ver understood her hobby, but I admired her dedication—how she displayed them so beautifully and kept them all so clean. Still, I was surprised how much those dolls meant to me after Linda lost her battle with cancer. Her mother donated the dolls to the local historical society. I agreed it was best that Linda’s collection stayed together but it pained me to see the dolls go. In fact, I wished I could have kept just one to remember her by.
Losing Linda was still fresh in my mind when one day my mother asked me to drive her, my grandmother and my aunt to the county fair. On the way home Granny needed to use the restroom, so I pulled off the highway at the nearest rest stop and she dashed into a fast-food restaurant. Next door was a gift shop. I only had twenty dollars in my pocket, but I figured I would browse2 around while I waited. Inside were cards, snow globes...and one whole wall full of shelves and shelves of porcelain dolls. Just like Linda’s. For some reason, I felt drawn to one doll in the middle of the second shelf—with deep brown eyes, wearing a shiny pink-and white dress embroidered with pink roses. “Isn’t that the prettiest doll you ever saw?” I said to my mother.“I want it.”
Silly, I thought. These dolls cost more than a hundred, I bet. Then I glanced at the doll’s price tag3: $14.99！
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A sale associate assured me the price wasn’t a mistake. What luck! I plucked the doll of the shelf and brought it to the register.
I handed the doll to the cashier and fished around for my twenty-dollar bill. But I immediately started to question myself. What am I doing? I thought. I don’t collect dolls. Why this one? I almost cancelled the sale. Then, casually, I flipped the doll’s price tag over. There, printed on the other side, was the doll’s name: Linda.
。念紀的達琳對我示表以，個一的中們它藏收想很我，實其。楚酸陣陣了起湧中心免不，我開離要們它到看是但，了的過不好最是起一在待地全安以可娃娃的達琳白明我。會協史曆的地當了給贈捐娃娃有所的集收前生達琳把親母的她。遠深味意地此如是說來我對娃娃瓷些那，現發地奇驚才我時倒擊爪魔的症癌被達琳到直，而然。裡那在”站“地潔整而雅優娃娃些這讓是總她——神精獻奉種這她佩敬很我但，解理不終始好愛種這的她對我，話實說。個多031有娃娃瓷的有擁達琳。娃娃瓷集收於衷熱她是的同不一唯——的她是就的我，此彼分不乎幾們我。友朋的好最我是說如不倒妹表的我是說其與達琳
著有她——娃娃瓷個一的間中板隔層二第了向拉我把量力股一有覺感我，因原麼什於出知不。樣一些那的達琳是像就。娃娃瓷了滿擺都上板隔層一每，裡櫥壁的牆麵整一在，有還??球雪、片卡有，品禮小的樣各種各著列陳裡那。看看便隨去進如不倒，著等其與得覺我是但，元美02有隻裡兜我然雖。屋品禮家一是壁隔的店餐快。店餐快家一了進衝婆外，來下了停上站小的息休個一的近最路公離在便我是於，間手洗去想很然突婆外，上路的來回在。市集的上鎮去起一媽姨和婆外、她著載我要媽媽，天一。著放回地晰清裡海腦我在仍景情的去離達琳
