THIRTY-EIGHT

In the morning, delicate webs of ice crystals framed the living room windows. White lights above the door outside blinked off and on, and the reflection burst onto each streak of frost so they looked like miniature branches laced with tiny, twinkling stars. Snow drifted from the sky, soft and slow. For one short, delicious moment it felt like I’d woken up inside a snow globe, instead of on the couch in the Parkers’ living room.

Biz and Lucy scrambled up and rocked the cushions. “It’s Christmas Eve!”

Kendra rolled her eyes on her way to the kitchen. “Jeez, give it a rest, would you? You’d think she was the second coming of Christ.”

“Look what the toof fairy brought me!” Lucy held a silver dollar between her fingers and kept jumping.

Biz tugged my pajama sleeve. “We’re going to give Sassy a hot bran mash this morning.” Her cheeks were flushed, like she’d already been outside in arctic air. “When it gets cold really fast like last night, we have to give her bran so she’ll poop.”

Lucy giggled and rolled on top of my ankles. “Yeah, so she’ll poop.”

James waved from the kitchen and held out a Tupperware container. “Morning, Maggie. Girls, here’s the stuff for the mash.”

Lucy and Biz each grabbed the container and started a tug-of-war over who got to carry it outside. Haily ran into the room and crashed between them. Chunks of cut-up carrot, apple slices, and raisins scattered across the floor.

Lucy pushed both fists into Haily’s stomach. “Look what you did!”

“Oh, get a grip. You’re driving me crazy! Both of you. Which one of you took my curling iron for your stupid stuffed horses?”

Both girls shrugged, but the corner of Lucy’s mouth twitched.

“I’m going in your room and if you take it again I’m going to burn your butts with it—” Her voice faded with the sound of her feet pounding up the stairs.

Sue appeared from the kitchen with a wooden spoon in one hand. A smile flickered on her face and she crossed her eyes. “Stop taking her curling iron!” She pointed the spoon at the girls and a glob of something white dropped to the floor. “Whoops! Morning, Maggie. Merry Christmas Eve, and welcome to the crazy house!”

Kori hauled a basket of clean laundry from downstairs. Under a red flannel shirt, she wore a T-shirt that read I’m one of them! across the front. “My dream house has a washer and drier on every floor.” She set the basket on the coffee table and peered at me. “How’d you sleep?”

“Okay.”

“Good. What time are you skiing today?”

I pulled the blanket over half my face and looked sheepishly at her. “I’m not. I didn’t want to have to go home early.”

“Oh,” Kori said. “Well, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Haily raced down the stairs, holding the curling iron like a weapon. “It’s broken!” she screeched. “You two broke my curling iron and Ethan Edward will be here in five minutes! I’ll never forgive you!” She disappeared again.

“Poor Ethan Edward, having such an ugly girlfriend with no curling iron,” James said.

Biz and Lucy giggled. “Ugly girlfriend, ugly girlfriend!”

They ran to the door at the bottom of the stairs and tried to slam it, but Sonnet pushed through and shoved them aside. “Stop with the annoying stuff. It’s Christmas Eve.”

“Nonstop drama,” Kori said. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.” She picked up the laundry basket and headed off down the hall.

“Water’s boiling, you ready for the mash?” Sue called. The girls ran around gathering boots and hats and coats.

“I can’t get my mittens on!” Lucy pulled and tugged and tried to wrangle her hand into the mitten until her face turned as red as the skin on the apple slices.

Kendra walked through with a plate of pancakes in one hand, a glass of juice in the other. “They’re on the wrong hands, duh.”

“Where do you think you’re going?” Sue asked.

“To eat in my room, away from the heathens.”

Biz waved her hands in the air. “Heathens! Heathens!”

“Heathens!” Lucy mimicked.

“See? They’re giving me a stomachache.”

“Back to the kitchen,” Sue told her.

“Sonnet got to eat in her room for almost five months, all I want is one morning!”

Sue pointed to the kitchen “Go.”

“Whatever,” Kendra said.

“Biz, Lucy, wait downstairs. Out!”

All three girls disappeared. Sue let out a big sigh and smiled at me. “We’ll be cleared out soon, don’t worry.”

“Where is everyone going?”

Kori stuck her head around the doorway. “Last-minute errands, but I’ll be here for a bit. You can stay if you want.”

I was barely awake. I needed time to think before Mama got home. I needed strength, perseverance, dignity, all the things that came from my name.

“You sure it’s okay?”

“Of course.” She went back to the basket of laundry.

Between the two moms, Sue was always good for a strong hug or giving directions to the masses. She wasn’t the one I’d automatically go to for tender words like I would Kori. But this morning she changed the rules.

“I know you’re not happy at home right now, kiddo,” she said softly. “But it’ll be okay. Cross my heart. Promise.” She drew an imaginary X across her chest.

“It’ll be okay,” he’d said. “Cross my heart. Promise.”

He’d made an X over his chest with his fingers, set me on the stone wall, and kissed my cheek. I’d believed him. I had no reason to think anything else. So, I’d stayed on that wall until the stones grew cold, and the light faded to strange shadows, and unknown voices called my name.