue over the the bottom of her top teeth and chuckles again. "Right. Come on, the TV is in Mom's room so we can watch from the comfort of the bed."

We begin to walk towards Aunt Cassie's room.

It dawns on me how long she's been gone. I beg my mouth to stay quiet but it doesn't listen.

"Is Aunt Cassie ok?" I find myself asking.

Josie visibly tenses and slows a little as we enter the room.

"Whatdoyamean?" she asks.

"What's her appointment for? Why is it taking so long?"

"Heck if I know," she mumbles, frustrated.

That gets me to clamp my mouth shut.

She looks over her shoulder at me and sighs. Then she crosses the room, past the bed and goes into a drawer. She pulls out a big black container and plops it on the bed.

She unzips it to reveal little DVDS.

She rubs her hands together. "Ok we have any- or all of the Toy Storys, My Sister's Keeper, Pirates of the Cari-"

"Ok, I interrupt, laughing. "You're going to have to give me a break I don't have a clue what any of this are."

She looks up at me and then back at the movies. She dawns a mischievous smile and slowly pulls out one of the DVDs.

"Oh but you know what this is," she smiles.

My eyebrows go up as I put on a wary smile and get up closer to her so I can see.

My smile widens as I see it's a DVD of Backyardigans episodes.

"You still have those??" I laugh.

She feigns hurt by scrunching up her eyebrows and saying, "Yeah! Are you judging me?" She can't hold it for very long and ends up smiling very wide.

I keep smiling too and tease, "Oh course not. After all, you have to show them to Franklin too, right?"

Josie smiles and nods slowly. "Yeah we kept them for... Franklin. Yeah. Yeah, that's right."

Then she "gets back to business" and looks back down at the movies.

"Alright. Toy Story 1, 2, and slah or 3. Toys are alive. These are their adventures."

I sputter and full on laugh after that and when I look back up, Josie seems to be wondering what she just set too.

"'Toys are alive, these are their adventures,'" I mock her playfully.

She stares me down while I keep laughing. Then she shakes her head and blinks. "Oookkkk moving on," she says.

"My Sister's Keeper. Tear jerker. Two sisters. One has cancer. Other has been basically forced to donate all sorts of stuff her who-"

"I'm in no mood to cry," I cut in, a movie about a girl with leukemia the last thing I need right now.

Josie looks at me funny but shrugs and agrees. "You're right."

"Let's just try Toy Story."

"Ok! Which one?"

"Wouldn't it be logical to start with the first one?" I laugh.

"Nah, the first one's weird. Let's watch number two." She pulls out the disk and skips over to stick it into the DVD player next to the mini TV.

I laugh and shrug. "Okey dokey."

"You can start it if you want," Josie says, heading to the door. "I'm gonna go get my pjs on and bring back some food!"

Oh sweet. Food.

___________________

The credits roll and an empty Dorito bag sits between Josie and I as we lie in bed.

"Soooo. What'd ya think?" Josie asks.

I study the screen, squinting. Then I grin mischievously and turn to face her. "I think the toys had a great adventure."

Josie doesn't hesitate to kick me under the covers while trying to hide a smile. I just giggle like an idiot.

As I settle down, I inch my way from my sitting up position to lying down. "Surprisingly I'm ready for sleep," I admit, a yawn confirming this.

"Oh. Ok. If you don't mind I'm going to watch some TV. Until Mom gets back. Even though we don't have cable so most of it is crap."

I crack a smile and nod. "That's fine."

My eyes scan the room for some sort of clock but I don't find one.

I furrow my eyebrows and purse my lips. It's got to be at least 10:30.

I may still have a hard time letting go of what Aunt Cassie is guilty of, I'm worried.

Where is she?

I lie with my back facing Josie so that she doesn't notice that I've suddenly decided to try and stay awake for a bit too. But before I know it, sleep overtakes me against my will.