Even Layla was struggling to stay awake.
"Mommy, I think I'm going to write about what happened today in my journal." Layla stared at the photo she had taken.
Hightide Church usually did not allow the taking of photos, but Layla was not sure whether she could take photos or not, and she had asked a nun to take a photo of her and the other children. The nun smiled and agreed.
"Sure! Show it to me when you are done."
"Okay, Mommy. Look at the photo. I counted, and apart from me and Robert, there are thirty-two children," Layla said with a smile. "What a coincidence. There are thirty-two students in my class as well."
"Now that Rose is gone, there should be only thirty-one children."
"Irene left as well!"
"Irene doesn't count because she has a family. It's a shame that we didn't get to meet her. She must be a sweet child, like Rose, for Rose to like her so much," Avery said.
"Why did Irene's grandma take her away? Why does she have to leave simply because Rose left? Didn't the nun say that Irene didn't want to leave? Is that really her grandmother?" Layla asked. "That's her actual grandmother, right?"
Her questions had rendered Avery speechless, and she did not know how to respond.
Irene had been doing well in the church and it did not make sense for her grandmother to quickly take her away simply because Rose had been adopted.
"Maybe that's really her grandmother. Rose said that Irene is younger than her."
"Oh. Does Irene not have parents? Why else would her grandma take her up to a mountain to live there?"
"Did Rose go to Wesley's place?" Elliot picked Layla up with one arm and turned to look at Avery.
"Yeah. Rose woke up early today so she fell asleep by the time we arrive at Wesley's place." Avery sat down on the couch and leaned back against it. "I am sleepy, too."
"If you sleep now, you won't be able to sleep at night," Elliot said as he accepted the phone Layla passed him and studied the group photo they took. "These little girls all look decent. Why does Irene look upset here?"
"She didn't get to see her best friend, Irene. Irene was taken away," Layla said.
"I thought all the kids there were adopted by the church?" Elliot asked in confusion.
"Not Irene. She has a grandma, and her grandma took her."
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