No Ordinary Girl

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Me: Leo is officially my boyfriend!!! R u happy now? :)

Kylie: Yay! So happy. He's so cute. R u bringing him home for Thanksgiving?

Me: Lol! No!!!

Kylie: :(

My fifteen minutes of fame were over after about three days, and life settled back into its usual rhythm.

Life was good. Leo and I were officially an item. I'm ashamed to admit that I kind of became one of those giddy girls in love; you know the type who giggle a lot, stare dreamily into space, and who fiddle with their pens and get scolded by the teachers for not paying attention. Alicia was thrilled for me. Kendra thought that it was all a little sickening. And Brianna was just happy I wasn't hooking up with Ace.

I followed Haley's story in the news – it turns out that Natalie Foster was able to walk in quietly into the Henderson home with a copy of a key she had briefly stolen from Mason in the final days of their relationship. She was incarcerated, of course, and the case would go to trial. My heart sinks when I think about her. She was so desperate that day on the cliff, and Ace lied to her, made her believe that everything would turn out great. But he did it to save Haley.

About two weeks following Haley's rescue, I was called into Simone's office and she handed me a letter from Mrs. Henderson. I couldn't wait to tear into it. I decided not to go back to class right away, and instead, I took a seat on one of the benches in the hall outside the offices.

I tore the envelope open very carefully, and unfolded the letter. It was handwritten on lovely writing paper; colorful gold leafed flowers dotted the corners.

Dear Annabelle,

There are not enough words to express my gratitude. No word in the English language could possibly express just how thankful I am. You are a wonderful young woman, and what you did for Haley and our family is incredible. You and your friends were great. You did everything perfectly. You approached Haley's case, with care and concern, and the best decision I ever made was to have faith in you.

Without a doubt, it was because of all of you, that Haley was found.

Haley is her usual happy self. She's laughing, eating and sleeping well. The doctor gave her a clean bill of health. Her big brother is over the moon to have her back -- those two are like two peas in a pod. She's too small to thank you herself, of course, but she would if she could.

Yes, our life is complicated. Mason and I are officially separated, but there are no petty disputes, and no rehashing of past mistakes. We are both just so thrilled to have our little Haley back.

I wish you the best of luck with your studies, and your life. And please keep up the wonderful work. This is your destiny, Annabelle. Your true calling -- you were put on this earth to save and help others. You are truly blessed.

Sincerely,

Jenna Henderson

As I held the letter close to my heart, my eyes filled with tears.

I couldn't have agreed more.

For the first time in my life, I realized that I was truly blessed.

*

From: Calista Summers

To: Annabelle Jenkins

Subject: Hi

Hi Anna,

So happy to hear you found Haley! I've been following her case on the web, and I just read all about the hostage negotiations. I was floored!! They didn't mention you by name, but I knew it was you. You are amazing, and you must be so proud.