by Nancy Rue
Sophie completely stopped breathing. Fiona stared up at Daddy with her mouth hanging open.
“I was guilty of that myself when I picked it up last night,” Daddy went on. “I thought it was a project for school until you called.”
“Then it isn’t,” Mr. Denton said. His face drooped.
“No, it isn’t. But it isn’t a Slam Book, or whatever you called it, either, I can tell you that.” He squeezed Sophie’s shoulders. “Do I have your permission to tell him what IS in that book?” he said.
“Yes,” Sophie said. She was afraid to say more—in case this was just a dream and she would wake herself up.
“This Slam Book they are suspected of keeping,” Daddy said, “is a collection of personal things created by three very creative young women. It is a tribute to the history of our family. There are things in there about my own grandmother that I never knew. It has nothing to do with anyone else here.”
Sophie couldn’t see Daddy’s face, but she could tell he was looking around the table, by the way each Corn Pop was shriveling, one after another.
“If my daughter wants to show the book to you, Mr. Denton, that is her choice. If she decides not to, I will stand behind her.”
I will stand behind her.
I will stand behind her.
Suddenly there was so much God-space, it was all Sophie could do not to climb up on the table, arms spread wide, and dance in it.
Instead, she lifted up her chin. “We don’t want to turn our notebook over to you, Mr. Denton.” She turned to Fiona and Kitty. “Do we?”
“No,” Fiona said.
Even Kitty said, “No, we don’t.”
“But I do want to say something else,” Sophie said.
Mr. Denton had a smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he said, “Please do.”
Between Fiona and Kitty’s questioning looks, Sophie directed her eyes at the Corn Pops. Julia was still trying to maintain the queenly air, but the rest of the hive looked withered.
“I AM seeing a therapist,” she said, “but I am NOT mentally underdeveloped and I DON’T have serious problems—even if I AM adopted.” She took a deep breath. “Because I know my dad loves me anyway.”
“Indeed he does,” Mr. Denton said. “Julia, B.J., Willoughby, Anne-Stuart—stay here. The rest of you may go on to class. Mr. LaCroix, you want to talk this out?”
Daddy nodded—sort of absently, Sophie thought—and then he knelt down in front of her.
“I’m picking you up after school,” he said. “I think we need to have a talk.”
There was no muscle-twitching. Sophie nodded solemnly.
He’s going to tell me the truth now, she thought as she left the conference room—with Mr. Denton saying, “Well, Julia and Anne-Stuart, you realize GATE is out of the question for you now.” What Daddy was going to say wasn’t going to be what she wanted to hear—but it didn’t mater now. It really didn’t. Because Daddy had just stood up for her.
“Sophie?”
Sophie turned around to see Kitty, hanging next to the water fountain.
“We have to get to class,” Sophie said.
“I just wanted to tell you something.”
“Okay,” Sophie said, “but hurry.”
Kitty latched both hands around Sophie’s arm. “I have to tell you that all this time I’ve been staying with you and Fiona and pretending to be a Corn Flake because I didn’t want to be by myself. But now I really want to be one.” She clung harder to Sophie’s arm. “I’m proud to be one.”
Sophie could feel her wisp of a smile floating onto her face. They had Kitty now, and it was for real. Now, if only Maggie —
“Oh, I’m supposed to give you this.”
Kitty dug her hand into the pocket of her embroidered jeans and pulled out a bright pink piece of paper. For a second it made Sophie shiver, until she opened it and saw the same neat printing that had turned the world upside down.
I WANT TO BE A CORN FLAKE, it said.
Sophie hugged the God-space to her all afternoon. She wasn’t even afraid when she climbed into the car with Daddy. Not until he said, “We’re going over to Dr. Peter’s office.” Then she began to sink.
“I thought WE were gonna talk,” she said. “You and me.”
“We are,” Daddy said. “But that’s not something you and I do so well, Soph. So I asked Dr. Peter if we could talk over there. He won’t be with us—he’ll just be around in case we need him.”
Dr. Peter showed them both into a small room Sophie hadn’t been in before. It had a couple of beanbag chairs, and Daddy folded his big self into one of them, and Sophie curled up in the other.
“I have to say this first,” Daddy said. “Sophie Rae, you are not adopted. You are Mama’s and my biological kid.”
“I AM?” Sophie said. “Are you SURE?”
Daddy’s eyebrows went into upside-down V’s. “Yes, I’m sure! I was there to see you come into the world. I was the first one to hold you.”
Sophie was shaking her head. “Then why aren’t there any pictures of me when I was a baby?”
“See, Soph this is the part I never wanted to tell you.” He suddenly looked very lost. Sophie was pretty sure she knew the feeling.
He scratched both sides of his head. “Before Mama even got to hold you, the doctors took you off to Neonatal Intensive Care. You were so sick, we didn’t think you were going to make it through the first day.”
“You thought I was going to DIE?”
“They told us you might. You were born two and a half months before you were supposed to be. You were so small and you had so many things wrong with you—you had to fight for your little life.”
Sophie sank back into the beanbag and let that information settle itself into her mind. “We almost lost you four or five times before you were even two years old,” Daddy said. “We were so wrapped up in keeping you alive, we didn’t even think about taking pictures.” He let his head sag for a minute. “I didn’t want to take your picture that way. I was afraid that if you lived you would see those photographs and you would always think of yourself as a sick kid. You were a fighter, and THAT’s how I wanted you to see yourself.”
“When did I get better?” Sophie said.
“Right after you turned two, you seemed to turn a corner. We knew you were going to make it then.”
“So that’s why I’m underdeveloped,” Sophie said.
“The doctors say you’ll catch up. Besides, your Mama is just a little bitty thing.”
Daddy resituated himself on the beanbag, his long legs sprawled on the floor. “I’m still not clear on how you ever got the idea that you were adopted in the first place.”
“I saw that paper.”
“What paper?”
“The letter to you and Mama—it said ‘Thank you for your interest in adopting a child.’ ”
“Okay, no more attic for you,” Daddy said.
“What did it mean?” Sophie said.
Daddy looked up at the ceiling, as if he were visiting a memory of something he hadn’t been to in a long time. “When you were about four and we really knew you were going to be okay, things were going so well for our family that Mama and I decided we wanted to have another kid to share all that with. Only—it didn’t happen right away.” Daddy shuffled his feet a little. “Anyway, we started looking into adopting and then, bingo, we found out Zeke was on his way.”
Sophie’s insides were so shaky, she was sure her voice would be too when she said, “So Zeke IS my little brother, and Lacie’s my sister, and you and Mama are my parents—”
Daddy said, “We’d be all those things whether you were adopted or not. A family is a family because of love, not because of biology.” Daddy leaned toward her. Sophie had never seen his face look confused before, ever. “I got the feeling when I was at the school today that it was the first time you believed I loved you. Is that right?”
Sophie could almost hear Dr. Peter saying, I love that honesty, Loodle.
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br /> She tangled and untangled her fingers for a few seconds, and then she said, “Yes.”
Daddy’s face didn’t turn red. He didn’t demand to know where she got such a ridiculous idea. He just nodded. And he blinked. Hard.
“Look, Soph,” he said. His voice was thick, like peanut butter. “The reason I’m so hard on you is because I know God has you here for a very special reason, or you would have died. I want to be sure you have all it takes to fulfill his purpose for you. I want you to be physically strong—that’s why I push you toward sports. I want you to get a good education—that’s why I’m always raising the bar on your grades. I don’t want to see you wasting time on things that don’t mean anything.” Sophie shook her head. “I don’t do that, Daddy.”
To her surprise, he nodded. “I think I’m starting to figure that out, Soph,” he said.
And suddenly, Sophie figured something out too. THIS was what it meant when Jesus went home and obeyed his parents and grew up every way he was supposed to. And THEN he did what God put him there to do.
I’m gonna be that obedient too she decided, then and there. Even when Daddy doesn’t get me, I have to respect him.
And she had to start right now.
“Daddy?” she said.
“Yeah, Soph?” he said.
“Thank you for standing up for me today.”
Daddy’s big face broke into a grin so wide, Sophie could see right into his God-space.
“You were taking a hit for the team,” he said. “I had to be there.”
And somehow Sophie knew that he always would be.
Glossary
appalling (uh-PALL-ing) totally shocking or almost heinous
archaeologists (ARE-kay-AH-luh-jists) people who study the stuff that people left behind a long, long time ago
artifact (ARE-tih-fakt) something people used in the past, like tools or artwork
camisole (KAA-mih-sole) a short, sleeveless shirt worn underneath clothes
cardiac arrest (CAR-dee-ack uh-REST) when someone’s heart stops beating
clandestine (clan-DEHSS-tin) being secretive and maybe even sneaky
cower (COW-er) to crouch or shield yourself, usually from something scary
descendants (dih-SEHN-dunts) people who are born after a person, like Fiona is Boppa’s descendant
despondent (dih-SPAHN-dunt) feeling totally depressed and hopeless
dignity (DIG-nuh-tee) feeling worthy and like you’re important; being filled with good pride
documental (DAH-kyou-mehn-tuhl) evidence like an artifact, photograph, or recording that can prove something; usually this evidence has been documented officially in writing
excavate (ECK-skuh-vate) to dig out and remove
flabbergast (FLAA-burr-gaast) to overwhelm with shock or surprise
flux (FLUHKS) the condition of having diarrhea
gavel (GAA-vuhl) a mallet used to gain the audience’s attention or confirm a decision was just made; the thing judges use
heinous (HAY-nuhss) shockingly mean, beyond rude, or like wicked in a bad way
jeopardize (JEH-purr-dize) to risk or threaten something dangerously
leeway (LEE-way) freedom given to someone else to make mistakes or do something a different way
mutiny (MYOO-tuh-nee) harshly rebelling against authority, like a sea captain or your parents
obsessed (uhb-SEHST) thinking about something way too much
palisade (paa-luhss-ADE) a fence of stakes used to protect a fort from enemies
precedent (PREH-suh-duhnt) something done or said that serves as a model for someone or something that comes afterward, like a set example to follow
sedately (sih-DATE-lee) quietly and steadily, like in a cool, calm way
swellings (SWELL-ings) puffed up larger than normal size, especially like when it’s a body part or area of the body
vexation (veck-SAY-shun) the act of troubling or irritating someone or when you’re being troubled or irritated by someone or something
Sophie Series
Written by Nancy Rue
Meet Sophie LaCroix, a creative soul who’s destined to become a great film director
someday. But many times her overactive imagination gets her in trouble!
Check out the other books in the series!
Book 1: Sophie’s World
IBSN: 978-0-310-70756-1
Book 2: Sophie’s Secret
ISBN: 978-0-310-70757-8
Book 3: Sophie Under Pressure
ISBN: 978-0-310-71840-6
Book 4: Sophie Steps Up
ISBN: 978-0-310-71841-3
Book 5: Sophie’s First Dance
ISBN: 978-0-310-70760-8
Book 6: Sophie’s Stormy Summer
ISBN: 978-0-310-70761-5
Available now at your local bookstore!
Visit www.faithgirlz.com, it’s the place for girls ages 9-12.
Sophie Series
Written by Nancy Rue
Book 7: Sophie’s Friendship Fiasco
ISBN: 978-0-310-71842-0
Book 8: Sophie and the New Girl
ISBN: 978-0-310-71843-7
Book 9: Sophie Flakes Out
ISBN: 978-0-310-71024-0
Book 10: Sophie Loves Jimmy
ISBN: 978-0-310-71025-7
Book 11: Sophie’s Drama
ISBN: 978-0-310-71844-4
Book 12: Sophie Gets Real
ISBN: 978-0-310-71845-1
Available now at your local bookstore!
Visit www.faithgirlz.com, it’s the place for girls ages 9-12.
Notification
Dear Nancy
ISBN 978-0-310-71496-5
Available now at your local bookstore!
Visit www.faithgirlz.com, it’s the place for girls ages 9-12.
A Lucy Novel
Written by Nancy Rue
New from Faithgirlz! By bestselling author Nancy Rue.
Lucy Rooney is a feisty, precocious tomboy who questions everything—even God. It’s not hard to see why: a horrible accident killed her mother and blinded her father, turning her life upside down. It will take a strong but gentle housekeeper—who insists on Bible study and homework when all Lucy wants to do is play soccer—to show Lucy that there are many ways to become the woman God intends her to be.
Book 1: Lucy Doesn’t Wear Pink
ISBN 978-0-310-71450-7
Book 2: Lucy Out of Bounds
ISBN 978-0-310-71451-4
Book 3: Lucy’s Perfect Summer
ISBN 978-0-310-71452-1
Book 4: Lucy Finds Her Way
ISBN 978-0-310-71453-8 Available August 2009!
Available now at your local bookstore!
Visit www.faithgirlz.com, it’s the place for girls ages 9-12.
Notification
Everybody Tells Me to Be Myself but
I Don’t Know Who I Am
ISBN 978-0-310-71295-4
This new addition to the Faithgirlz! line helps girls face the challenges of being their true selves with fun activities, interactive text, and insightful tips.
Girl Politics
ISBN 978-0-310-71296-1
Parents and kids alike may think that getting teased or arguing with friends is just part of growing up, but where is the line between normal kid stuff and harmful behavior? This book is a guide for girls on how to deal with girl politics, God-style.
Beauty Lab
ISBN 978-0-310-71276-3
Beauty tips and the secret of true inner beauty are revealed in this interactive, inspirational, fun addition to the Faithgirlz! line.
Body Talk
ISBN 978-0-310-71275-6
In a world where bodies are commodities, girls are under more pressure at younger ages. This book is a fun and God-centered way to give girls the facts and self-confidence they need as they mature into young women.
Available now at your local bookstore!
Visit www.faithgirlz.com, it’s the place for girls ages 9-12.
Bibles
Every girl wants to know she’s totally unique and special. This Bible says that with Faithgirlz! sparkle! Now girls can grow closer to God as they discover the journey of a lifetime, in their language, for their world.
The NIV Faithgirlz!Bible
Hardcover
ISBN 978-0-310-71581-8
Softcover
ISBN 978-0-310-71582-5
The NIV Faithgirlz!Bible
Italian Duo-Tone™
ISBN 978-0-310-71583-2
The NIV Faithgirlz! Backpack Bible
Periwinkle
Italian Duo-Tone™
ISBN 978-0-310-71012-7
Available now at your local bookstore!
Visit www.faithgirlz.com, it’s the place for girls ages 9-12.
Designed for tween girls!
Faithgirlz Messenger Bag
ISBN: 0-310-82224-6
Faithgirlz Book and Bible Cover
ISBN: 0-310-82036-7
Available now at your local bookstore!
Visit www.faithgirlz.com, it’s the place for girls ages 9-12.