Sophie's Smile: A Novel (39 page)

So many nights she cried herself to sleep, wondering what was so terrible about her that no one seemed to want to take her home. She would trade all the markers in the world for a chance to be loved and cared for by Liam. Desperately, she wanted him to be her father and hated the moment before the afternoon nap when she was handed a small milk carton and he had to say good-bye. The hours between his visits were always long and far apart. When story time ended and playtime began, fear always seemed to creep in, worry that he wouldn’t show.

And finally on one glorious day, he came like clockwork; but this time, she didn’t have to say goodbye. It was June 20, 2011; the sky was clear, and the ground was wet and shiny
from the light showers that passed a few hours ago. Playtime had just started and Liam came bursting through the door with a bright yellow sunflower in his hand. He walked straight to the same spot he walked every day, but instead of continuing where he left off, this time, he kneeled, handing her the large flower, and whispered, “Will you let me take you home, my sweet Sofia?”

Sofia’s green eyes twinkled as she reached for the large flower, her lips curved into a bright smile, and she swung her arms around Liam’s neck and clung to him with as much strength as her frail arms could muster. She whispered, “Okay.”

Liam carried her in his arms and took her to her new home, to her very own room, and there, on her pink bed, lay a tiny white box wrapped in a tiny red bow with a card that read:

To my little Sofia, We will love you forever, Mom and Dad.

And inside the box was a single dark chocolate cream puff, soon to be her dessert of choice.

Special Notes from the Author

Sophie’s Smile
was written to document my husband’s and my love story, and took on a life of its own from there. Highlighting the idea that love
can last even through death, and can be found in unexpected places.
Even when life isn’t perfect, when we aren’t perfect, when reality seems to be tearing at the seams—
love
can still be perfect.

Everyone’s adolescent experience may vary, but there always seems to be the “bullies” and the “bullied.” I wanted to remind those who have been bullied in their life or are in a present state of bleakness, that there is hope. The one thing you must never give up on is yourself. If you can love yourself, you can be happy.

I want to thank everyone who has graced my life and made each day so special:

To my parents and sister, Crystal, for their unwavering support, love, and guidance.
All my strength and solid building blocks have stemmed from your teachings.

To my husband’s parents, grandparents, and family for loving me with open arms and for raising such an amazing person.

To my friends and family for turning my shyness into a positive, and accepting me for me.

And of course, I want to thank my loving husband for being
my everything
and for allowing me to experience the highest level of love and happiness every single day. I can’t express enough the magnitude in which you mean to me. I just hope in your heart you know—when I look into your eyes, kiss your lips, and hold your hands—that I love you. Thank you for your unfailing belief in me, your countless hours of editing, for tearing up when you first read my novel, for allowing me to share your words (
Mr. RAMMM, When I’m Sad..., Never Ready, Wrong Turn, Tick,
and
Patchwork Heart
), private thoughts, and for countless love notes, emails, IM’s, letters, and poems that you have showered me with all these years.

Some of you may have noticed that I left out the love notes hidden behind the bathroom wall…
well,
some things just need to be kept private…to keep the magic alive.

Thank you
for reading
Sophie’s Smile
and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I have writing it.

Sheena Harper

San Diego, California