Sky Bridge by Laura Pritchett

Author:Laura Pritchett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Milkweed Editions
Published: 2011-12-26T05:00:00+00:00

The package from Tess is wrapped in newspaper with a headline that reads “TESS ESCAPES!” And in smaller print below, “KID SISTER CROSSES BORDER TO NEW LIFE!” It takes me a minute to understand that it’s some touristy-thing, a fake newspaper printed with a headline she picked. Durango Times, the paper’s called. The other headlines are “Tourists Trash Sand Dunes, Jailed for 2 Years” and “Two-Headed Cow Left by Aliens.”

A journal book is what’s in the package. On the outside is a photo of a baby sitting inside a humungous flower, and the baby has dark, silky, short hair and pudgy cheeks and doesn’t look a thing like Amber, although Tess’s note says, “This reminds me of your baby girl. Write in this book so that she can read it later and find out what it was like when she was a baby. Draw some of your pictures, too. And tell her about you, so she’ll really know her mother.”

“Damn it, Tess,” I tell the photo of the baby. I hold my head in my hands and push the tears back in with my palms. I sit there for a long time before I can sigh and breathe and look up again.

There’s a silver pen tucked into the metal rings, so I take it out and write:Dear Amber,

My name is Libby and I’m your mom. I’m going to try to be honest with you and tell you that some days I am so scared. I never had thought much about my life or what I wanted to do. But now I realize that everyone needs to change for a reason, and you are my reason.

Here’s what I would write if you were one of Baxter’s cows:

Sex: Female.

Birth weight: 6 pounds, 9 ounces.

Polled: Yes. (No horns that I can see. Just a halo. Like Baxter says, you’re an angel.)

Coloring: Blotchy red at first. Now creamy white.

Sire: Unknown. (Well, the truth is, Simon. Simon Frazier. At college—not in the picture).

Mother: Tess. Libby. You have two. That makes you lucky, I think.

Tag number: A-M-B-E-R

Notes: Blond hair, like fuzzy duck. Right eye squishes down, makes you wink. Bubble on your lip from sucking. Healthy. A keeper.

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