Three's a Crowd (From the Files of Madison Finn, 16) by Laura Dower Page A

Gramma.
    “The best medicine is hot tea and sleep,” he said.
    That made Gramma smirk. It was such a Gramma Helen thing to say. The doctor reported that, happily, Madison didn’t have any other major flu or bronchitis complications. Even though she’d been feeling hot, Madison’s fever was gone, and she would not be throwing up anymore. She didn’t need to return for any more visits unless there were an emergency.
    Once they were back in the car again, heading home, Madison started coughing again.
    “I go to the doctor, and he says I’m getting better. But then I’m out of the doctor’s office for five minutes and I’m sick again! How is that possible?” Madison moaned.
    Gramma shrugged. “Murphy’s Law,” she said.
    “Who’s Murphy?” Madison asked.
    Gramma chuckled. “It’s just an expression. It means that if something can go wrong, it will.”
    “No matter what Dr. Pinkerton says, when I start coughing I feel like I’m going to be sick forever ,” Madison said.
    “Nonsense,” Gramma said as she drove toward home. “Just give yourself a chance to get better. You’ve only been out of school for two days. You need your sleep, just as the doctor said….”
    As they drove along, Madison gazed at the round sun sinking behind clouds. Madison loved September nights—the way the sky turned deep orange and pink. She could see the speckled landscape of bright stars even though the sky had not yet fully darkened.
    “We were at the doctor’s for a long time,” Madison said. “I wish they hadn’t made us wait so long.”
    “What should we have for supper?” Gramma asked. “How about chicken soup with ribbon pasta, or maybe chicken vegetable?”
    “Chicken? Again?”
    Madison chuckled to herself. One predictable thing about being sick was the menu: soup, soup, and (surprise!) more soup.
    Mom was still not home when Gramma and Madison arrived. They ate soup and toast with Phin, played a few games of Crazy Eights, and settled in for the night. Madison put on cotton pajamas with rose and fuchsia-colored confetti circles; they were like a designer pair Madison had seen in a teen magazine. Gramma wrapped herself in a big, hand-knit cardigan. Together, they watched a romantic, made-for-TV-movie and each laughed whenever the other cried at the sappy parts.
    By the time Mom arrived at home, Gramma had nodded off in the reclining chair.
    Madison heard Mom go into the kitchen. She followed her.
    “Hi, Mom,” Madison said. “You’re late.”
    “I know,” Mom said, leaning toward Madison for a kiss. “What have you two been doing all day? Where’s Gramma?”
    “Asleep,” Madison replied. “We hung out today. Went to see Dr. Pinkerton. My bronchitis is still pretty bad, so I guess I have to stay home from school another day,” she coughed. She told Mom exactly what the doctor had said.
    Mom nodded. “That’s why Gramma is here. Extra TLC.”
    They heard Gramma stir in her chair in the next room. She was snoring. Madison and Mom could hear her all the way in the kitchen.
    Madison giggled.
    “Why don’t you head up to your bedroom, Maddie?” Mom requested. “I’ll wake up your grandmother in a few minutes.”
    Phin led the way upstairs. Madison was going to check her e-mail, but decided against it. Gramma was right. She did need some sleep.
    Madison wandered over to close the curtains. As she stared out the window toward the house next door, she thought about her mysterious neighbor. Why hadn’t Madison ever seen Josh Turner at FHJH?
    There weren’t any lights on next door, so Madison assumed that Josh and his family were out for the night—until a bright yellow lamp clicked on downstairs.
    Madison bit her lip as she watched a light go on in an upstairs window, too. She saw someone move in the shadows. She could see a bed, a night table, and … a person … stepping into the light … with slightly reddish hair….
    Yes!
    It was Josh.
    Madison grinned when she realized that he was there,