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"Wake up, Mom, wake up! We've got to go pick up Eden. Remember? You told me she could come to see Gigi with us."

Momma was still sleeping, her hair all messy around her pillow. I had tried to be the first one awake, but Daddy was up before I was, trying to get work done before we left. I got up super early, taking a shower and getting dressed so I could be ready to leave whenever it was time.

My mom cracked her eye a bit, her face scrunched up at the light I had turned on. "What time is it?"

Her voice sounded like a frog and I snickered before jumping on the bed and bouncing beside her. "It's eight o'clock! Eden will be waiting for us at nine so we have to get moving."

"Alright, alright, stop jumping, you'll break the bed someday. I'm getting up, honey."

I squealed, jumping off the bed and pretending to fly around the room. Two of my favorite people were meeting today! I couldn't stop the jitters. Mom looked after me and watched me swirl around the room. Her eyes had some pretty dark circles under them. I could tell she didn't sleep very well. She yawned, "Did you eat breakfast already?"

"Yeah! I found some cookies in the pantry and had, like, thirteen." I jumped up and down, taking her hands and pulling her out of bed.

"No wonder you're acting this way. Noah, no sir! I don't need you to be any more rambunctious than usual. You've been doing so good. You cannot have sugar for breakfast, do you hear me? You heard the doctor."

I was on new medicines for my behavior, but I don't think they were working very well. I was struggling to concentrate in class and I kept getting in trouble for being too crazy. I also had some pretty bad anger fits, throwing objects across the room and screaming at my teacher. Aside from pills, I had to change my diet, eating less sugar and more healthy foods, and take up a sport so I could put my energy into other things. I loved exercising, but I hated not being able to have sugar. My brothers got to eat whatever they wanted, why couldn't I?

I tried to sit still, putting a sorry frown on my face, nodding in understanding. When Mom turned around, my body forgot it was supposed to be trying to calm down and I bounced on the balls of my feet. My body was just too full of excitement, there was no way for me to contain it.

When Mom finally got ready, at my insistence, and woke up my brothers, I ran to the car and she followed behind me as I dragged her. It was Saturday. Eden usually found her way over on Saturdays if she could, but today was special. Mom asked Mrs. Morrison if we could bring Eden to meet my Gigi yesterday when she took her home. Eden's mom said yes, so now she was coming with us to meet the best grandma in the world.

We drove a few blocks until we pulled in front of Eden's house. I saw my best friend sitting on the broken front porch step, her hands cuffing her chin, elbows resting on her stockinged knees. She looked really, really sad before she noticed we had arrived and a smile grew on her pretty face.

She stood up, her body seemingly struggling to do such a simple movement. Eden walked to us slowly, her motions almost methodical as she limped toward us at a snails-pace. I heard Mom gasp, but ignored her, jumping out of the truck to help Eden.

"What's the matter, Edith? Why are you moving so slowly?" I put my hand on Eden's back to help her forward like I'd seen Daddy do for Great Grandma Phyllis, and she flinched away from me with what sounded like a hiss of pain. I stared at her, confused. Eden never flinched away from me. "Eden? Are you okay?"

Eden quickly nodded her head, but she couldn't hide the tears pooling in her eyes. Mom called from the front seat asking if we were okay. The cab of the SUV moved as if she was moving to get out of the car. I yelled 'yes' before looking back at Eden and swiping my finger under her eye to take the tears away. Eden grabbed my hand and squeezed it, pulling me towards the car, despite her body slowing her down.

Why was Eden limping like that? What was wrong with her back? Did Eden's family hurt her again? I saw worry in Mom's eyes in the rearview mirror as she watched Eden buckle up after settling herself back into the driver's seat. "Good morning, Eden." I didn't miss the crack in her voice as she spoke. "I've got breakfast at home for the boys if you'd like something to eat. Noah can't have any because Mr. Crazy raided the cookie stash this morning."

Eden breathily giggled, making my heart surge in my chest at how much I loved the sound. I made an act of pretending to be a monkey, bouncing around and making a silly face, just to hear her laugh again. This was the way Eden should be, giggling and safe, not the way she was when we first got here.

When we arrived at the house, the boys were all as ready to leave as I was, scarfing down bacon and eggs at the kitchen table. Eden struggled to move around, slowly making her way to the kitchen table to sit beside Joseph, who wordlessly stood up to fetch Eden's ice pack from the freezer.

My brothers loved Eden, but not as much as I did. Nobody loved Eden more than I did, even if I thought most girls were gross. My brothers thought of Eden as another one of us, like a sister, but to me, my feelings for my Edith were what I imagined Daddy felt for Mom. Mom thought I was ridiculous, but I didn't care that I was just a kid, I knew what I felt.

Ezekiel made a plate for Eden and she scarfed down the food, clearing her plate way before my brothers. Eden always ate like that, like someone was going to reach over and steal her food from her before she could finish. I didn't know what Eden's home was like, but it made me angry that she felt she had to eat the way she did.

"Boys, Eden, Dad says to be ready in about fifteen minutes so we can get there in time. Gigi can't wait to meet you, Eden. It's all she's been talking about all week when I call her." Eden's face lit up again. Her face always lit up when someone talked about Gigi. I could tell she was hoping my grandma was just as great as hers. I was willing to bet that she would be.

Mom called Eden into her room after she had finished her breakfast. As I watched my best friend shuffling down the hallway, struggling to get to my mother, I knew the conversation they were about to have. Mom was always asking Eden to tell her if there was anything she could do to help. I always got so angry when I remembered why she even needed to ask. One time, when Mom begged Eden to talk to her and she refused, I started crying, I was so frustrated, lashing out at Isaiah and scratching his arm when I hit him. Why wouldn't she just talk to us? I would do anything to help her, but Momma said there was nothing we could do without Eden telling us she needed it.

When Momma and Eden walked out hand in hand, a small, sad smile on both of their faces, it was time to go. Daddy came into the room, a small bit of peanut butter smeared on his sweater, probably because he was trying to get so much work done he couldn't stop to enjoy his morning toast. He leaned down to tie his shoe, and on his way back up, kissed first the top of Eden's head, and second Momma's lips.

"Alright, who's ready to see Gigi," he announced loud like an announcer for a wrestling match.

All of us boys hoot and hollered, jumping out of our chairs and three of us running to the SUV. I lagged behind, grabbing Eden's hand and walking slowly to help her into the car.

Mom and Dad stood at the door, deep in conversation, moving their heads fast with the words coming out of their mouths. Eden looked back worried, knowing they were talking about her. I grabbed her hand when we were seated, and Eden pulled my hand in hers up to her cheek.

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The ride to Gigi's was almost an hour. Eden had fallen asleep, her curly hair tickling my chin with her head on my shoulder. I could tell she was exhausted as dark circles worse than Mom's stained her face.

Mom was so surprised I was able to stay quiet for so long. I barely said a word the entire hour, watching the movie that hung from the roof of the car. But I wasn't going to be loud and disturb Eden's sleep. When we arrived, I almost felt bad having to wake Eden up because she looked so peaceful.

When I shook her awake, Eden shot up, a look of pure terror on her face before she realized it was just me. "We're here," I told her, trying to use a soothing voice. "We're at Gigi's."

Gigi was the best old lady, ever. She always dyed her hair crazy colors, wore sweatpants and sweaters even in the summer, and had her entire, ginormous house decorated with whatever holiday was coming up. Gigi always told elaborate stories and talked in a boisterous voice. She loved giving hugs and her house always smelled like flowers and cookies, just like her.

Eden and Gigi became instant companions. Even though Eden wouldn't let Gigi hug or touch her, Eden wanted to be in the same room as Gigi all day, glued to every word she said. Even when the family decided to play basketball outside, Eden opted to drag one of the outside chairs beside Gigi's and sit out of the game.

At dinner, Eden scarfed down every bite of Gigi's signature meal, meatloaf. This made Gigi even more enamored with my best friend, as most of us didn't care for it too much. The talk at the dinner table was light, Isaiah and Joseph taking turns telling jokes. I loved hearing Eden's laugh mixed with everyone else's, and I could tell Mom and Dad did too.

When Gigi brought out the presents she always gifted us when we visited, Eden's face was one of pure joy. We were gonna have to bring Eden to see Gigi a lot more if she made her this happy. Gigi bought me a brand new football that I couldn't wait to throw and Eden a baby doll with blue eyes and a pretty blue dress. Eden coveted that doll, wrapping it in a blanket and bouncing it up and down close to her heart as if she was trying to stop it from crying.

We finished the night with a game of scrabble. Eden calculated every move on the board, her baby doll over her shoulder, patting it's cloth back. Of course, Eden was head and head with Mom, both fighting to win the game. Eden won, a triumphant grin on her face as she did a tiny victory dance still seated in her chair.

When it was time to go home, none of us were ready to go, having too much fun. Gigi made her rounds, kissing our heads, her plump arms surrounding us in a hug saturated with her flowery scent. When she got to Eden, Eden grabbed her hand and brought it to her cheek, a sign of her gratefulness and love. Eden hugged her doll and held it out expectantly at my grandma. Gigi smiled and took the doll hugging it tight and kissing the top of her head before handing it back to Eden. Eden beamed and turned to me, taking my hand, before pulling me outside to walk to the car.

I turned around, waving at Gigi one more time before following behind Eden.

Eden fell asleep again on my shoulder on the way home, her baby doll cuddled in her blanket, and I couldn't help but fall asleep too. Before I slept, I thought of how Eden deserved a life like this every day. I wanted her to see how good the world could be when she was surrounded by people that loved her.

I hated anyone that hurt my Edith. It shouldn't be possible for someone as kind, lovable, and angelic as Eden to be hurt the way she was. I prayed that we could find a way for Eden to be safe, living with us, without pain.