Hazel could still remember how hard she had to try and convince herself that Billy hadn't died in the fire shortly after getting out of the hospital. There hadn't been a body so she believed he would come back.
A year passed with no sign of him. Then two. She had wanted to talk to him so badly—really talk, now that her voice was back—but he was gone.
She had to work harder to convince herself he hadn't crawled away and died from his injuries somewhere else that wasn't reported on the news. Maybe he wasn't originally from Oakland; there weren't many long-term care facilities for children in the state. He could be anywhere in California.
With that thought to comfort her, Hazel told herself to be patient. Billy would come back to her like he had promised.
Five years passed without a word from him and she made all sorts of excuses. He was too far away. He didn't know where to find her. He was still a minor so he didn't have the ability to get to her from wherever he was.
