Author’s POV
Just three days after her hospital discharge, Rancy was bouncing with excitement, her recent illness seemingly forgotten.
"Vi-vi birthday!" Rancy exclaimed, clapping her small hands together. Her pronunciation was still developing at two and a half years old, but her enthusiasm needed no translation. "Me come!"
Vivian beamed down at her younger friend. "You really will come to my party, Rancy?"
"Yes!" Rancy nodded emphatically, her chestnut curls bobbing. "Bring p'esent too!"
Vivian's smile widened, revealing a gap where her front tooth had recently fallen out. "You don't need to bring anything. Just you coming makes me happy."
The two girls exchanged delighted grins, their friendship untainted by the complex adult world surrounding them.
Across town in
