that.”
“You’re welcome,” Madison said.
“Sometimes I’m not myself,” Mrs. Romano said. “Well, that’s what Nurse Ana and some of the other aides tell me. And I don’t have many visitors these days. I have early Alzheimer’s disease. They did tell you that, didn’t they?”
Madison nodded. “I’m not really sure what it is though.”
“Sometimes I forget things,” she explained. “Once I forgot my own name and I wandered off down the street. Don’t ask how I got off the property! I don’t even know. But that only happened once so far. I’m afraid it will happen more often as I get older.”
“That sounds really sad,” Madison said.
“Oh listen to me, complaining!” Mrs. Romano said. “You’ve done nothing but keep me company, and I tell you depressing stories. Shame on me! I’m fine now. Let’s talk about happy things. Tell me more about your friends.”
Madison laughed. “I’m so lucky I got paired with you. You are so smart. Can I ask you something?”
Mrs. Romano nodded. “Of course. You can ask me anything you want. This adopt-a-grandmother thing goes both ways. You give to me and I give back.”
Madison began to babble even more—about her parents this time.
“So mom and dad got divorced and this Christmas they’re acting so angry about everything. They both want me to spend the holidays with them as usual, but of course I can’t be in two places at once. What am I supposed to do if they’re fighting a lot? I know you don’t know them or anything, but they always seem to put me right in the middle of their problems and you seem to know so much—”
Mrs. Romano held up her hand. “Hold it right there,” she said. “About your parents: here’s what I think. Sometimes when people love you so much they get all worked up about it. They both want you to be with them. That’s understandable.”
“So what am I supposed to do?” Madison asked.
“Tell them how you feel. Be yourself,” Mrs. Romano said.
“That’s it?” Madison asked.
“Being in the middle is great if you’re in a hug,” Mrs. Romano said. “Otherwise it’s for the birds.”
They both laughed and looked over at the wall with all the bird pictures.
Later that night back at home, Madison hooked up her laptop in the kitchen. That way, she could type and keep Mom company while Mom made dinner.
Of course, Madison ended up writing in her files way more than chopping vegetables.
The Estates
On the bus home from The Estates today, Ivy was acting all shmoozy again. I just don’t get it. She’s like a totally different person all of a sudden. Of course, she’s still the same old evil Poison Ivy at school.
Mrs. Romano is way cool. She told me that if Ivy is behaving like two different people then she’s probably just insecure. Could that be true? Ivy? Mrs. Romano also has an answer for everything. She even loaned me this very cool matched hat and scarf set that she knit a long time ago. It has an orange pom-pom on top—can you believe that? My favorite color in the world!
I am so glad that I volunteered at The Estates. It is nice to know that not everyone is acting bizarre around the holidays. Mrs. Romano may be the one who is supposedly sick but she’s making more sense to me these days than Mom or Dad or my BFFs.
“Maddie,” Mom asked. “Would you keep an eye on this boiling pot while I go make a quick phone call?”
Madison nodded and opened up her e-mailbox. She’d watch the pot out of the corner of her eye, but she had something more important to do first. She had someone she needed to say something to—right at that exact moment.
It couldn’t wait.
From: MadFinn
To: GoGramma
Subject: Guess what?
Date: Mon 10 Dec 5:53 PM
I love you. Thanks for being such a nice grandmother. I was thinking about you today a lot. I don’t tell you that enough.
Xoxxo
Maddie
After she hit SEND , she searched for Bigwheels online, but her keypal was nowhere to be found. But surprisingly,
“You’re welcome,” Madison said.
“Sometimes I’m not myself,” Mrs. Romano said. “Well, that’s what Nurse Ana and some of the other aides tell me. And I don’t have many visitors these days. I have early Alzheimer’s disease. They did tell you that, didn’t they?”
Madison nodded. “I’m not really sure what it is though.”
“Sometimes I forget things,” she explained. “Once I forgot my own name and I wandered off down the street. Don’t ask how I got off the property! I don’t even know. But that only happened once so far. I’m afraid it will happen more often as I get older.”
“That sounds really sad,” Madison said.
“Oh listen to me, complaining!” Mrs. Romano said. “You’ve done nothing but keep me company, and I tell you depressing stories. Shame on me! I’m fine now. Let’s talk about happy things. Tell me more about your friends.”
Madison laughed. “I’m so lucky I got paired with you. You are so smart. Can I ask you something?”
Mrs. Romano nodded. “Of course. You can ask me anything you want. This adopt-a-grandmother thing goes both ways. You give to me and I give back.”
Madison began to babble even more—about her parents this time.
“So mom and dad got divorced and this Christmas they’re acting so angry about everything. They both want me to spend the holidays with them as usual, but of course I can’t be in two places at once. What am I supposed to do if they’re fighting a lot? I know you don’t know them or anything, but they always seem to put me right in the middle of their problems and you seem to know so much—”
Mrs. Romano held up her hand. “Hold it right there,” she said. “About your parents: here’s what I think. Sometimes when people love you so much they get all worked up about it. They both want you to be with them. That’s understandable.”
“So what am I supposed to do?” Madison asked.
“Tell them how you feel. Be yourself,” Mrs. Romano said.
“That’s it?” Madison asked.
“Being in the middle is great if you’re in a hug,” Mrs. Romano said. “Otherwise it’s for the birds.”
They both laughed and looked over at the wall with all the bird pictures.
Later that night back at home, Madison hooked up her laptop in the kitchen. That way, she could type and keep Mom company while Mom made dinner.
Of course, Madison ended up writing in her files way more than chopping vegetables.
The Estates
On the bus home from The Estates today, Ivy was acting all shmoozy again. I just don’t get it. She’s like a totally different person all of a sudden. Of course, she’s still the same old evil Poison Ivy at school.
Mrs. Romano is way cool. She told me that if Ivy is behaving like two different people then she’s probably just insecure. Could that be true? Ivy? Mrs. Romano also has an answer for everything. She even loaned me this very cool matched hat and scarf set that she knit a long time ago. It has an orange pom-pom on top—can you believe that? My favorite color in the world!
I am so glad that I volunteered at The Estates. It is nice to know that not everyone is acting bizarre around the holidays. Mrs. Romano may be the one who is supposedly sick but she’s making more sense to me these days than Mom or Dad or my BFFs.
“Maddie,” Mom asked. “Would you keep an eye on this boiling pot while I go make a quick phone call?”
Madison nodded and opened up her e-mailbox. She’d watch the pot out of the corner of her eye, but she had something more important to do first. She had someone she needed to say something to—right at that exact moment.
It couldn’t wait.
From: MadFinn
To: GoGramma
Subject: Guess what?
Date: Mon 10 Dec 5:53 PM
I love you. Thanks for being such a nice grandmother. I was thinking about you today a lot. I don’t tell you that enough.
Xoxxo
Maddie
After she hit SEND , she searched for Bigwheels online, but her keypal was nowhere to be found. But surprisingly,
Similar Books
