and imagined that the ding-dong was going to sound shaky, too. Like this: DfNG-DQNQ. But of course it sounded just fine.
Charlotte was at the door in a flash. "Hi, Stacey! Hi, Stacey! I got three gold stars in school today! I have twenty-one altogether. And when you have twenty-five you get to be the teacher's helper for one whole day!"
"That's wonderful, Charlotte!" I exclaimed. "I'm really proud of you!"
"Thanks. Boy, remember last year when I hated school? Now it's the funnest thing ever. And guess who my best friend is."
"Mmm, I give up."
"Valerie Namm. Valeric is the most popular girl in the whole fourth grade. And I'm really just eight. I'm only supposed to be in third grade, so —"
"Charlotte, excuse me, honey," said her mother from behind her. "Let Stacey inside. And let me speak to her for just a minute, okay? Then you two can talk all afternoon."
"Okay," said Charlotte reluctantly.
"Why don't you go upstairs and find the planet chart you made," suggested Dr.
Johannsen. "I think Stacey would like to see it."
"Okay," said Charlotte again, and ran up to her room.
"Stacey," Dr. Johanssen said, at the same time I said, "Dr. Johanssen."
We laughed. "Go ahead," I told her.
"Well." Dr. Johanssen looked uncomfortable, as if she had something to say, but didn't want to say it. She cleared her throat. "I heard a rumor today," she finally began. "I heard that your family is moving. And then I drove by your house and saw the for-sale sign."
I sighed. "That was what I wanted to talk to you about. We are moving. I was going to tell Charlotte everything today. If that's okay with you."
"Oh, it's fine, Stacey. Thank you. You're so responsible. And, boy, are we going to miss you."
"Believe me, I'm going to miss you, too," I said.
Dr. Johanssen reached out to give me a hug, but we heard Charlotte's footsteps on the stairs then, so she gave me a quick kiss on the cheek instead. "Good luck," she whispered. Then she raised her voice. " 'Bye, Char. I'm going to the hospital now. Daddy will be home at six."
"Okay! 'Bye, Mom!" Charlotte jumped down the last step.
"I couldn't find the planet chart." She dove for the Kid-Kit. "What's in it today, Stacey?" she asked as she carried it into the living room. This was our ritual. We always opened the Kid-Kit on the floor in the living room, Charlotte taking the things out slowly so she could examine each one.
"Some of the same stuff and a few new things, including a new book," I replied.
"A new book? Oh, goody. We need one now that we're done with The Borrowers." Charlotte emptied the Kid-Kit and, just as I'd hoped, put everything aside except the one book she hadn't seen before. It was called Iggy's House, by Judy Blume. "Iggy's House. That's a funny title," said Charlotte. "What's it about?"
"Well," I said carefully, "it's about a family that moves away."
Charlotte looked thoughtful. "The last time I moved I was two. I don't remember it at all."
"The last time I moved was when I moved here. That was just one year ago. A year and a couple of months."
"I'm glad you moved here," said Charlotte, settling herself in my lap, and opening Iggy to the first page.
"Me, too. But . . ." (I couldn't put it off any longer) "I have to tell you something, Charlotte. We're moving again."
Charlotte wrenched her neck around and peered at me. "What?"
"We're moving back to New York in a couple of weeks."
"You mean you're leaving Stoneybrook? You're leaving me?"
I nodded. I watched Charlotte take in the awful information. She looked like she had just swallowed horrible medicine.
Iggy's House slipped to the floor as Charlotte put her head in her hands and began to cry.
"I'm really sorry, Char," I said. "I don't want to go. But my dad's job is changing. We have to move." I wrapped my arms around Charlotte, and she let me hold her for several moments. Then suddenly she leaped up and started shouting. "I hate you!" she cried. "I hate you! You're mean! I thought you liked baby-sitting for
Charlotte was at the door in a flash. "Hi, Stacey! Hi, Stacey! I got three gold stars in school today! I have twenty-one altogether. And when you have twenty-five you get to be the teacher's helper for one whole day!"
"That's wonderful, Charlotte!" I exclaimed. "I'm really proud of you!"
"Thanks. Boy, remember last year when I hated school? Now it's the funnest thing ever. And guess who my best friend is."
"Mmm, I give up."
"Valerie Namm. Valeric is the most popular girl in the whole fourth grade. And I'm really just eight. I'm only supposed to be in third grade, so —"
"Charlotte, excuse me, honey," said her mother from behind her. "Let Stacey inside. And let me speak to her for just a minute, okay? Then you two can talk all afternoon."
"Okay," said Charlotte reluctantly.
"Why don't you go upstairs and find the planet chart you made," suggested Dr.
Johannsen. "I think Stacey would like to see it."
"Okay," said Charlotte again, and ran up to her room.
"Stacey," Dr. Johanssen said, at the same time I said, "Dr. Johanssen."
We laughed. "Go ahead," I told her.
"Well." Dr. Johanssen looked uncomfortable, as if she had something to say, but didn't want to say it. She cleared her throat. "I heard a rumor today," she finally began. "I heard that your family is moving. And then I drove by your house and saw the for-sale sign."
I sighed. "That was what I wanted to talk to you about. We are moving. I was going to tell Charlotte everything today. If that's okay with you."
"Oh, it's fine, Stacey. Thank you. You're so responsible. And, boy, are we going to miss you."
"Believe me, I'm going to miss you, too," I said.
Dr. Johanssen reached out to give me a hug, but we heard Charlotte's footsteps on the stairs then, so she gave me a quick kiss on the cheek instead. "Good luck," she whispered. Then she raised her voice. " 'Bye, Char. I'm going to the hospital now. Daddy will be home at six."
"Okay! 'Bye, Mom!" Charlotte jumped down the last step.
"I couldn't find the planet chart." She dove for the Kid-Kit. "What's in it today, Stacey?" she asked as she carried it into the living room. This was our ritual. We always opened the Kid-Kit on the floor in the living room, Charlotte taking the things out slowly so she could examine each one.
"Some of the same stuff and a few new things, including a new book," I replied.
"A new book? Oh, goody. We need one now that we're done with The Borrowers." Charlotte emptied the Kid-Kit and, just as I'd hoped, put everything aside except the one book she hadn't seen before. It was called Iggy's House, by Judy Blume. "Iggy's House. That's a funny title," said Charlotte. "What's it about?"
"Well," I said carefully, "it's about a family that moves away."
Charlotte looked thoughtful. "The last time I moved I was two. I don't remember it at all."
"The last time I moved was when I moved here. That was just one year ago. A year and a couple of months."
"I'm glad you moved here," said Charlotte, settling herself in my lap, and opening Iggy to the first page.
"Me, too. But . . ." (I couldn't put it off any longer) "I have to tell you something, Charlotte. We're moving again."
Charlotte wrenched her neck around and peered at me. "What?"
"We're moving back to New York in a couple of weeks."
"You mean you're leaving Stoneybrook? You're leaving me?"
I nodded. I watched Charlotte take in the awful information. She looked like she had just swallowed horrible medicine.
Iggy's House slipped to the floor as Charlotte put her head in her hands and began to cry.
"I'm really sorry, Char," I said. "I don't want to go. But my dad's job is changing. We have to move." I wrapped my arms around Charlotte, and she let me hold her for several moments. Then suddenly she leaped up and started shouting. "I hate you!" she cried. "I hate you! You're mean! I thought you liked baby-sitting for
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