The Orphan Collector

by Ellen Marie Wiseman

Then she remembered what Mutti always said whenever she felt confused or unsure, “Just do the next thing.” Whether it was getting dressed in the morning or doing chores and homework, the best way to move through a complicated situation was to decide what needed to be done next and just do it.

The light, happy feeling of being carefree, before the world went dark and her life was turned upside down, flickered just within reach. Then it disappeared as fast as it came, replaced by the horrible, heavy crush of heartache and grief.