Fern is riding her bike in circles around my dad when we pull into the driveway. Nora and my mom go into the house.

“Don’t you think you better go in, Champ?” my dad asks.

My mom comes back out. “Nora’s alone in there.…”

“She thinks I did it on purpose,” I say.

“Did what?” My dad looks at my mom.

“Go in and tell her you didn’t.” My mom walks me to the garage.

Nora isn’t technically alone. Rocky is sitting with her. “I’m sorry,” I say, patting Rocky so I don’t have to look at Nora. “I’ll go get you a pair of shorts.”

“I’ll go with you,” she says, and follows me.

I grab three pairs of shorts from the laundry basket at the top of the stairs. Nora is standing in the doorway of Robin’s room gazing up at the horses on the shelf that runs around the top of the room. “This is your room? It used to be such a pigsty.”

I don’t say that it is. Or isn’t. I hold up the shorts. “Here—you can wear any of these.”

“Oh, I don’t wear other people’s clothes,” Nora says, and makes a yuck-face. I am starting to think the silent treatment would be an improvement when she adds, “Skip the shorts, I’ll take a horse. That is, if you’re really sorry.”

“Kate, Nora! Mrs. Klein is here!” my dad yells up from the kitchen.

 

I stand on Robin’s desk and grab the closest horse.

“Seriously?” She puts the horse in her sweatshirt pocket. “Thank you!”

“No big deal,” I say, because I don’t want her to think it is.