If what Phoenix said was true, then Bea has been cared for by family and friends sporadically to cover the gaps that her mother’s death left behind. Step one—create a routine. Glancing down at my watch, I see it’s just past noon. “Are you hungry?” She glances up from the floor. With a cute little smirk on her face, she nods. I hold out my hand for her, and she jumps up from the floor and takes it. We walk together into the kitchen, and I find an apron hanging on a hook behind the door. After slipping it over my head, I open the fridge and scavenge for something to prepare for lunch.
