suspiciously.
“Welllll,” she drew out, confirming my suspicion.
“Aww, A,” I moaned. “Don’t tell Mom that, whatever you do.” Now I felt bad. I knew she did it in part because of me and partly because of Mom.
“I wanted to do something for you both. You are always there for me, and I wanted to give a gift that came from the heart.”
“And you did. I just don’t want you to miss out on something by trying to give us something. Mick is right about one thing—you can be a lead.”
“Really?” she squealed, tackling me with a hug on my old bed.
“Umph.” I caught her elbow in my side on accident. “Ow!”
“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” she rushed, then smiled devilishly and added, “If you were in school for nursing, you would know if you had to worry or not if I damaged something.”
“Damage this!” I shot her my middle finger.
“Oh, I’m telling Mom,” she said, laughing.
“Whatever. What is she going to do, ground me?” I laughed back.
“But really, you think Uncle Mickey was right? ’Cause when he said it, it sounded all...” She screwed her face up in a scowl. “But when you say it, it sounds all...” and she made this happy angelic face.
“Thanks,” I shook my head sarcastically. “Are we going to run lines or not? It’s getting late,” I said, looking at my cellphone and seeing it was going on almost 8:45 p.m.
“Oh, I don’t need to run lines,” she said playfully.
“What?” I asked, stunned.
“Yeah, I just said that to get you to stay longer so you wouldn’t bail right after dinner, and so I could explain about the play. Clever, huh?” She wagged her eyebrows.
“Those classes are really paying off—I didn’t suspect a thing,” I said, flabbergasted.
“I know, right!” she yelped, and I had to cover my ears she was so loud. When she got this excited, there was no bringing her down. Soon she would...
“Dance party!” she proclaimed loudly as she turned on her iPod to a very loud pop song boasting about being a hipster and twenty-two. It was time for me to go.
“Aria!” I yelled over the music until she turned it down. “I’m leaving if I don’t have to help you.”
She pouted. “Boo. You are no fun, Dac. You could have dance-partied with me for a little bit. I did just give you, like, the best gift ever.”
“You did, didn’t you?” I considered, and then held up two fingers. “Okay, two minutes, then I’m going home.”
“Yes!” She fist-pumped the air and turned the music back up. Only she could get me to dance-party with her. Two minutes turned into forty-five, and us lip-syncing in the mirror like we used to do when we were younger. I have to admit, it was fun, and I didn’t even realize so much time had passed until my cellphone went off with a text message from Tina asking how the dinner went.
“Dammit, it’s nine thirty. I have to go, A. It’s late,” I breathed heavily from the workout-slash-dance party.
“Okay. Thanks for running lines with me.” She made air quotes around the words “running lines” and grinned.
“Anytime. Who knew it’d be such a workout? Love you.”
“You too, bye.”
I stopped to say good-bye to Mom and Mick on my way out.
“Why are you all sweaty?” Mom noticed.
“Dance party,” I said by way of explanation.
“Ohhh,” she said, smiling to herself. “You girls haven’t done that in a while. I thought I heard music. What happened to learning the play?”
“Turns out she has it in the bag already, Mom,” I answered, kissing her on the cheek. “Bye, Mick.”
“Dacey,” was all he said.
“Drive carefully, dear.” Mom hugged and kissed me back.
“I will. Love you.” And I walked out, happy that this turtle night with Mick was over.
While I was driving home, I realized that I didn’t tell Mom or Aria about Aunt Opal and Mr. Davis, but it was just as well that I didn’t because I did not want to discuss Opal in front of Mick. It was one thing for him to think of me in
“Welllll,” she drew out, confirming my suspicion.
“Aww, A,” I moaned. “Don’t tell Mom that, whatever you do.” Now I felt bad. I knew she did it in part because of me and partly because of Mom.
“I wanted to do something for you both. You are always there for me, and I wanted to give a gift that came from the heart.”
“And you did. I just don’t want you to miss out on something by trying to give us something. Mick is right about one thing—you can be a lead.”
“Really?” she squealed, tackling me with a hug on my old bed.
“Umph.” I caught her elbow in my side on accident. “Ow!”
“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” she rushed, then smiled devilishly and added, “If you were in school for nursing, you would know if you had to worry or not if I damaged something.”
“Damage this!” I shot her my middle finger.
“Oh, I’m telling Mom,” she said, laughing.
“Whatever. What is she going to do, ground me?” I laughed back.
“But really, you think Uncle Mickey was right? ’Cause when he said it, it sounded all...” She screwed her face up in a scowl. “But when you say it, it sounds all...” and she made this happy angelic face.
“Thanks,” I shook my head sarcastically. “Are we going to run lines or not? It’s getting late,” I said, looking at my cellphone and seeing it was going on almost 8:45 p.m.
“Oh, I don’t need to run lines,” she said playfully.
“What?” I asked, stunned.
“Yeah, I just said that to get you to stay longer so you wouldn’t bail right after dinner, and so I could explain about the play. Clever, huh?” She wagged her eyebrows.
“Those classes are really paying off—I didn’t suspect a thing,” I said, flabbergasted.
“I know, right!” she yelped, and I had to cover my ears she was so loud. When she got this excited, there was no bringing her down. Soon she would...
“Dance party!” she proclaimed loudly as she turned on her iPod to a very loud pop song boasting about being a hipster and twenty-two. It was time for me to go.
“Aria!” I yelled over the music until she turned it down. “I’m leaving if I don’t have to help you.”
She pouted. “Boo. You are no fun, Dac. You could have dance-partied with me for a little bit. I did just give you, like, the best gift ever.”
“You did, didn’t you?” I considered, and then held up two fingers. “Okay, two minutes, then I’m going home.”
“Yes!” She fist-pumped the air and turned the music back up. Only she could get me to dance-party with her. Two minutes turned into forty-five, and us lip-syncing in the mirror like we used to do when we were younger. I have to admit, it was fun, and I didn’t even realize so much time had passed until my cellphone went off with a text message from Tina asking how the dinner went.
“Dammit, it’s nine thirty. I have to go, A. It’s late,” I breathed heavily from the workout-slash-dance party.
“Okay. Thanks for running lines with me.” She made air quotes around the words “running lines” and grinned.
“Anytime. Who knew it’d be such a workout? Love you.”
“You too, bye.”
I stopped to say good-bye to Mom and Mick on my way out.
“Why are you all sweaty?” Mom noticed.
“Dance party,” I said by way of explanation.
“Ohhh,” she said, smiling to herself. “You girls haven’t done that in a while. I thought I heard music. What happened to learning the play?”
“Turns out she has it in the bag already, Mom,” I answered, kissing her on the cheek. “Bye, Mick.”
“Dacey,” was all he said.
“Drive carefully, dear.” Mom hugged and kissed me back.
“I will. Love you.” And I walked out, happy that this turtle night with Mick was over.
While I was driving home, I realized that I didn’t tell Mom or Aria about Aunt Opal and Mr. Davis, but it was just as well that I didn’t because I did not want to discuss Opal in front of Mick. It was one thing for him to think of me in
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