Rose sat at the breakfast table thinking about Wonderland. She tried to keep her mouth from smiling, but she could feel the corners twitching, just dying to grin at the very thought of it.
She could hardly believe she had actually done it.
Ridden her bike across the highway.
Gone to Wonderland.
Gone inside Wonderland.
And found Henry.
Rose’s insides were dancing with the giddiness of this amazing thing she had done.
Maybe she was starting to become like Mavis.
Or at least a little bit like Mavis.
Sure of herself and brave.
Well, sort of sure of herself and kind of brave.
Rose couldn’t wait to call Grace and tell her all about it.
“What’s so funny, Rose?” her mother asked, jolting Rose out of her happy Wonderland thoughts.
“Nothing.” Rose forced her starting-to-smile mouth to straighten out and concentrate on the French toast on her plate.
“Brenda Putnam is organizing a mother-daughter book club for Magnolia Estates,” her mother said.
Rose swirled her fork around in the puddle of maple syrup on her plate and thunked her heels against the legs of her chair. She stared at her plate, knowing her mother would have that familiar look of disapproval on her face.
“Are Mavis and Miss Jeeter going to join?” she asked.
Her mother took a sip of grapefruit juice and said, “Um, well, of course not.”
Rose looked up. “Why not?”
“The club is for Magnolia Estates, Rose.”
“But they live in Magnolia Estates.”
Her mother glared at the newspaper Mr. Tully held in front of his face, sending lasers of disapproval at his silence.
Mr. Tully cleared his throat and turned to a new page of the paper.
Mrs. Tully set her fork carefully on the edge of her plate, leaned forward, and whispered, “Please, Rose, Miss Jeeter is in the kitchen and might hear you.”
Rose was surprised to feel that tiny seed of bravery she had been feeling earlier begin to grow. She sat up straight and said, “If it’s a club for mothers and daughters who live in Magnolia Estates, then that means every mother and daughter.”
She glanced over at her father, who lowered the newspaper and winked at her.
Rose winked back, then turned to her mother and said, “Right?”
Rose felt herself smiling.
She felt herself being confident and brave.
She felt herself being like Mavis.
But then this scene of amazing bravery was interrupted when Mr. Tully excused himself to grab his briefcase and head to work.
Miss Jeeter burst through the swinging door from the kitchen to gather the breakfast dishes.
Mrs. Tully sat red-faced and silent.
And Rose swiped her finger through the maple syrup on her plate, licked it off with a loud slurp, and headed outside to meet Mavis.
Today they were going to tell Mr. Duffy that he could adopt Henry.