Rose sat between Pete and Larry, feeling lighter. All those things that had been weighing her down were beginning to lift.
She was feeling braver every day. Just yesterday she had gone barefoot and ridden her skateboard around Magnolia Estates. Even in front of the Simms’ house with Amanda and a bunch of girls doing gymnastics on the lawn. She had even waved to them. Amanda had looked surprised, but she had waved back.
Then she had told her mother she wasn’t interested in joining the mother-daughter book club if Mavis and her mother couldn’t join, too.
But the biggest weight had been worrying about Mr. Duffy. Now he was taking care of Henry, and she could already tell he was happier. He whistled while he worked in the gatehouse. He’d started saying “What’s shakin’, bacon?” like he used to. When it was time to go home, he said, “Look out, catfish, here I come.” He had even played the kazoo yesterday. Things were definitely getting better.
But Rose did have one little twinge of worry. Her mother and the ladies in her bridge club were still complaining about Mr. Duffy. He forgot to call someone to check on the floodlights down by the tennis courts. He let a car full of teenagers come through the gate to visit Tyler Reed, and they were definitely not on the approved visitor list. And Audrey Jonker was almost certain Mr. Duffy had been sleeping when she drove through the gate the other day.
Rose pushed that worry away and skipped up the street to the gatehouse. She wished Mavis were home, but today was Miss Jeeter’s day off and the two of them had taken the bus to town.
As soon as she went into the gatehouse, Mr. Duffy said, “Hey there, Rose Petal!”
Henry lay on Queenie’s bed beside Mr. Duffy’s chair, thumping his tail on the floor. Rose noticed some of Queenie’s old toys on the bed beside him.
Even that felt monkey with the stuffing ripped out of it.
Queenie’s favorite.
Rose couldn’t help but smile about that.
Everything was feeling so good again. Maybe Mr. Duffy would do some magic tricks or ask her to tap dance.
But just when Rose was thinking Mr. Duffy might take out his kazoo, he put his hands on her shoulders and said, “I have something to tell you, Rose.”