his head for a minute and I wondered what had happened but didn’t want to pry. “So here I am with a one-month-old baby and a ninety-year-old woman who believes that the Nazis are attacking us.” He gave a wry shake of his head. “She watches a lot of Hogan’s Heroes .”
“I’m really sorry to hear about your dad. He is a nice guy.” I wondered for a moment if the present tense was appropriate. I suppose a dad is a dad is a dad, even if he went wacko and became dangerous. I took a deep breath, “Fred, there are a couple of other people who have decided to come and stay at my parents’ house across the lake. If you would like to come, you’re welcome. There would be other people there to help you with Jacob and your grandmother. And I think we should be pulling together while this continues.” I gave a self-depreciating shrug. “If Dad were here he’d be doing this, I’m sure, but until he returns I guess it’s my job.”
“I don’t get it,” Fred said. “I mean, I have what I need here, I suppose. Surely the quarantine won’t last.”
“I’m sure it won’t. And I’m sure you’ve been too busy with your two charges, but some of the people who got sick are still out there, and still violent. Do you remember Kitten?” Fred shook his head. “Everyone called her Kitten, but her real name was Abigail Smith?” He still didn’t recognize the name. “Well, she was killed yesterday. Someone came into her house and shot her and her parents, who she was staying with. It’s not the first time either. Tina was telling me that a man was running naked down the street last night throwing rocks at the windows.
Fred frowned. “How would I be safer at your house?”
I shrugged. “Mom and Dad have a security system, and, well, I suppose there’s safety in numbers.”
Fred nodded. “Are you sure you don’t mind?” He smiled suddenly. “It’s so odd. I remember you as just a little thing with great big eyes and legs like sticks, always following us around. Now here you are coming to my rescue. You certainly have grown up, Madeline.”
“Only Dick calls me Madeline, and only because I hated it. Call me Madde.”
“How is Dick?” I couldn’t tell from his voice exactly, but he didn’t seem like he really cared how Dick was but was just asking to be nice. Or maybe that’s what I just wanted to think.
“Oh, Dick is the same,” I said with a careless shrug.
“I’m surprised he isn’t here,” Fred said, watching me.
“I’m not,” I said rather flatly, and he nodded.
“If you’re sure about the invitation, then I’ll come,” he said. I made as if to rise, but he reached out and took my hand. “Thank you, Madde.”
My heart, that troublesome thing, soared a little at his touch. I struggled not to show it. “No problem.” I grinned suddenly. “It’s going to be quite the household.”
I went home after that. I wanted to tell Phil and Meri in person that I’d invited four groups of people to come and stay here. I didn’t think they’d all come, but it looked like Tina and Fred would, at least. I was a little nervous about it, since it seemed like such an irrational thing to do, and lately, being irrational caused people to watch you very closely.
I shouldn’t have worried. Phil and Meri were wonderful when I informed them. Phil nodded in her new serene way and told me she could see that I needed to do this. I didn’t really A) believe her or B) think I needed to do it, but I didn’t protest. It was hard to argue when Phil simply smiled her Mona Lisa grin that made me feel like a silly child. It didn’t matter. The important thing was that I had gathered up some people. Now all I had to do was figure out why I thought that was important. Because actually, I didn’t have a clue why I was doing this. Maybe this was my chance to go bonkers with a wide audience to witness it.
Chapter 7: House Party
As Jacob vomited up some milk on me, I wondered what the hell I thought I was
“I’m really sorry to hear about your dad. He is a nice guy.” I wondered for a moment if the present tense was appropriate. I suppose a dad is a dad is a dad, even if he went wacko and became dangerous. I took a deep breath, “Fred, there are a couple of other people who have decided to come and stay at my parents’ house across the lake. If you would like to come, you’re welcome. There would be other people there to help you with Jacob and your grandmother. And I think we should be pulling together while this continues.” I gave a self-depreciating shrug. “If Dad were here he’d be doing this, I’m sure, but until he returns I guess it’s my job.”
“I don’t get it,” Fred said. “I mean, I have what I need here, I suppose. Surely the quarantine won’t last.”
“I’m sure it won’t. And I’m sure you’ve been too busy with your two charges, but some of the people who got sick are still out there, and still violent. Do you remember Kitten?” Fred shook his head. “Everyone called her Kitten, but her real name was Abigail Smith?” He still didn’t recognize the name. “Well, she was killed yesterday. Someone came into her house and shot her and her parents, who she was staying with. It’s not the first time either. Tina was telling me that a man was running naked down the street last night throwing rocks at the windows.
Fred frowned. “How would I be safer at your house?”
I shrugged. “Mom and Dad have a security system, and, well, I suppose there’s safety in numbers.”
Fred nodded. “Are you sure you don’t mind?” He smiled suddenly. “It’s so odd. I remember you as just a little thing with great big eyes and legs like sticks, always following us around. Now here you are coming to my rescue. You certainly have grown up, Madeline.”
“Only Dick calls me Madeline, and only because I hated it. Call me Madde.”
“How is Dick?” I couldn’t tell from his voice exactly, but he didn’t seem like he really cared how Dick was but was just asking to be nice. Or maybe that’s what I just wanted to think.
“Oh, Dick is the same,” I said with a careless shrug.
“I’m surprised he isn’t here,” Fred said, watching me.
“I’m not,” I said rather flatly, and he nodded.
“If you’re sure about the invitation, then I’ll come,” he said. I made as if to rise, but he reached out and took my hand. “Thank you, Madde.”
My heart, that troublesome thing, soared a little at his touch. I struggled not to show it. “No problem.” I grinned suddenly. “It’s going to be quite the household.”
I went home after that. I wanted to tell Phil and Meri in person that I’d invited four groups of people to come and stay here. I didn’t think they’d all come, but it looked like Tina and Fred would, at least. I was a little nervous about it, since it seemed like such an irrational thing to do, and lately, being irrational caused people to watch you very closely.
I shouldn’t have worried. Phil and Meri were wonderful when I informed them. Phil nodded in her new serene way and told me she could see that I needed to do this. I didn’t really A) believe her or B) think I needed to do it, but I didn’t protest. It was hard to argue when Phil simply smiled her Mona Lisa grin that made me feel like a silly child. It didn’t matter. The important thing was that I had gathered up some people. Now all I had to do was figure out why I thought that was important. Because actually, I didn’t have a clue why I was doing this. Maybe this was my chance to go bonkers with a wide audience to witness it.
Chapter 7: House Party
As Jacob vomited up some milk on me, I wondered what the hell I thought I was
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