Jinny nodded, and shook his hand very politely. Before she could introduce herself like she had been taught, she too, heard sirens in the distance. 

When Mr. Wilson – Uncle Wilson? Uncle Slade maybe? - asked her if she wanted to keep anything, she nodded a bit. Going back into the closet, she tugged out a pink Hello Kitty suitcase. In that, she put her favorite clothes and shoes, her books, and her absolutely treasured stuffed Hello Kitty named Fluffy. She made sure the suitcase was as full as she could make it, since she knew they couldn’t come back. 

“Um…” She looked around once more, nibbling on her thumbnail as she did. She poked her head into the hallway, and looked up. On the wall was a neatly framed picture of all three of them, when they went on vacation to Japan just last year. Her parents were smiling and holding her up, and they were surrounded by pretty pink cherry blossoms. Everyone was very happy in that picture.

The picture was well out of her reach. “Um. Can you take that down? I want them to come with me.” The sirens were growing louder now, and she felt a twist of fear in her belly. Something told her the police would try to take her away from her new uncle, and she didn’t want that. Slowly she turned, looking in every direction as if trying to memorize the house itself. 

Then she turned to her parents, still on the floor, and kissed them both on the forehead. They were cold. 

“Bye Okaa-san. Bye Daddy. I love you.” 

Then she looked up at her new uncle with a surprisingly serious face for a child. 

“I’m ready to go.”