But Lily remained silent. She just waited as he carried her into the warmth of the cabin. Frank had stoked the woodstove before leaving, so the room was cozy.
“I don’t have much for dinner, just some beef stew and bread. Try some, it’ll warm you up.”
He pushed a bowl toward her.
“Can you use a spoon, honey?”
The girl didn’t need any more prompting. She was starving and ate the stew quickly.
“Now, tell me, why were you all alone in the woods?” Frank asked gently. It bothered him that she hadn’t made a sound since he found her. “Did Scout scare you? Can you talk?”
Lily sat quietly, her large green eyes fixed on him.
“Alright, I won’t push you. You’re safe here. You can sleep in the bed, and I’ll take the sofa. If you need anything, just let me know,” Frank said, picking up a book.
He didn’t have a TV, but he didn’t mind. Neighbors often traded books with him. Before Lily fell asleep, Frank tried one more time to get her to speak.
“Your parents must be worried sick. If you can tell me your name or where you live, I can help you get home.”
Lily said nothing.
“How long were you out there? How did you get to that island?” Frank asked, but the girl remained silent. He began to suspect she might be mute.
“Okay,” he sighed. “Get some sleep. I’ll tell you a story.”
Lily finally reacted, nodding her head as she tucked herself under the heavy blankets. She fell asleep almost instantly. Frank knew there was no point in trying to drive into town in the dark with the roads flooded, so he decided to wait until morning to find her family.
It seemed impossible that such a small child could have wandered so far into the woods on her own. He had never seen her in town. He watched her sleep, thinking about her parents. He felt a pang of envy. He had never known that kind of love, never had a family of his own. His reckless youth had cost him everything, and now he was an old man with nothing but a dog and a borrowed cabin.
He started thinking back to a woman named Ellen he had known years ago.
— “I don’t want your friends in my apartment anymore,” Ellen had told him firmly. She was a strong woman, and she wasn’t afraid of him. She took his face in her hands. “We have enough, Frank. We can live a normal life. You just have to quit.”
— “It’s one last job, Ellen. That’s all.”
— “Wasn’t the last time enough? You want to go back to prison?”
— “Ellen…” Frank started, but she cut him off.
— “If you do this, I’m gone. Choose: me or the ‘job.’ Well?”
He couldn’t choose, and she walked away. Frank never saw her again. He didn’t take her seriously, went through with the job, and ended up back in a cell. He had thought the money would give them a better life, a wedding, a house for a family. Instead, he lost the only person who ever cared about him. Now, the silence of the cabin felt heavier than ever.
Frank couldn’t sleep. Every time Lily moved or Scout shifted by the stove, he was wide awake. He felt a strange responsibility for this child. Just before dawn, he was startled by a loud, aggressive pounding on the door. Scout began to bark furiously. Lily sat up, her eyes wide with terror.
— “Stay here, honey. It’s okay…”
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