From the road I could see there was something amiss at the Messenger-Fletcher household. There were people at my home. One girl even walked into the backyard through the side gate.
My stomach tried to squeeze out my mouth but I swallowed it, gagging only once.
“Momma,” I said. Panic came out with the word.
My mother switched off the car and turned to face me. “Baby girl,” she said. “You know you are the love of my life. This is good for you.” She stared off over my shoulder so hard I worried maybe she’d caught a glimpse of my Gift. Something Paulie couldn’t see. I checked out the window behind me.
Nothing but a dusky sky and dragonflies zipping over the yard.
I swallowed again.
“I don’t think this is such a good idea. You know how scared I get. You know how shy I am.”
Momma nodded. “I do, Evie. But this is your special day. You are fifteen.” She said it like I would be president. “And that means something in our family. The party is waiting on you. It’s almost eight.”
I closed my eyes, remembering Aunt Odie hightailing it away from Paulie’s place. Then remembered all that private phone talking Momma had done in Aunt Carol’s salon. And her refusing to tell me anything at all.
“You gotta step forward and get counted.”
My voice came out a whisper. “I don’t want to.”
Momma pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You look gorgy, baby girl,” she said. “Let’s get going.”
So we got, whether I wanted to or not.
Sigh.
These Messengers.