CHAPTER 20

What’s the Definition of Family?

When I get to Dad’s place after school later, I take the pineapple eraser from my backpack and set it next to the orca and unicorn. Then I step back and look at my collections. Even though I don’t want to live in two places, maybe it doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

Later that night, Dad runs a bath for me. I sit and soak in the bubbles while he puts away groceries and gets supper ready.

Plugging my nose, I dunk down and imagine I’m a deep-sea diver, searching for sunken ships and hidden treasure. But it’s dark under the ocean. And there are scary sharks and creepy squids hiding behind every reef and boulder. So I take a breath of air, then imagine Amber, Phoebe, Eleanor, Ruby, and Marianna, diving down with me, so we can be scared and creeped out together.

When I come up for air again, Shakespeare is sitting on the edge of the tub.

“Mew?” he says to me.

“Shakespeare!” I cry out in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

I reach over to pet him, but he jumps down and slips out the bathroom door.

“Dad!” I shout. “Shakespeare is here!”

Dad pokes in. “Yep. So is your mom.”

Quickly, I get out of the tub, dry off, and pull on some clothes. When I get out to the kitchen, Mom is sitting at the table with Dad. They are both holding cups of coffee. A pizza box is between them.

“I thought it might be nice to have supper together for a change,” Mom says.

I walk over to the table and give her a hug. She holds on for a long time.

When she finally lets me go again, Shakespeare is there, purring and rubbing a figure eight around my legs.

“Thanks for bringing him along,” I say to Mom, picking up my cat.

Mom reaches over and pets him too. “If you like, I thought he could spend the night.”

I give Mom a big smile. Then I look at Dad. “Is that okay?”

“As long as he earns his keep,” Dad says. “I saw a mouse this morning.”

Mom tenses, but she doesn’t say anything.

“Let’s eat!” Dad says, opening the pizza box.

I nab a piece of pepperoni for Shakespeare.

“Wren,” Mom says, stopping me as I’m about to feed it to him. “Not at the table.”

I set Shakespeare on the floor. He curls up under my chair. I sit down and sneak the pepperoni to him.

“Did I hear on the news today that an asteroid penetrated the atmosphere and landed in Pickerel Lake?” Dad asks, dishing up pizza for us.

Mom rolls her eyes and takes the plate he passes to her.

I giggle. “No!”

“Huh,” Dad says. “I thought for sure that’s what they said.”

Mom clears her throat and looks at me. “How did you do on your spelling quiz today?”

“Good!” I say. “Eight right, two wrong. Ms. Little says we should emphasize the positive.”

Mom smiles, pleased. She pours me a glass of milk. “Would you like to have a sleepover sometime with your friends? It’s been a while.”

I pull the glass away from my mouth so fast, milk dribbles down my chin. “We were just talking about that at recess today—me, Amber, Phoebe, Eleanor, Ruby, and Marianna! Everyone wants to see my cabin. We’re going to build a pretend stable for our invisible horses down by the lake. Marianna wants to build a castle too so she can rule the world.”

“Let me know if you need any help,” Dad puts in. “I specialize in pretend stables and aristocratic castles.”

I grin even though I’m not sure what aristocratic means. I’ll have to look it up. “When can I have the sleepover? Next weekend?”

Mom and Dad look at each other for a moment. “She could have it at my place next Friday night,” Dad offers.

“It’s not just your place now, it’s mine too.” I glance at Mom. She smiles.

“Roger that,” Dad says. “Well, you could have it at your cabin or your other house across the lake. I’m happy to have it here, but there’s more room over there.”

Mom nods, then looks at me. “Where would you prefer to have the party, Wren? At my house, or here, with Dad?”

I do a tiny gasp. She called him Dad this time, not your dad. It probably seems like a little thing, but it’s a big deal to me.

“Could we have the sleepover at our house?” I ask Mom. “And then ride bikes here the next day?”

“Fine by me,” Mom says.

Dad nods. “I could borrow a boat and some poles. Take you girls fishing on the lake.”

I butt-hop with happiness.

“That’s settled, then,” Mom says. “I’ll put it on the schedule.”

Dad takes another slice of pizza. “I’ll start digging worms.”

*   *   *

Later, after Mom tucks me in and goes back home, I reach for my phone. There’s a text from Amber!

Call me 2MORO!

I smile and send one back.

Oh. Kay!

Then I click up the dictionary on my phone and type in the word family.

Family

I read the last part out loud to Shakespeare. “Whether dwelling together or not.”

“Mew,” he says, curling up next to me on my bunk.

Dear Diary,

Lots of things have changed since my first week of school. Big things, like living in two places, and getting a new favorite teacher, and making new friends, and finally being brave enough to tell Amber the truth. And little things, like starting a unicorn collection, and getting a bunk bed, and keeping a diary. Probably more things will change too. And I keep thinking of new questions. Like, what snacks should I buy for my sleepover? How many fish will we catch? Will Dad really let me paint my room orange? Will he come to Thanksgiving at G-ma’s house? Will Mom ever sit under the table with me again? Could we all go to Mount Rushmore next summer? Could Amber come along?

Ms. Little says there’s no such thing as a silly question.

I’m glad because I still have lots of questions to ask.