The Discovery

In Ian's fourth year, Anna's father insisted on a celebration, and Ian himself asked his parents to have a celebration that day. He had started attending nursery school a few months earlier, and all his friends had parties.

Anna and Maxwell talked it over, and even though they understood that it must have been the children's parents who had instructed them to ask Ian to have a party, they decided to agree to the celebration, on the condition that only the nursery school children and their parents were invited. Anna's father tried to argue, as he wanted to invite his friends with their children, but she was firm and he gave in.

Helen took the opportunity to tell Maxwell and Anna that she would be leaving after Ian's party. She said she had been asked to work in a hospital and didn't want to miss the opportunity.

She and Anna hugged, both with tears in their eyes, because over time, they had become like sisters. Anna thought of her as family.

Beth, with Maxwell's help, had br