Gabby shrugged. “I don’t know. She left.” “Is your daddy sad?” Bernie reached for the evening gown so she could dress her naked Barbie. “Yeah.” “Do you think she’ll come back?” Gabby shrugged again. “I don’t think so. She was really mad at my dad. She yelled a lot. She yelled at me too.” “I’m glad my mom and dad don’t yell at each other. You can come to my house whenever you want.” “Thanks, Bernie. You’re my best friend.” “You’re mine too. We’ll always be best friends.” Bernie Bernie was freezing. The cold front that blew in that afternoon plunged the nighttime temperature close to freezing, and Bernie was not prepared. She would need to spend some of her carefully guarded savings on a heavier jacket and maybe a knit hat to keep her ears warm. And a quilt.
