It was moving day.

The house was empty. Every box had been loaded up on the moving truck. The plain, yellow walls were blank. Only the dolls were left.

“It’s gone.” Kanani said, as if she couldn’t believe it herself, “Everything is gone.”

Grace usually didn’t feel sentimental, but she was today. It was a short stay – Grace had only lived in their house for a little over a year. But it felt more like home than any other house ever could. She guessed that other dolls were feeling the same way. Even Kaya was silent.

Sarah had a worried look on her face, Grace saw, as she turned to glance at Sarah.

“What will happen if Lea comes back?” Kaya asked. All the other dolls pretended not to care, but they all strained to hear what Sarah was going to say.

Sarah’s face was blank. “I don’t know,” she replied numbly, “I don’t know.”

Kaya looked down at the ground, and Grace felt sorry for her. Everyone had been wondering the same thing. The dolls would be gone, of course, and Lea wouldn’t know where they would be. That is, if she ever did come back. It had been 4 days since Lea had left, though it had felt like months. The dolls had decided not to tell the police that Lea was a Jedi; Sarah thought that was unnecessary and would draw unwanted attention. Despite that, the police had found no leads and they were just as clueless as the dolls. Isabelle had suggested they could call her on her phone, but when a cheery, jungle music ringtone sounded off in the house, that idea was quickly titled useless. In those 4 days , the dolls had packed up their entire house, and taken it all over to their new house a few blocks away.

“We probably should go,” Kanani said, “Mom is waiting for us at the van.”

The words felt strange to say, and they hung in the air until the dolls all turned, reluctantly, towards the door. Their backs to their old home, they walked out the door for the last time, silently.

Sarah didn’t look back once. It was if she wanted to forget everything. But the memories would still be there, forever. The guilt she had placed on herself still weighed heavily on her shoulders.

The dolls traveled with their mother to the new house. The car was a little tight, but it was cozy. After a short drive, the dolls stepped into the garage of their new home for the first time.

“Wow,” Isabelle said, stepping down from the van.

The floor shone. It was as slick as an ice skating rink.

As soon as Kaya stepped out of the van, she slipped, landing on her behind. She started to giggle, then burst out laughing. The other dolls smiled at each other, then started laughing along with her.

Kaya had one of those laughs that sounded so cute and so funny, that you just have to laugh. Even Sarah had cracked a smile and had begun giggling.

“That was nice,” Grace said as she wiped her eyes.

“Let’s go inside,” Jamie said, “I can’t wait to see my room and hang up my clothes in the wardrobe!”

“Alright, then.” Kanani said, leading the way through the house.

It wasn’t too hard to find their new room; Kanani just kept an eye out for a box of art supplies. Their shoes clicked as they walked along the tile hallway and into the hardwood bedroom. Kanani stopped at the doorway of a room to the right.

“This is it,” she said, venturing further inside the room with pale gray walls. Several windows let in natural light that bounced off the neutral walls. The floor was warm hardwood, with a fuzzy teal and tan rug in the middle of the room. The room was empty except for a dozen boxes over along one of the walls, and several pieces of doll furniture under the window.

The dolls carefully investigated their new house.

“This is strange..” Isabelle mused. “I mean, it doesn’t really seem like our house!”

“It’s very pretty though,” Kanani said. “The wood is so smooth.”

“Oh whew,” Jamie faked a sigh of relief. “My wardrobe is here. Now I can start filling it up with all my belongings.”

Kaya just laid down on the floor, closing her eyes. With a blissful smile on her face, she said, “Home.”

Stay tuned for Part 23!

The first half didn’t have pictures because it’s set at my old house, as is part of the 23rd part. But I promise it will be longer.

Now that the dolls have moved, they can finally share their house with you! A full dollhouse tour is in the works!

– American Girl Doll Artist