Prickly Pear
Lisa stepped out of bed, walked straight to her cactus garden, and began carefully packing the plants into boxes. Everyone who visited them was always overwhelmed by the sheer number of cacti Lisa and Carl had in their home garden. But those who knew them closely understood their importance. Two years had passed since the carnival, the day their daughter Callie vanished. Every night, Lisa replayed the exact moment the stroller carrying her one‑year‑old disappeared at the carnival. The guilt was relentless. She imagined a hundred ways she could have prevented it. Carl, too, wondered if carrying Callie on his shoulders might have changed everything. Too burdened by the memories, Lisa and Carl decided to move to the nearest town to start fresh. On their way, Lisa opened up to Carl after a long silence and said, “I think I’m ready… ready to adopt.” Carl took a deep breath, caressed Lisa’s brown hair, and nodded gently. Once they were settled in their new home, they visited the nearby adopt...
