After lunch, Eilika tucked Roman into bed. Once he was sound asleep, she turned to straighten the few books on his low shelf. As she slid one back into place, a piece of folded paper slipped from between the pages and drifted to the floor.
She picked it up and unfolded it, squinting at the messy, childlike script. "What is this?" she murmured. As she read the lines, the warmth that had been on her face all afternoon faded, replaced by a tight, hollow ache in her chest.
It was a letter, written in Roman's hand and addressed to a higher power:
'Dear God, if you are real, please make my mama happy. And she needs you to give her a lot of love. Please make me grow up fast so I can be a better son for her. That is all I want.'
