multicolored blankets on the other three.
Mackenzie’s mother arrived to pick her up a little before nine o’clock. The women chatted as the girls finished collecting the art supplies from various corners and even from under the couch, returning each item to where it belonged.
“Thanks, Mrs. Stevens, I had a lot of fun. And thanks for dinner,” Mackenzie said, putting on her winter gear.
“You’re very welcome,” Kate said, giving her a hug. “You know you can come over and make a mess on my floor anytime you’d like. But the walls are still off limits.”
“Mother!” Vanessa said, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation.
They said their goodbyes, and Kate and Vanessa collapsed onto the couch after Mackenzie and her mother had driven away.
“That was fun, huh?” Kate asked.
“Yeah, lots, but it was also tiring. I love Mackenzie, but she talks so much sometimes I just want to throttle her.”
Kate leaned over and kissed the top of her daughter’s head.
“I know what you mean,” she segued. “Speaking of throttling, your father called this morning.”
“Oh no! What does he want now?”
“He wants a weekend to take you to the Maritime Museum in Bath. I told him I’d find out when you’re available.”
“Mom, do I have to?” Vanessa’s voice suddenly sounded tearful. “I don’t want to go anywhere with him, much less to that museum. We’ve been there like a hundred times already. And all Dad wants to talk about is his boat.”
“I know, honey, and I’m so sorry,” Kate said, drawing her into a hug. For once, Vanessa didn’t resist but curled up on her like she’d done as a little girl. “But he is your father, and you know how he gets if we try to ignore him. And I don’t want to be dragged to court because he’s mad.”
She kissed the top of Vanessa’s head. “And anyway, as a wise woman told me today, you’ll be fine. And when you’re eighteen you won’t have to worry about it anymore. You can decide how often you want to see him, and you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
Vanessa smiled a little. “So, who was the wise woman?”
“Mary Beth, of course. I told her I didn’t want to be reminded that my little girl is growing up.”
“Thanks! I’ll just have to remember that if and when Dad actually takes me somewhere.”
“Good idea. Be sure to tell me when you have a free weekend, and I’ll call him in the morning.”
Kate yawned, and Vanessa followed suit soon after.
“Off to bed for both of us, I think,” Kate said. “Sleep well, darling. I love you.”
She was rewarded with a big hug and a whispered, “I love you too, Mom.”
5
The morning of the next Hook and Needle Club meeting dawned bright and cold with a cloudless pale blue sky. Annie figured even the heavens were tired of being covered up.
The weekend had been positively dismal, with biting wind, blowing snow, and not a ray of sunshine. Annie and Alice had spent a lot of time together, sipping hot cocoa and watching DVDs of old movies at Grey Gables.
They had sung You’re the One that I Want and had danced along to all the songs in Grease —though in Alice’s case, she had mostly swayed back and forth to keep from re-injuring her recuperating ankle. Just thinking about it made Annie laugh.
“You look like a cross between Stevie Wonder and the Church Lady on Saturday Night Live ,” Annie had teased her friend.
“Well, that only proves how old you are,” Alice retorted, doing a funky hip thrust. “These moves made me very popular in high school.”
“I can only imagine,” Annie replied dryly, getting a pillow in her face for her trouble.
They’d eaten way too much popcorn while watching When Harry Met Sally and had cried while watching Steel Magnolias. Somehow, they’d even managed to get some work done on their blankets for the orphanage. They had also spent time talking about the mystery of the recipes, but had made no real progress in figuring out why the recipes had been
Mackenzie’s mother arrived to pick her up a little before nine o’clock. The women chatted as the girls finished collecting the art supplies from various corners and even from under the couch, returning each item to where it belonged.
“Thanks, Mrs. Stevens, I had a lot of fun. And thanks for dinner,” Mackenzie said, putting on her winter gear.
“You’re very welcome,” Kate said, giving her a hug. “You know you can come over and make a mess on my floor anytime you’d like. But the walls are still off limits.”
“Mother!” Vanessa said, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation.
They said their goodbyes, and Kate and Vanessa collapsed onto the couch after Mackenzie and her mother had driven away.
“That was fun, huh?” Kate asked.
“Yeah, lots, but it was also tiring. I love Mackenzie, but she talks so much sometimes I just want to throttle her.”
Kate leaned over and kissed the top of her daughter’s head.
“I know what you mean,” she segued. “Speaking of throttling, your father called this morning.”
“Oh no! What does he want now?”
“He wants a weekend to take you to the Maritime Museum in Bath. I told him I’d find out when you’re available.”
“Mom, do I have to?” Vanessa’s voice suddenly sounded tearful. “I don’t want to go anywhere with him, much less to that museum. We’ve been there like a hundred times already. And all Dad wants to talk about is his boat.”
“I know, honey, and I’m so sorry,” Kate said, drawing her into a hug. For once, Vanessa didn’t resist but curled up on her like she’d done as a little girl. “But he is your father, and you know how he gets if we try to ignore him. And I don’t want to be dragged to court because he’s mad.”
She kissed the top of Vanessa’s head. “And anyway, as a wise woman told me today, you’ll be fine. And when you’re eighteen you won’t have to worry about it anymore. You can decide how often you want to see him, and you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
Vanessa smiled a little. “So, who was the wise woman?”
“Mary Beth, of course. I told her I didn’t want to be reminded that my little girl is growing up.”
“Thanks! I’ll just have to remember that if and when Dad actually takes me somewhere.”
“Good idea. Be sure to tell me when you have a free weekend, and I’ll call him in the morning.”
Kate yawned, and Vanessa followed suit soon after.
“Off to bed for both of us, I think,” Kate said. “Sleep well, darling. I love you.”
She was rewarded with a big hug and a whispered, “I love you too, Mom.”
5
The morning of the next Hook and Needle Club meeting dawned bright and cold with a cloudless pale blue sky. Annie figured even the heavens were tired of being covered up.
The weekend had been positively dismal, with biting wind, blowing snow, and not a ray of sunshine. Annie and Alice had spent a lot of time together, sipping hot cocoa and watching DVDs of old movies at Grey Gables.
They had sung You’re the One that I Want and had danced along to all the songs in Grease —though in Alice’s case, she had mostly swayed back and forth to keep from re-injuring her recuperating ankle. Just thinking about it made Annie laugh.
“You look like a cross between Stevie Wonder and the Church Lady on Saturday Night Live ,” Annie had teased her friend.
“Well, that only proves how old you are,” Alice retorted, doing a funky hip thrust. “These moves made me very popular in high school.”
“I can only imagine,” Annie replied dryly, getting a pillow in her face for her trouble.
They’d eaten way too much popcorn while watching When Harry Met Sally and had cried while watching Steel Magnolias. Somehow, they’d even managed to get some work done on their blankets for the orphanage. They had also spent time talking about the mystery of the recipes, but had made no real progress in figuring out why the recipes had been
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