I MANAGED TO get Whisper out of the van, but there was no way I could get her into her costume. As soon as she saw it, she melted down all over again, collapsing in a sobbing heap on the lawn. Mom and Violet had gone to take turns in Anna’s shower, and Ty was playing some game with Saffron on the lawn. He was good with the twins. I wouldn’t have expected him to be, but he was.
I pulled Whisper onto my lap and rocked her back and forth. “Hush, hush,” I said. “It’s okay. You wanted to go swimming, didn’t you?”
She nodded and stuck her thumb in her mouth, her sobs slowly subsiding.
“And you don’t want to put your costume on?”
She nodded again.
“I thought you liked your costume,” I said. “You know? The wings and all? It’s pretty cute.”
Her eyes were still teary, but she gave me a tiny smile, the corners of her mouth lifting around her wet thumb.
“You do like it? But you don’t want to do a show now?”
Whisper ducked her head, hiding her face against my shoulder. I squeezed her tightly, feeling her sharp little shoulder blades and the bumps of her spine. “I’ll tell Mom you need a break, okay? It’s okay, kiddo. Don’t worry so much.” My stomach twisted as I said the words.
If I couldn’t stop worrying, how could I expect Whisper to?
Finally Violet came out, her hair wet and combed, and behind her, Mom, in her stripes and antennae. Saffron was dressed, wings and all, and riding piggyback on Ty. Whisper had settled down and was playing a clapping game with me.
“Well,” Mom said. “Are we ready to go?”
I nodded. “But Whisper doesn’t want to put her costume on. I mean, not yet.” I didn’t know why I said it like that, making it sound like she’d put it on when we got there. I should’ve stood up for her and said she didn’t want to do the show at all.
“Fine. Just bring it, okay, Wolf? She can put it on over what she’s wearing.” Mom hoisted her bag of juggling stuff over her shoulder. “Ty, can you help Violet and Wolf manage the poster boards? They’re not heavy, but they’re awkward.”
“Sure.” Ty put Saffron down and headed to the van.
“I’m hungry,” I said.
Mom looked exasperated. “Grab something quick then. At this rate, school will be finished before we get there.”
“No point in getting there before the lunch break, right?” I headed to the van, wondering if there were any of Eva’s cookies left. “I mean, there’ll be more kids around if they’re not all in class.”
Violet gave a low moan, like she was being tortured.
Mom whirled on her. “Enough,” she snapped. “Enough.”
“Jeez,” Violet said. “Don’t have a canary.”
I ducked into the van and rummaged through the food bags, coming up with an apple and a granola bar. I slipped the bar into my pocket for later and bit into the apple. It was too soft. I hate soft apples.
Ty handed me a piece of the display to carry, and Violet took another. Ty took the middle piece, which was the heaviest, and we headed off down the street.
“Piggyback?” Saffron asked Ty.
He shook his head. “Can’t, kiddo.” He lifted his sign. “See? Gotta carry this.”
Whisper grabbed Saffron’s hand, but Saffron pulled away. I could see Whisper’s chin start to tremble, which meant tears were not far away. “Hey, you guys want to play a game while we walk?” I said.
“Like what?” Saffron asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.
I tried to think of something fast.
“I Spy,” Ty said. “I spy with my little eye something red.”
I looked at him and grinned, grateful. “Yeah! I Spy!”
Saffron was already looking around. “The fire hydrant?”
“No…”
It was hard to walk with the sign. My knees kept thwacking into its wooden frame with every step. Plus I still had the too-soft apple in my hand. I didn’t want it, but Mom hated to see food wasted, so I was pretending to eat it while looking for a bush I could secretly toss it into.
Mom was ahead of us, leading the way at a brisk pace. Like a mother duck with a line of straggling ducklings, I thought, picturing the illustration in one of the twins’ books. Saffron was the bossy little duckling that always looked for adventures, Violet was the grumpy one, Ty was the leader, Whisper was the scaredy-duck, and I…well, I wasn’t sure which one I was. I was just following the others.