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I walk out onto the deck of my Grandmother’s lakehouse. A warm breeze slaps my face when I open the big french doors to get to the deck. The lake seems to glisten, even in the darkness. I take the tall wooden steps down the dock, where a bygone boat is sitting in the water, along with an old tackle box. I step onto the dock and then sit down at the end, sticking my feet into the warm water. I hear footsteps, and notice my Grandmother has followed me outside. “Beautiful morning, isn’t it?” she says, the sun beginning to peek out from behind the pine trees. “Yes indeed.” Grandmother sits down beside me, still in her nightgown and slippers. We watch as the sun slowly rises over the lake, every minute getting brighter. Soon enough, the sun has risen and is high in the sky. The lake shimmers and glistens in the sunlight, and almost looks magical. I close my eyes and imagine splashing in the lake. But I’m not alone. Alongside me is a beautiful woman, maybe in her thirties, with long blonde hair. There’s also a man, who looks as if he’s in his thirties as well, and he’s hugging me. Then the woman hugs me. We are a family. Grandmother taps me on the shoulder. “You alright dear?” she asks, wiping a strand of dark hair out of my face. I nod. “Yes, sorry.” I open my eyes and the image of the people disappears. We head back inside and I go up to my bedroom. I open my wardrobe and put on a silky yellow sundress, and sandals my grandmother gave me. Once I am dressed, I head back downstairs for breakfast. Grandmother has made fluffy blueberry pancakes, topped with butter and cream. She hands me a plate with pancakes and a piece of crispy bacon. “Thank you,” I begin. “When will you be leaving?” She picks up her leather purse and slips on a pair of dress shoes. “I’ll be leaving now,” she opens her purse and grabs a few dollars. “Use this for lunch today, the diner downtown has many meal options. I should be going now.” I take the money and take my plate to the dining room table. Grandmother waves goodbye, and walks out the door. Grandmother is a busy businesswoman who works all day. I usually spend the weekend at home cleaning the large house, or either walking past the shops and restaurants downtown. I begin eating my pancakes in the big, empty, dining room. The table is huge, with nine other seats beside mine. I close my eyes and imagine a family sitting at the table alongside me. Everyone has a plate full of food, talking, and exchanging gifts. There’s a giant Christmas tree in the corner of the room, and garland hung from the golden chandelier. I open my eyes and continue eating. Why should I even begin thinking about a family? No one wants a 13-year-old living with her Grandmother. I think to myself. I finish eating my breakfast and wash the dishes. Then I do some cleaning and dusting around the house. I finish with the cleaning just about noon and then complete my homework. Once my chores and homework are done I head downtown to get lunch. Luckily, the lakehouse isn’t too far from downtown. Within ten minutes or so, I arrive downtown. People walk up and down the sidewalk, carrying large bags and boxes filled with merchandise. Trying not to get run over, I maneuver through the crowd until I find myself at the front door of the diner. I walk to the front desk to order a meal, but a long blonde-haired lady and a man are in front of me. I wait patiently behind them as they finish their order. The cashier places their order and they step aside. “Hello miss, what can I get for you?” the cashier asks. “I would like the grilled cheese,” I start. “With a lemonade.” The cashier writes down my order on a ticket and figures the price. “That’ll be 3.50 ma’am.” He says, holding out his hand. I look at the money in my hand and count it. Just enough for the meal. I hand it to the cashier and step aside where the man and woman are standing. The woman smiles and waves at me. I wave back. Then I notice her whispering something to the man, who I suspect is her husband. We both receive our food a few minutes later. I find a vacant table in the very back of the diner and sit down, beginning to eat my sandwich. I notice the couple coming over to my table. Why are they following me? I wonder. “Hello darling, what’s your name?” the woman asks as she approaches my table. “Lucy,” I say. “Why do you ask?” The woman pulls another chair up to the table and sits down. “Where are your parents? Are you eating alone?” she questions. I gulp, setting down my grilled cheese. “I live with my Grandmother now. She’s at work. She works every day so I just come alone.” I respond. The woman nods, looking at her husband. “Oh okay. We just wanted to make sure everything was fine.” She says and walks away. I finish my lunch and head home. Just before bed, Grandmother comes home. She tucks me in and then goes to her office to do paperwork. That night I keep thinking about the man and woman. Eventually, I fall asleep. 

I wake up the next morning and complete my routine- eat breakfast, collect lunch money from Grandmother, do homework and chores, and then head out for lunch. When I arrive at the diner, I notice the same couple standing outside. I try to avoid them as I walk in, but they stop me. “Do you like living with your Grandmother?” the man asks. I shrug. “It’s okay, but she’s gone a lot. But I work with it.” He nods. “Well, how would you feel about living with us dear? I mean, not to bug you but we have just wanted a child, we felt maybe you’d want a family.” the woman says. I stare at them in disbelief. “You really mean it?” I ask, about in tears. They nod. “Of course.” I give them both huge hugs and walk inside of the diner. I type Grandmother’s number into the telephone and call her. When she picks up, I explain the situation. Then I get my lunch, still so surprised and happy. 

Two weeks later Mr. and Mrs. Smith show me two houses they are interested in buying. One is a cottage-like home with a large backyard. The other is a small house by a lake. A beautiful lake, with pine trees. A lake where you can watch the sun come up from over the trees. They ask my opinion and I choose the lakehouse. After a few months, we settle in. The home is a cute little brick house, with a dock that leads out to the lake. Grandmother kisses my forehead and hands me my belongings and tells me to come back and visit. The adoption papers are completed, and I put all my things into my new bedroom. That night mom and dad take me outside to the lake. “Would you like hot cocoa?” Mom asks. I nod. “Yes please.” Mom and dad go inside to get hot cocoa and snacks. I look up into the sky and see the bright moon and stars- like a beautiful picture in the sky. I look down at the lake and see the moon’s reflection in it. Next to the moon's reflection is mine. But something seemed different about me. Happier. Brighter. The water around it glistens. This is it. This is where I’m meant to be. This is home.