winding themselves around a very tousled and unhappy looking Melanie, and she was ignoring them. I said first, “Cisco, Mischief, Magic, leave.” They came over to me for the petting that was their due, and I rubbed them down dutifully. “Good morning, Melanie. How did you sleep?”
“My iPad,” she repeated deliberately, “is missing.”
I was determined to remain pleasant. “I’m sure it’s around here somewhere. Your dad went over to the house to try to get the heat back on. I’ll take you over after breakfast. What would you like?”
She replied ominously, “My iPad.”
I could tell it was going to be a long morning.
I made a breakfast of canned fruit and dry oatmeal for the princess, who could not have eggs, dairy, wheat products, or nuts (but apparently had no problem with chips and cola), and she pushed it around sullenly in the bowl while she watched me clean up the kitchen. Cisco lay worshipfully at her feet, waiting for the dropped crumbs that always came from children. “If you don’t find my iPad my mom will sue you,” Melanie informed me.
“Good for her.” I scrubbed hard at an imaginary stain on the tile.
“It cost a lot of money. “
“I’m sure it did.”
“More than you probably even have.”
“I wouldn’t doubt that for a minute.”
“This stuff is crap.”
I ignored that until I heard a suspicious slurping sound from the vicinity of the table. I whirled and lunged to snatch the bowl she was holding out for Cisco before he could eat the entire bowl of fruit. “Don’t,” I told her darkly, “feed my dogs.”
She scowled at me. “My mom says only trashy, low-class people keep dogs in their house.”
I calmly scraped the remnants of her breakfast into the trash. “The queen of England would disagree with her. So would Oprah Winfrey. So would…” And while I tried to think of a celebrity who would actually impress her, the phone rang. I snatched it up gratefully.
“How’s it going?” Miles inquired.
“Just great.” I determined to keep my voice cheerful. “A little problem with a missing iPad but nothing I can’t handle. We’re just going to get cleaned up and head over your way. How’s everything over there?”
“A pretty big mess.” He did not sound happy. “We’re waiting for a part for the heat pump, and they’re going to have to tear out a wall in the living room and re-tile the master bath. It’s a waste of money for a modular home. I should just have them haul it off and bring in a new one.”
“Is that my dad?” Melanie demanded. “Tell him I want to go home!”
I turned my back on her, shielding the phone. “But you are going to be able to get the water back on today, right?” I tried not to sound too anxious.
“And by home I mean my real home!” Melanie added belligerently.
“Oh, sure. We’ll have water by noon. Is that Mel in the background?”
“Yeah, she says ‘Hi.’” And because I was afraid he was going to ask to speak to her—or worse—ask me to keep her a little while longer, I added quickly, “We’ll see you in a little bit. Bye.”
I turned to Melanie with the same kind of false enthusiasm with which I’d addressed her father. “All-righty, then. Are you ready to see your dad’s place? Hurry up and get your things together and I’ll drive you over.”
She said, “Wait until I tell my dad you lost my iPad. See how much he likes you then.”
I managed to hold on to my pleasant disposition. “Why don’t you check under your pillow and in your backpack? I’ll bet you just put it somewhere and forgot.”
“I know you’re only trying to impress my dad, and it’s not going to work. You’re not even his type.”
I was fast losing my sunny smile. “You might try making your bed,” I suggested. “Your iPad could be tangled up in the covers somewhere.”
“I,” she informed me archly, “don’t make
“My iPad,” she repeated deliberately, “is missing.”
I was determined to remain pleasant. “I’m sure it’s around here somewhere. Your dad went over to the house to try to get the heat back on. I’ll take you over after breakfast. What would you like?”
She replied ominously, “My iPad.”
I could tell it was going to be a long morning.
I made a breakfast of canned fruit and dry oatmeal for the princess, who could not have eggs, dairy, wheat products, or nuts (but apparently had no problem with chips and cola), and she pushed it around sullenly in the bowl while she watched me clean up the kitchen. Cisco lay worshipfully at her feet, waiting for the dropped crumbs that always came from children. “If you don’t find my iPad my mom will sue you,” Melanie informed me.
“Good for her.” I scrubbed hard at an imaginary stain on the tile.
“It cost a lot of money. “
“I’m sure it did.”
“More than you probably even have.”
“I wouldn’t doubt that for a minute.”
“This stuff is crap.”
I ignored that until I heard a suspicious slurping sound from the vicinity of the table. I whirled and lunged to snatch the bowl she was holding out for Cisco before he could eat the entire bowl of fruit. “Don’t,” I told her darkly, “feed my dogs.”
She scowled at me. “My mom says only trashy, low-class people keep dogs in their house.”
I calmly scraped the remnants of her breakfast into the trash. “The queen of England would disagree with her. So would Oprah Winfrey. So would…” And while I tried to think of a celebrity who would actually impress her, the phone rang. I snatched it up gratefully.
“How’s it going?” Miles inquired.
“Just great.” I determined to keep my voice cheerful. “A little problem with a missing iPad but nothing I can’t handle. We’re just going to get cleaned up and head over your way. How’s everything over there?”
“A pretty big mess.” He did not sound happy. “We’re waiting for a part for the heat pump, and they’re going to have to tear out a wall in the living room and re-tile the master bath. It’s a waste of money for a modular home. I should just have them haul it off and bring in a new one.”
“Is that my dad?” Melanie demanded. “Tell him I want to go home!”
I turned my back on her, shielding the phone. “But you are going to be able to get the water back on today, right?” I tried not to sound too anxious.
“And by home I mean my real home!” Melanie added belligerently.
“Oh, sure. We’ll have water by noon. Is that Mel in the background?”
“Yeah, she says ‘Hi.’” And because I was afraid he was going to ask to speak to her—or worse—ask me to keep her a little while longer, I added quickly, “We’ll see you in a little bit. Bye.”
I turned to Melanie with the same kind of false enthusiasm with which I’d addressed her father. “All-righty, then. Are you ready to see your dad’s place? Hurry up and get your things together and I’ll drive you over.”
She said, “Wait until I tell my dad you lost my iPad. See how much he likes you then.”
I managed to hold on to my pleasant disposition. “Why don’t you check under your pillow and in your backpack? I’ll bet you just put it somewhere and forgot.”
“I know you’re only trying to impress my dad, and it’s not going to work. You’re not even his type.”
I was fast losing my sunny smile. “You might try making your bed,” I suggested. “Your iPad could be tangled up in the covers somewhere.”
“I,” she informed me archly, “don’t make
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