Since families had to sign up to come to the Brookside Thanksgiving, the staff knew how many places to set. The tables in the Activities Room were put up banquet-style, which really meant picnic-style, with folding tables hiding under white tablecloths. Only about half the oldies had folks coming. I guess there’s no sense signing up for a feast if your oldie’s stuck in bed or would rather sleep than eat.

When families from both wings started arriving, Ma had me change into my new clothes, which she’d starched to practically standin’ during one of her breaks. I was not looking forward to being boxed in by buttons and starch, but when Gloria saw me, I changed my mind.

“My, how handsome you look, dear!”

I could feel my cheeks get hot. “Thank you, ma’am.”

The caregivers had to wear their work shirts so folks would know who to ask if they needed help, and since Ma’s shift was extended to overlap with the night crew, there were Purple Shirts all over the place. Some were taking care of the oldies who were not coming to Thanksgiving, and the rest were working the feast.

“Where should I sit, Ma?” I whispered when I found her in the Activities Room. The place was buzzin’ with folks, and it felt like my first day at Thornhill, where everybody but me seemed to know somebody.

Ma looked around, sizing up the place. It was fillin’ in fast, and I could tell she hadn’t thought about where I’d be sitting until just now.

Then, coming up behind us from the East Wing, we heard singin’.

Loud, warbly singin’.

“The hills are alive with the sound of muuuusic…”

We turned around, and sure enough, it was Ruby Hobbs.

“Mother,” a lady beside her was saying, “we’ll sing after dinner, okay?”

“With songs they have sung for a thousand yeeeeears…”

“Mother, shh. We’ll sing after dinner.”

There was a man with them, and trailing behind the three grown-ups were a sour-faced girl and a boy.

A boy I knew from school.

My forehead went poppin’ with sweat, but before I could dive for cover, Isaac Monroe recognized me. His eyes went shifty—like he wanted to duck for cover, too.

Somehow Isaac’s ma picked up on the situation. “Do you two know each other?” she asked.

I was waiting for Isaac to say something, and I guess he was waiting on me, ’cause we were both standin’ there, dumbstruck, when Ruby went and shocked everybody. Not by strippin’, but by smiling right at me and saying, “This is Lincoln.”

The whole Monroe family was staring at me now, and I could see new questions springin’ up in their minds. So I dodged the new ones by answering the old one. “We go to the same school.”

I could see Mrs. Monroe’s mind clicking with connections. “This is your son, Maribelle?” she asked, smiling at Ma.

“He sure is,” Ma said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

“It is such a pleasure to meet you,” Mrs. Monroe said, sizing me up from head to oversized shoes. “I see your mother every Tuesday and Friday morning when I visit.” She turned to Ma and smiled. “We’re like old friends by now, aren’t we, Maribelle?”

Ma gave her a smile back, but there was a twitchiness to it. Like her face had been starched to standing but could crumble any minute.

Mrs. Monroe had already turned to herd her kids forward. “This is Isaac,” she said, directin’ the introduction at Ma. “And this is Liza.”

“A pleasure to meet you both,” Ma said, soundin’ mighty proper. Then she saw that Ruby had started to droop, and she waved the family along, saying, “You should probably go find seats. We’re glad you all could make it!”

Mrs. Monroe had only gone a few steps when she turned back and said, “Are you here with other family?”

She was lookin’ straight at me, so I shook my head.

“Why don’t you come sit with us?” She smiled at Ma. “If that’s okay with your mother?”

“That’d be very nice,” Ma said, not even botherin’ to wonder what I thought of it. Not that I knew what I thought of it, but havin’ supper with a bunch of strangers was not my idea of a good time. Even if one of them went to my school.

“Come join us, Lincoln,” Mrs. Monroe said, and Ma pushed me along, whisperin’, “Mind your manners!”

Once we got settled at a table, Isaac’s ma was friendly, but Isaac was just quiet, and Liza was in a dark mood. Then their folks started talking to the folks taking chairs next to them, and the rest of us were left sittin’ around all awkward while Ruby spaced out.

“I can sit someplace else,” I finally said.

“No!” Isaac said, like his voice was tryin’ to stop something from falling.

“How does she know you?” Liza asked, sliding a look my way.

“Ruby?” It came blurting out before I had the good sense to stop it.

Liza looked at me like I’d stung her. “You call her by her first name?”

I started scooting back from the table. “I think I should probably go sit someplace else.”

“Sorry. Not your fault,” she said, stopping my chair. “Being here’s just painful. First I hated Saturdays. Now Thanksgiving, too.”

Isaac leaned across the table, whispering, “It’s not Thanksgiving, and she can’t help it.”

“Like I don’t know that?” Liza said, her words like spit on a skillet. She leaned forward at him now, saying, “How’s your research coming? Still think you’re going to find a cure?”

“Shut up!”

“You shut up!”

“Kids!” their ma hissed across her ma. “Not now! Spend a little time talking to your grandmother.”

“Why? She doesn’t even know who I am!” Liza hissed back, right across Ruby. Then, louder, she said, “Do you, Grandma?”

Mrs. Monroe turned up the volume, too. “Of course you remember Liza and Isaac, right, Mother?”

Ruby gave Mrs. Monroe a quivery smile. “What was that?”

“Your grandchildren! You remember Liza and Isaac, don’t you?”

“I have grandchildren?”

Liza pushed back from the table. “I’m going for a walk.”

“What? No!” her ma cried.

“They’re not even close to serving,” Liza said, and took off toward the East Wing.

Mrs. Monroe gave Isaac a pleading look, so he said, “I’ll find her,” like it was something he was used to being asked to do. He pushed back and looked at me, saying, “Come on.”

Come on? I barely knew him. And I sure didn’t want to chase down a girl who was shooting off attitude.

Best to stay away!

But…if I didn’t follow Isaac, I’d be stuck sittin’ by myself next to Ruby Hobbs, which was bad enough right there, but who knew what she’d do?

I hopped up quick and hurried after Isaac.