The plane flew south for four long hours. Lawrence woke up whenever the aircraft hit an air pocket, his broken ribs sending sharp pulses of pain through his side.Every time his eyes opened, he looked down at Claire first. She was still fast asleep against his chest, her small warm face pressed into his sweatshirt, her fingers locked onto his sleeve.Elena was awake now, watching him from across the aisle. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a small plastic bottle of water, and held it out to him.Lawrence took the bottle with his free hand. He unscrewed the cap with his teeth and drank half of it in three slow gulps. The cold water helped cut the dry taste of smoke in his mouth."How are the ribs?" Elena asked quietly. Her voice was steady, but her eyes were dark with worry."They hurt when the plane drops," Lawrence whispered. "Otherwise, I can breathe fine.""The pilot says we have forty minutes until the border strip," she said. "The landing will be rough. It is just packed di

Elena walked down a short hallway and opened a wooden door on the right. Inside was a small bedroom with a single wooden bed, a colorful wool blanket, and a window that opened toward the garden. "This is your room, Claire," Elena said, turning on a small bedside lamp shaped like a ceramic bird. Claire slipped down from Lawrence’s arms and ran into the room. She jumped onto the bed, her small shoes kicking against the wooden frame. She hugged her teddy bear and pulled the thick wool blanket up to her chin. "It's so soft, Daddy. It smells like clean blankets." Lawrence walked into the room and sat on the edge of the mattress. He reached down and untied her pink sneakers, sliding them off her feet and setting them neatly on the floor. "You need to sleep, Claire," Lawrence said softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead. "It has been a very long day." 

The lake was very quiet in the morning breeze. Small waves lapped against the gray stones at their feet with a gentle, steady sound.Claire leaned forward, staring into the shallow water. She pointed at a flat gray pebble that shone like silver under the clear surface."Look at that stone, Daddy," she whispered, not wanting to scare the ducks away. "It is totally flat, just like a little pancake."Lawrence bent down slowly, keeping his back straight to protect his aching ribs. He reached his fingers into the cold water and picked up the stone.The water dripped from his fingers onto the grass. He wiped the smooth pebble against his jeans and handed it to his daughter."That is a skipping stone," Lawrence told her softly. "If you throw it the right way, it dances across the water."Claire held the stone in her small hand, turning it over with her thumb. Her eyes were bright with curiosity."Can you make it dance, Daddy?" she asked, looking up at him. "Show me how to make it jump."Lawr

Claire nodded quickly, spun around on her heels, and dashed back up the steps to fetch her pink sneakers. She returned two minutes later, her sneakers properly on her feet and her bright red watering can clutched tightly in her hands. "Where do I put them?" she asked, kneeling down beside Lawrence on the wooden plank. Lawrence opened the small envelope of marigold seeds. The seeds were tiny, black and white needles, thin and light as paper. He poured a small handful into Claire’s open palm. "You hold them very carefully so the wind doesn't blow them away." Claire held her breath, cupping her other hand over the seeds like she was protecting a tiny, fragile bird. "I am holding them tight." Lawrence used his finger to poke a small hole in the dirt, only about half an inch deep, right at the corner of the garden bed. "Drop two seeds in