Her mother’s appeal to her desire for more responsibility worked, and Hailey’s bedroom was easily big enough for another girl. Besides, it could be fun. “Yeah, she can share my room. When’s she coming?”

“We’re going to fly out next Sunday, and we’ll spend the week there attending your uncle’s funeral and doing the paperwork to take in Erin. We should be coming back the following Saturday with her. You’ll be staying at your friend Emily’s house while we’re gone; your mother has already worked it out with Emily’s mom.”

This was the first thing she didn’t care much for. Emily wasn’t really a friend; they mutually tolerated each other. Hailey was a smart girl, and Emily really wasn’t too bright, so Hailey had a hard time relating to her.