now sitting on the couch having a cup of coffee with Min, during a quiet moment before the ribbon embroidery class began. Directly across the street was Stuff ’n’ Nonsense. Even from where she stood, Ruby could see the rows and rows of china animals in the window. Next to Stuff ’n’ Nonsense was the T-shirt Emporium, and next to that the Gourmet Shop. Ruby watched people enter and leave the stores. She felt around in her pockets. No money to spend. She turned and flopped on the couch next to Mr. Pennington and Jacques and scratched Jacques’s ears.
“Bored, sweetie?” Min asked Ruby.
“A little.”
“I have a job for you. Would you like a job?”
“Okay.”
“Mrs. Edwards ordered some special fabric a couple of weeks ago. It just came in. Would you like to take it to her house?”
“Definitely.” Ruby glanced at Flora and Olivia, who were designing a large fabric butterfly for Olivia’s bedroom. They’d been working for an hour. Ruby knew she was welcome to join them, but she wasn’t interested in large fabric butterflies. And at the moment, Olivia and Flora seemed interested in nothing else.
Min excused herself, left Mr. Pennington and Jacques, and pulled an N&T shopping bag from behind the checkout counter.
“Here you go, Ruby,” she said. “Mrs. Edwards has already paid for this, so all you have to do is deliver it.”
“What if no one’s home?” asked Ruby.
“Don’t worry,” said Mr. Pennington. “Robby’s there. Margaret is sitting for him.”
“Okay.” Ruby skipped out of the store, her mood improved. She liked both Margaret and Robby. Margaret, she thought, was nothing like Lydia. She was sweet and patient, thought up good games to play, and liked to hug. And Robby — well, Robby was the most enthusiastic person Ruby had ever met.
When Ruby rang the bell at the Edwardses’ house, she was greeted by a shout from inside. “I’LL GET IT!” cried Robby’s voice.
“Remember to find out who’s there
before
you open the door,” Ruby could hear Margaret say.
There was a thump from in the hallway, and then Robby called out, “Tell me who’s there because I can’t let a stranger in!”
“Robby, it’s me, Ruby Northrop. I have a package from the store for your mom.”
“Margaret, it’s Ruby, who is not a stranger!”
“Okay. Open the door.”
The door was flung open and Robby cried, “Hi, Ruby! It stopped raining, but Margaret Malone and I are playing Go Fish anyway.”
“As soon as we finish this game, though,” said Margaret, joining Robby in the hallway, “we’re going outside. We thought we’d take a walk into town,” she added, turning to Ruby.
Ruby held out the bag. “This is for Mrs. Edwards,” she said. “It’s some fabric she ordered. Min said it’s already paid for.”
“Thank you, Ruby,” said Robby solemnly. “I will put it right here in the kitchen — Hey! This is the material for my pajamas. Mom is going to make me Batman pajamas! Oh, boy! Batman pajamas! Okay, let’s go into town!” Robby jumped up and down, hands flapping.
“Robby, don’t you want to finish our game?” asked Margaret.
“No, I’m too excited! Let’s go now. Right now. Oh, boy! Batman pajamas!”
So Ruby walked back to Main Street with Robby and Margaret.
Robby was quiet as they passed the Row Houses, then said suddenly, “Ruby, do you like living here? Mom and Dad said it might take a while. But do you like it? Do you like Camden Falls? I like living here.”
Ruby smiled. “I guess I’m still getting used to it. But I like it.”
“Good,” said Robby. He paused. “Do you miss your mom and dad?”
“Robby,” said Margaret, and she put her arm around his shoulder, “remember when we talked about sensitive subjects? This would be a sensitive subject. And it might be better for you to wait and see if Ruby brings it up herself.”
Robby hung his head. “Okay,” he mumbled.
Ruby looked from Robby to Margaret. “It’s all right,” she said.
“Bored, sweetie?” Min asked Ruby.
“A little.”
“I have a job for you. Would you like a job?”
“Okay.”
“Mrs. Edwards ordered some special fabric a couple of weeks ago. It just came in. Would you like to take it to her house?”
“Definitely.” Ruby glanced at Flora and Olivia, who were designing a large fabric butterfly for Olivia’s bedroom. They’d been working for an hour. Ruby knew she was welcome to join them, but she wasn’t interested in large fabric butterflies. And at the moment, Olivia and Flora seemed interested in nothing else.
Min excused herself, left Mr. Pennington and Jacques, and pulled an N&T shopping bag from behind the checkout counter.
“Here you go, Ruby,” she said. “Mrs. Edwards has already paid for this, so all you have to do is deliver it.”
“What if no one’s home?” asked Ruby.
“Don’t worry,” said Mr. Pennington. “Robby’s there. Margaret is sitting for him.”
“Okay.” Ruby skipped out of the store, her mood improved. She liked both Margaret and Robby. Margaret, she thought, was nothing like Lydia. She was sweet and patient, thought up good games to play, and liked to hug. And Robby — well, Robby was the most enthusiastic person Ruby had ever met.
When Ruby rang the bell at the Edwardses’ house, she was greeted by a shout from inside. “I’LL GET IT!” cried Robby’s voice.
“Remember to find out who’s there
before
you open the door,” Ruby could hear Margaret say.
There was a thump from in the hallway, and then Robby called out, “Tell me who’s there because I can’t let a stranger in!”
“Robby, it’s me, Ruby Northrop. I have a package from the store for your mom.”
“Margaret, it’s Ruby, who is not a stranger!”
“Okay. Open the door.”
The door was flung open and Robby cried, “Hi, Ruby! It stopped raining, but Margaret Malone and I are playing Go Fish anyway.”
“As soon as we finish this game, though,” said Margaret, joining Robby in the hallway, “we’re going outside. We thought we’d take a walk into town,” she added, turning to Ruby.
Ruby held out the bag. “This is for Mrs. Edwards,” she said. “It’s some fabric she ordered. Min said it’s already paid for.”
“Thank you, Ruby,” said Robby solemnly. “I will put it right here in the kitchen — Hey! This is the material for my pajamas. Mom is going to make me Batman pajamas! Oh, boy! Batman pajamas! Okay, let’s go into town!” Robby jumped up and down, hands flapping.
“Robby, don’t you want to finish our game?” asked Margaret.
“No, I’m too excited! Let’s go now. Right now. Oh, boy! Batman pajamas!”
So Ruby walked back to Main Street with Robby and Margaret.
Robby was quiet as they passed the Row Houses, then said suddenly, “Ruby, do you like living here? Mom and Dad said it might take a while. But do you like it? Do you like Camden Falls? I like living here.”
Ruby smiled. “I guess I’m still getting used to it. But I like it.”
“Good,” said Robby. He paused. “Do you miss your mom and dad?”
“Robby,” said Margaret, and she put her arm around his shoulder, “remember when we talked about sensitive subjects? This would be a sensitive subject. And it might be better for you to wait and see if Ruby brings it up herself.”
Robby hung his head. “Okay,” he mumbled.
Ruby looked from Robby to Margaret. “It’s all right,” she said.
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