Jump

By Shannon LC Cate

Lizzie's mama has to make a decision that will change their lives forever. Will Lizzie have the courage to make an equally important decision for herself?
"Jump" is a short prequel to the young adult novel, "Jack."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shannon LC Cate
• Release date: Jan 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311896858

Shannon LC Cate

Shannon LC Cate has been writing about family, parenting, politics and religion since 2000. Her work has appeared on Babble.com, BlogHer.com, Literary Mama.com, VillageQ.com, in Adoptive Families Magazine, Gay Chicago Magazine and elsewhere. Her debut novel, "Jack," earned an Editor's Top Pick designation from Musa Publishing.Shannon, her partner and their two daughters, divide their time between Chicago and Urbana, Illinois.

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SHANNON LC CATE

Jump

lilysea press

2013

Jump

Shannon LC Cate

Copyright 2013 by Shannon LC Cate

All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database retrieval system, without prior written permission of the author.

Published by

lilysea press

at Smashwords

[e-mail]

For Jo Gambill-Read

and all the other teens who see themselves or the people they love in Lizzie and Jack.

Jack be...nim...blie... Lizzie tried.

Nimble, Mama corrected.

Jack be nimble. Jack be quick. Jack jump over the ... can...d... Lizzie looked up, frowning.

Candlestick. Mama smiled encouragingly.

Candlestick. Why would someone jump over a candlestick?

From the beginning... Mama prodded.

Jack be nimble. Jack be quick. Jack jump over the candlestick.

Good. Mama kissed Lizzie's forehead and took the book. Time to get dressed.

Lizzie stood and pulled her nightdress over her head. Mama handed her a shift and she wriggled into it.

What does 'nimble' mean? she asked as Mama took her dress off the hook behind the door.

It means... she seemed to think a moment. It means to be quick on your feet, like a rabbit, or a cat.

Lizzie bit her lip as she struggled with the tiny buttons on her dress.

The bell over the door rang.

Tidy up the room and remember to comb your hair before Mrs. Banks sees you. Mama kissed Lizzie's forehead quickly and left to dress Mrs. Banks.

Lizzie gave up on the buttons for a moment and wandered to the small room's only window. It was a long way down to the street outside, where a charwoman scrubbed the white steps of a bank. A cat sniffed at her mop bucket and she shooed at it in pantomime. It jumped away