Holly's Heart Collection Two (12 page)
“How can I help you with supper?” I asked Mom.
“You may set the table,” she said, pulling out the utensil drawer.
My initial thought was to remind Mom that it was Phil’s chore, but I squelched it.
At supper I made sweet alien faces at Mark.
“Stop it,” he said. “That’s
my
thing.” But by the grin on his face, I knew he loved it.
I addressed each member of the family with endearing terms. “Precious Phil, please pass the salad,” I said without smirking.
“Knock it off, fish lips,” he said.
But that didn’t discourage me. “Stephie, sweets, pass the salt.”
“Call me Stephie-Heart,” she teased.
Uncle Jack had to interrupt my flow of flowery expressions to announce the expansion of his business. “It’s going to be big, and I mean
big.
” He held up his water glass, proposing a toast.
Mom clinked her glass against his, beaming as she gazed at him. “And…it’s a sure thing. We are definitely going skiing next weekend.”
Phil and Mark cheered, Carrie and Stephie squealed, and Stan and I tipped our John Wayne “hats” at each other.
That night, after I read my devotional, I recommitted Goofey to God for safekeeping. “Please don’t let him see my tears tomorrow when I go for the final visit,” I prayed. “That’s all I ask. Amen.”
Settling down in my canopy bed, I fell asleep, clean as a kitten after a bubble bath.
The next morning I awakened to Mom’s lovely singing. She sounded as happy as I felt. I looked at the clock. Ten o’clock. I’d overslept!
Bouncing out of bed, I raced downstairs in my pajamas, first hugging Mom and Uncle Jack, then running upstairs to kiss Carrie and Stephie.
“Lay off,” Carrie said, pushing me away.
Stephie hugged me back. “What’s with Carrie?” she asked.
“Beats me, but maybe we can sweeten her up,” I said, skipping to the bathroom to find some spray cologne.
“Leave me alone,” Carrie hollered as I sprayed the air around her.
Just then, the doorbell rang. I dashed to my room, grabbing my bathrobe. Scrambling to the front door, I looked through the peephole.
It was Andie.
I looked closer and saw Christiana beside her. My heart thumped. A feeling of overwhelming delight filled me as I flung the door wide.
Andie studied me cautiously. Noting my smile, she broke into a mighty grin. “Happy belated birthday, Holly,” she said.
“Come in, both of you,” I said.
“We have a present for you,” Andie said. She pointed at the white wicker basket she held. “It’s not a joint present like last time. It’s just, well…we worked out a little surprise.”
Christiana seemed nervous. When I turned to her, she said, “I’m sorry about the birthday suit joke, Holly. It was a really mean thing to do.”
Then she flashed a rueful grin at Andie. “I’ve learned a hard lesson, thanks to Andie,” she admitted. “She hid our science project from me for twenty-four hours. Practical jokes are…well, simply not very practical.” She extended her hand. “Sorry about taking your clothes. Friends?”
I hesitated a second. Had she given up her hand-zinging days, too? Then I shook her hand. “Friends,” I agreed.
“Okay, Holly,” Andie said. “Sit down.” She led me to the rocking chair. “It’s time for your present.”
Bending over, Andie picked up the basket. It was decorated with a pink ribbon, my favorite color. She placed it on my lap.
I accepted the heavy basket, wondering what on earth she was up to now. “Thanks.” I held the basket firmly. What could it be?
I felt Andie’s eyes on me as I slowly opened the lid. There was something crocheted inside. It looked like one of Paula’s creations.
But wait! Something moved beneath the mound of creamy-white yarn. A little pink nose nuzzled through a hole in the crocheted coverlet.
It was my cat, Goofey.
Tears clouded my eyes. “Oh, hello, baby,” I whispered. I looked at Andie, amazed. “You brought him so I could say good-bye?”
Andie chuckled as Christiana pulled another present from her pocket. By now, Stephie and Carrie had wandered into the living room. They were making over Goofey like crazy. Thank goodness Mom was still upstairs.
“You’re going to need this today,” Christiana said.
“But—”
“Try opening it before you say anything,” Andie said in her silliest voice.
“Here, hold my baby.” I handed Goofey over to her so I could open the package.
Inside the wrapping paper was a bottle marked AllerCat. I held it up. “What’s this?”
Andie looked like she was ready to pop. But it was Christiana who responded. “If you apply this liquid to Goofey’s skin as the directions recommend, your stepdad should have complete relief from his allergy.”
“Really?” I looked at Andie. “Are you sure?”
Andie nodded. “Christiana told me about it. I tried and tried to call you and tell you, but, well, let’s just forget about that.”
Christiana stroked Goofey’s neck.
“It’s a miracle.” I hugged them both. “Thanks for being my friends.”
My birthday wish had come true after all.
“Mom,” I called. “Come quick!”
The living room was already crammed with Stan, Phil, and Mark, who had wandered in, drawn by the commotion. Uncle Jack came wearing grubby jeans and a big grin. Carrie and Stephie took turns holding, stroking, and whispering to Goofey. And then Mom arrived, flying through the middle of them like Mary Poppins.
“Mom, this is so fabulous,” I said. “Goofey’s back home to stay.” Before she could launch a protest, I quickly read out loud the directions on the back of the bottle.
“Well, why didn’t
we
think of this?” Mom said cheerfully.
That’s when I did it. I asked Andie and Christiana to come skiing with us the following weekend.
“Let’s do,” Christiana said.
“Love to,” Andie replied, zipping her jacket.
“Thanks for the kitty surprise,” I said, addressing both Andie and Christiana as they headed for the door. “It’s the perfect gift.” And I meant it.
I took Goofey from Stephie and followed my friends to the front porch. “How was the concert?” I asked.
“Mandee is amazing in person,” Andie said.
“She really is,” Christiana said. “I bought all her CDs.”
“And that’s not all,” Andie said, grinning. “Christiana wants to know more about God.”
“Hey, that’s fabulous,” I said, sorry I hadn’t treated her better all along. I gave her another hug.
“I have a lot to learn,” Christiana said. “But Andie has two Bibles.”
Andie nodded. “And she’s coming to church with us tomorrow.
“Cool. I’ll see you there,” I said as they turned to leave. Then I asked, “Did Paula have a good time last night?” I actually held my breath, waiting for an answer.
“I think so, why?” Andie asked.
“It’s a long story,” I said as they waved. “I’ll tell you some-time. Christiana floated down the front porch steps, turning to wave again several more times.
“Come again,” I called to them.
Then, snuggling Goofey close, I went inside. “It’s time to give you a bath in something very special.” I reached for the bottle of AllerCat. “This will keep Mom and Uncle Jack happy. Besides that, you’re going to have a very special visitor today.”
Carrie and Stephie followed me to the bathroom. “Who’s coming over?” Carrie asked.
I answered in a mysterious voice. “I’ll never tell.”
“But you have to,” Stephie said, pulling my arm.
After applying AllerCat as the instructions directed, I wrapped the pink bow around Goofey’s neck.
Then I marched to the phone in the hallway and dialed.
“Paula?” I said when she answered. It wasn’t hard to imagine her smile. And for the first time, I didn’t immediately think of a toothpaste commercial.
“This is your friend Holly, and there’s someone here who misses you.” I held Goofey up to the phone. He meowed twice on cue. Just the way a perfectly pampered and well-mannered pet should.
To
Barbara Birch,
my sister and friend,
who dots her
i
’s with hearts.
GOOD-BYE, DRESSEL HILLS
I was brushing my hair before breakfast when I first heard the word. It hung in the air, like a dagger waiting to be hurled.
Tossing my brush onto the bed, I crept into the hallway, listening. Mom was in her bedroom, talking on the phone with Uncle Jack. I bristled when I heard the word again.
Moving!
“I’m not sure how I feel about it,” Mom was saying. “Let’s discuss it with the children first.”
I gasped and stepped back into my bedroom, closing the door behind me. Moving! How could we leave the only home I’d ever known? Trembling, I pulled my journal out of the bottom drawer of my desk. I began to write:
Tuesday, March 22: News flash—Mom said something horrible today—something about moving!
That was all I could write before my curiosity took over. I poked my head out the door and listened again. Mom was still talking. I headed for her open bedroom door and tapped.
“Come in,” she called to me.
Quietly, I curled up on the foot of the bed and waited till she got off the phone. Trying not to eavesdrop, I glanced around the room. Things looked about the same as they had before Thanksgiving Day—nearly four months ago—when Mom had remarried and her new husband, my former uncle Jack, and my four cousins had moved in. A gray leather case lay on the left side of the antique pine dresser, and a blue terry bathrobe hung on the hook inside their bathroom. Other than that, the bedroom still had Mom’s feminine stamp on it.
Finally Mom said good-bye and beeped off the phone. A worried frown creased her forehead.
“Holly,” she said, “I want you to listen before you say anything. Please?”
That’s when she told me about Uncle Jack’s consulting business and how well it was doing. So well, in fact, that he was thinking of opening an office in Denver.
“You mean we’re leaving Dressel Hills?” I blurted.
“Well, it’s a strong possibility.” She tied the belt on her pink bathrobe. “But we’ll know for sure on Friday.”
“What’s Friday?” I asked.
Mom sighed. “I’ll let Jack explain it to you tonight.”
“So my life is being put on hold for three days?” I whined.
“I know this must be disappointing for you, honey.” She came over and kissed the top of my head. “Moving, especially to a big city, frightens me, too.”
“I’m not scared to move, Mom. I just don’t
want
to move,” I said. “Dressel Hills is my life—yours, too!”
“Moving can be very complicated,” she said, staring out the window. She had a faraway look in her eyes, as though she was remembering something painful.
I stood up. “Leaving fourteen years of your life behind—now,
that’s
complicated. No way am I going to miss the junior high musical. Or summer church camp. Oh, Mom, can’t you do something?”
I didn’t mention my friends Andie and Paula. Or Jared. I couldn’t bear to think of saying good-bye to any of them.
“Nothing’s been decided yet,” Mom said, turning around. “That was Jack calling from Denver. He’ll be home tonight. We can talk more about it then.”
I knew that Uncle Jack’s consulting business had been taking him to Denver more frequently. And I knew that Mom didn’t especially care for him being gone overnight. But those weren’t good enough reasons to move. Were they?