My Little Sister Spent Her Lunch Money on a Birthday Cake for a Lonely Hospital Boy—But the Next Morning, a Black Balloon and Red Box Appeared on Our Lawn

Nobody else did. Mom and Dad send presents, but they don’t stay. I have a locker full of birthdays. Della gave me the only birthday that felt real. Please open the locker. Please don’t let them take me home if they’re only going to leave me alone there too.

The second note was on thick, cream-colored paper. Sydney, I found your address on Della’s tin.continue reading …