William & Patty: Chapter Five

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Patty sat on her bedroom floor with a pen and a piece of paper. She began writing out the only three words she could spell.

Patty.

William.

Love.

She printed the words again and again, then carefully began coloring in the letters. When she finished, Patty placed the paper on a dresser next to a framed picture of her mother.

She studied the photograph for a few minutes, feeling the warmth of homecoming contrasting with the sad, strange loneliness of being orphaned. She spoke out loud.

"Hi Mom. … I love you and I miss you. … I am back in the house."

Silence.

"I think you would really like my William. I wish you could meet him."

Silence.

"I know. … Dad wouldn't like him much, but you would."

Sandra walked down the hall, following the soft voice coming from Patty's room. The door was slightly open. Sandra stood in the hall and admired Patty's world.

"Love Me Tender" played quietly from a stereo. Patty resumed her spot on the floor and flipped through her stack of Elvis records. She began copying song lyrics from the album jacket -- letter by letter -- onto a piece of paper. She sang one song while printing the words to another, oblivious to the words the letters spelled.

"Do you like that song, Mom? … I like that one, too. … Do you remember when you bought me that album?"

Sandra smiled. She tiptoed away, wiping tears from her eyes.

The Jasmin house felt like home.