I got back to Shan’s just before supper. I wasn’t hungry. The microwave was humming. The TV was blaring in the living room. She was on the phone. She put her hand over it. “I thought you were going to be late.”
“Didn’t take as long as I thought.”
She turned back to the phone and said something about turkey. I dumped my backpack, watching her. I needed to be alone and I couldn’t stand to be. Did she know or didn’t she? I needed a sign from her. Shan clicked off the phone. “Gram and Grampy won’t be here for Thanksgiving. They’ll have already left for Florida.” She sounded a little pissed. Then she sighed. “I better get a turkey tomorrow while the sale’s on.”
“Thanksgiving?” I said, just to say something. “We’re not even near Halloween yet.”
She gave me a look and walked to the fridge. “You wanna try that again, hon?”
“Huh?”
“Thanksgiving comes before Halloween—unless you’ve turned American.” Her voice was sharp. Was she still pissed from the phone call—or was she was pissed at my mistake? She yanked open the fridge, took out a bottle of ranch dressing and a bag of baby carrots and put them on the counter, not looking at me. She started dumping carrots into a bowl. I couldn’t read her. I didn’t know what the hell she was talking about, but I knew I had to play along. “What…? But…riiight! Oh, God…” I shook my head and slumped into one of the kitchen chairs. “Sorry. It wasn’t like Thanksgiving was a big day for me the last three years, you know?”
“Aw, hon…it’s okay. Sorry, I know. I forgot. I was just…never mind. Anyway, Gram and Grampy will be down to visit before they head south, and if you get confused about stuff like that, don’t be embarrassed to just check the calendar.” She waved to where it hung, above the phone cradle. “Any time.”
I nodded. It sounded as if I was off the hook. “Anyway,” she was saying, “Thanksgiving first, then Halloween. Welcome back to Canada. Got it?”
“Halloween?” said Brooklynne, bouncing into the kitchen. “When?”
“Not for a long time yet,” Shan said, stooping to scoop her up. “Then comes Danny’s birthday.”
“Danny’s birthday? When?”
“November tenth,” I said, probably too fast. “I’ll be sixteen. But Halloween first. What do you want to be?”
“Ooooooh yes,” said Shan, jiggling Brooklynne. “Who do you want to be? Pretending to be somebody is so much fun, isn’t it?”
“I want to be Ariel,” said Brooklynne. “I’m hungry.”
“Well, grab some of those carrots, missy.” Shan leaned her toward the bowl and Brooklynne grabbed some. Shan started into the living room with her. “Supper won’t be long. Soon as Daddy’s home.”
She looked at me as she stepped through the doorway. Did she jerk her head at the calendar or was Brooklynne just tugging at her? I stepped over to the counter. Canadian Thanksgiving was on Columbus Day, October 12. American Thanksgiving was November 26. Danny’s birthday was Monday, November 9.