That night, her grandmother came to her room, and Wilhelmina got her wish to sleep with her again. Mrs. Lehmann held the child, humming the lullaby that once soothed her own daughter.
“Mary Rose cut her hair short, jumped on the mail car and left home. The port’s spaceship is about to take off, she sneaks into the cabin. The sky is an ocean of stars, a good child’s dream is about to depart…”
“Grandma,” Wilhelmina asked softly, “Did Mary Rose go home later?”
Mrs. Lehmann’s eyes glistened with tears in the darkness. “She went home, dear, she finally went home. You will too, my darling.”
In fact, her daughter Rebecca Lehmann never returned, and now her granddaughter was about to embark on a journey.
“Are you crying?”
“No, I’m just tired.”
“Let’s go to sleep then.”
“Okay, sweetheart.”
The next day, the nanny dressed Wilhelmina in a new black dress and tied a white bow in her hair.
“What a beautiful child,” Hans Borg praised sincerely.
“Can I bring Lucy to see Dad?” Wilhelmina hugged her large spotted cat.
“Of course, my lady,” Hans Borg bent down and took her hand.
Wilhelmina felt a bit panicked and looked back at her grandparents. Mr. Lehmann came over and hugged her tightly.
“My sweetheart, my darling,” he handed her a pocket watch. “This was your mother’s. Keep it safe. Remember, your mother was a strong and kind woman. Whenever you encounter setbacks, think of her.”
“Yes, Grandpa.”
Mr. Lehmann whispered in his granddaughter’s ear: “Don’t let them know what you’re thinking.”
The child nodded, stood on tiptoe, kissed her grandfather’s old face, and was then put into the car.
The convoy quietly drove out of Skylark Manor, racing along the road, with harvested wheat and corn fields on both sides. As they passed the small hill where the children had played yesterday, Wilhelmina saw her friends standing on the slope.
The children of the Rose Regiment began to cheer: “Willy! Forward! Willy! Forward!”
Derek’s red hair looked lonely in the crowd as he watched the convoy leave in silence. Suddenly, he ran down the slope, sprinting toward the departing vehicles.
“Willy—” the boy shouted, but the hover car quickly left him behind.
