I opened my eyes to see the table laden with all my favorite foods, and then noticed the stack of brightly wrapped presents. My father’s hands, warm and gentle, fell to my shoulders and he said, “Happy birthday, my little princess.”

Spinning under his touch, I threw my arms around his waist and hugged him till I was breathless. He chuckled and hugged me back.

The day was a blur of laughter, food and shreds of paper as I played with all the new and wondrous things I had gotten for my birthday. My brother scooted his chair closer to mine and wrapped his arm around my shoulders so we could read a book together. I was now 10 and the happiest little girl in all of our city, or country…maybe even the world…

I woke slowly to a grey world and thought the Camp 32 dreams were bad, but this…this was so much worse.

At that moment, I would have given anything to hear a familiar voice, even Val’s caustic dismissal of my fears. Lost, alone and exhausted in every way, I lay curled in the wet grass and wept.