Then I turned to look out at the ocean as we came down the driveway. The sun had turned the water into a bright aqua. The little sailboats looked painted against the blue horizon. It was beautiful here, picture perfect, I thought. My heart was full. I was off to do something I had always dreamt of doing, Jimmy sounded happier, and Daddy would soon be freed from prison.
The hotel limousine turned, and we were off toward the airport.
I couldn't help but remember the games Daddy and I used to play when I was very little and we were in the car and off to a new home.
"Come on, Dawn," he would say. "Let's pretend. Where do you want to be this time? Alaska? The desert? On a ship? In an airplane?"
"Oh, let her sleep, Ormand. It's late," Momma would say.
"You tired, Dawn?"
"No, Daddy," I would say, even though I could barely keep my eyes open.
Jimmy was asleep on his side of the car.
"So? Where shall it be this time?" Daddy asked again.
"And so it will be. Feel the lift-off," he said and laughed.
A short while later I really was soaring above the clouds.
Sometimes, when we dream hard enough, those dreams come true, I thought.
And I looked ahead toward the long stretch of blue sky and dreamt of thousands of people in an audience listening to me sing.
Table of Contents
ANOTHER NEW PLACE
FERN
ALWAYS A STRANGER
MY BROTHER'S KEEPER
OPENING NIGHT
TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE STAR
DADDY . . . A KIDNAPPER?
MY NEW LIFE
A NEW BROTHER, A LOST LOVE
BETRAYED
ANSWERED PRAYERS
VIOLATIONS
SECRETS REVEALED
PRIVATE COVERSATIONS
EPILOGUE