The phone rings, jolting all three of us. I’m hoping for no bad news, no more bad news, please, no bad news tonight.
My grandmother’s eyebrows lift as she listens. Her cheeks make apples in her face. She holds one hand to her heart.
“Yes?” she says. “Oh my goodness! Oh, I can’t even believe that!”
Trullia and I watch her, mouthing the word “What?”
My grandmother holds up a finger. Her face shines.
“How did you know?” she asks, then listens with shimmering eyes, nodding.
“Okay,” she finally says. “Oh, this is wonderful. Thank you so much for letting me know.”
I look at Trullia.
“What?” she says to Grandma. “What happened?”
Grandma holds up her index finger again. She looks as if she wants to kiss the phone.
“Thank you,” she says. “I swear, this is the best news ever.”
Grandma hangs up. She beams, and her face looks as if it’s going to explode with gladness.
“The suspense is killing us,” says my mother.
“What?” I ask. “We’re dying here.”
My grandmother just smiles, so big. Her eyes shine full of light, and she does her little dance move with jazz hands.
“Queenie Grace is just fine,” she says. “Actually, she’s great. They finally got her to move out of the trailer, and you will not believe what happened.”
Grandma actually bounces with excitement.
“What? What?”
My grandmother’s eyes brim.
“When Queenie Grace finally decided to leave the trailer, there was another elephant who came running so fast,” Grandma says. “Queenie Grace and this elephant obviously knew and loved each other, they say, and they went crazy with joy. They say you can always tell by the behavior and the reactions, even if the elephants met many years ago. And there’s a certain way that mother elephants act with their young. . . .”
I catch my breath, and Grandma puts her arm around me.
“Queenie Grace had a baby,” she says, “many years ago. The elephant experts think that this other elephant may be that baby.”
“Wow,” Trullia says. She runs both hands through her hair. “Wow!”
I don’t even know what to say. I’m so thrilled for Queenie Grace. And for the one that they think is her baby, because every baby deserves a mom who loves it.
“So . . . now what?” asks Trullia.
“Well, Queenie Grace will be staying there with her baby,” states Grandma. “Forever. Nobody will ever separate them again.”
“Oh,” I say, “I wish I could meet the baby. And say good-bye to Queenie Grace.”
“You will, honey,” Grandma Violet says. “I already thought of that. We’ll go see them before your flight home.”
My heart lifts like wings. I’m so happy I could fly.