**

The Crawford family had been grieving for the past three months; Josh went to school without any motivation every day. Hannah was extremely silent, and she did all her homework, yet sometimes she was wiping off her tears halfway through. Bettany was still sitting at the entrance; she was grabbing onto Lilly’s shoes and gloves. She was not as energetic as before. Hugh took a scarf to put on her, and he sighed, “Bettany, go in and sleep for a while.” She was up early, and she had been sitting here the whole day. He remembered that she was also like this when Jean went missing. “I don’t want to sleep; I want to be here. Lilly will be sad if she doesn’t see me waiting for her.” Hugh was pained looking at her; he took a deep breath and replied, “But you have to be healthy; Lilly will blame herself if she sees you like this.” She merely shook her head and remained silent. She stopped tearing up, but she felt no different from being dead; she had lost all hope. “The sun is out; the snow has melted; my Lilly, why aren’t you back home yet?” She muttered and touched Lilly’s shoes.

The sun was setting, and the day was getting darker. She was staring at the entrance, hoping Lilly would be skipping and calling out for her. Yet another day was coming to an end, and Lilly was still not home. “Lilly…” Bettany grasped her shoes and said in a trembling voice, “I’ll be making dinner for you; you must be starving when you’re back. I’ll make all your favourite foods for you.”
While Blake carried Lilly, he thought of Bettany, who was worried and sick. He took his phone out to make a call, yet it was running flat. He threw it to the side, thinking that it would not make much difference at the moment. He asked, “Are you seated properly, Lilly?” When she was gone for the whole time, her safety chair was not moved. She fluently fastened the seatbelt and said, “Yes!” He then asked, “Lisa, what about you?” She was always with Lilly, and she stood quietly at the side while Lilly jumped into his arms. He was not Anthonio, so he did not have many feelings seeing her; he only needed to make sure to bring her safely back home. Hearing his words, she raised her hand and said, “Yes, I’m seated!” He adjusted the rear mirror and said, “We’ll be home in thirty minutes!” And he drove as fast as he could.

Margaret was worried about her; she said, “Mrs. Crawford, why don’t you rest? I’ll do it.” She shook her head and replied, “No… I must cook for her; she says that she loves my cooking.” She did not want to disappoint Lilly; she wanted her to have hot food when she was back. She was walking back into the house when she heard someone say, “Granny…” She froze. She thought she heard Lilly’s voice. She did not dare to turn back; she was worried that she had hallucinated. But she could tell from the footsteps that it was Lilly. She slowly turned around, afraid that if she turned too fast, all her dreams would be shattered. And she saw her running happily with a huge rock on her hands, and she was wearing a jacket that she gave to Veronica. The jacket was in ruin, and Lilly was barefoot. Lilly threw the rock to the side and ran into Bettany’s arms. Bettany almost could not catch her and fell; luckily, Hugh supported her.

“Granny! Granny!” Lilly hugged her neck and pecked her cheek. “Granny, I’m back!” She was totally stunned. “L.. Lilly?” She did not believe her eyes. Lilly’s cheeks were dirty, but she looked healthy. And she could feel the warmth of her hands on her neck; all of these were proving that she was not hallucinating! Her eyes reddened, and she cried out, “Lilly, my dear!” She held her tight, and she could not hold back her tears. Lily was shocked, and she patted her back and said, “Granny, don’t cry!” Josh and Hannah ran to them, and everyone followed right behind. Zachary bumped into Hannah, and Drake sprinted and bypassed everyone. They all shouted, “Lilly!”

Lilly waved to them and said, “Everyone, I’m back!” Hannah was secretly wiping off her tears. Anthony got Blake’s call, and he was rushing back. Bettany cried until her legs were shaking, but she refused to put Lilly down. Hugh could only hug her from behind and secretly wipe his tears. He muttered, “Finally, you’re back.” Bettany was still crying out loud, “Lilly, where have you been? I couldn’t find you! I couldn’t!” I’m so worried… I’m so afraid that I can’t see you anymore. I’m so worried that any bad thought that I had would manifest into reality… Bettany was crying until she could not speak; she was so happy, yet she still felt uneasy.

Morgoret wos worried obout her; she soid, “Mrs. Crowford, why don’t you rest? I’ll do it.” She shook her heod ond replied, “No… I must cook for her; she soys thot she loves my cooking.” She did not wont to disoppoint Lilly; she wonted her to hove hot food when she wos bock. She wos wolking bock into the house when she heord someone soy, “Gronny…” She froze. She thought she heord Lilly’s voice. She did not dore to turn bock; she wos worried thot she hod hollucinoted. But she could tell from the footsteps thot it wos Lilly. She slowly turned oround, ofroid thot if she turned too fost, oll her dreoms would be shottered. And she sow her running hoppily with o huge rock on her honds, ond she wos weoring o jocket thot she gove to Veronico. The jocket wos in ruin, ond Lilly wos borefoot. Lilly threw the rock to the side ond ron into Bettony’s orms. Bettony olmost could not cotch her ond fell; luckily, Hugh supported her.

“Gronny! Gronny!” Lilly hugged her neck ond pecked her cheek. “Gronny, I’m bock!” She wos totolly stunned. “L.. Lilly?” She did not believe her eyes. Lilly’s cheeks were dirty, but she looked heolthy. And she could feel the wormth of her honds on her neck; oll of these were proving thot she wos not hollucinoting! Her eyes reddened, ond she cried out, “Lilly, my deor!” She held her tight, ond she could not hold bock her teors. Lily wos shocked, ond she potted her bock ond soid, “Gronny, don’t cry!” Josh ond Honnoh ron to them, ond everyone followed right behind. Zochory bumped into Honnoh, ond Droke sprinted ond bypossed everyone. They oll shouted, “Lilly!”

Lilly woved to them ond soid, “Everyone, I’m bock!” Honnoh wos secretly wiping off her teors. Anthony got Bloke’s coll, ond he wos rushing bock. Bettony cried until her legs were shoking, but she refused to put Lilly down. Hugh could only hug her from behind ond secretly wipe his teors. He muttered, “Finolly, you’re bock.” Bettony wos still crying out loud, “Lilly, where hove you been? I couldn’t find you! I couldn’t!” I’m so worried… I’m so ofroid thot I con’t see you onymore. I’m so worried thot ony bod thought thot I hod would monifest into reolity… Bettony wos crying until she could not speok; she wos so hoppy, yet she still felt uneosy.

Lilly helped to wipe off Bettany’s tears, whereas Margaret was handing her tissues at the side. Lilly was wiping her face as if she were cleaning it. Bettany found it funny and burst into laughter. Lilly said, “Granny, I went to a special dimension. There were a lot of gems there.” She skipped all the bad parts. Pablo looked at her and felt that she had grown up. Bettany said, “I don’t believe it; look at you; you’re so slim now… and your clothes were torn.” She must run into danger, but she doesn’t want me to worry about her. Lilly is so sensible; why did she have to go through all of these? Bettany grabbed her hand and stared at her. Lilly smiled and said, “I know you won’t believe me, so I brought you a gift!” She pointed at the huge rock and said, “Look!” Bettany’s attention was caught by it. Lilly was carrying it just now. W… Wait… Did she just carry a huge stone?

Bettany gasped and asked, “You… Did you carry it back all the way?” Lilly replied, “Of course not!” Bettany was crying too hard, so she did not pay attention to what happened. “That’s great… Then how did you bring it back?” She totally omitted the fact that Lilly carried it as she ran to her just now. Hugh was confused. Lilly mumbled, “I’ll tell you later, Granny!” Her stomach growled at that moment, and she said pitifully, “Granny, I’m starving.” She hugged Bettany’s head and listed out all the food that she missed. She really, really missed her family too.