all right?”
“Fine, Siria, and the security guards are, too. There’s just a little pain when I move my side or my leg. But I’ll be with you before you know it, eating Mimi’s butter cookies.” He paused. “Don’t worry. I’ll be home for Christmas.”
“Izzy said that.” Siria remembered that once she’d asked him to think about having a farm somewhere upstate, far from the fire department and danger. They’d grow corn and potatoes; they’d have an apple tree with branches that hung over a front porch. Pop had run his hand over her shoulders. “We’re fine here. Just fine.”
“Home soon,” she whispered as he said good-bye, sounding sleepy again.
Now Mimi pushed a suitcase into the living room and came in to see her. Her face was soft and her gray hair was pushed back with a scarf.
“I overslept,” Siria said.
Mimi made an
it’s not important
sound with her lips.
“Sit on the couch. I’ll fix you an omelet with tomatoes and onions. Maybe there’s a little ham in the refrigerator.”
“Thanks! Terrific,” Siria said. “I’m starving.”
It was true. How could that be, with Pop in the hospital, and Douglas …
Oh, Douglas!
In the kitchen, Mimi pushed aside a tray of cookies to work on the omelet. While she waited, Siria ate four or five chocolate chip cookies.
She ate the omelet then and wondered about the dog. Where was he? Had he found something to eat?
Izzy came in next, smelling of outside cold and almond shampoo. She smiled, her eyes crinkled, and Siria had to smile with her. Once she’d seen Izzy cry when someone was hurt at a fire. Her tears had been silver, brimming in her eyes.
“We could take a quick trip to the hospital,” Izzy said.
“Yes!” Siria said. “Let’s go.”
“I’ll wrap a package of cookies for him,” Mimi said. “And maybe you’ll take the rest to the firehouse.”
“Gladly,” Izzy said with that great smile. “I’ll pick them up for the house later.”
Siria slid into her jacket; then they took the elevator down to the lobby. Douglas’s mom was waiting to go up. “Sorry about your pop,” she said. “And where have you been the last few days? We’ve missed you.”
Siria swallowed. What could she say? “I’ve missed you, too.” It was true. She missed Douglas. She missed his whole family.
She and Izzy walked the few blocks to the hospital. It seemed much closer in the daylight.
Pop was awake when they opened the door to his room. His eyes lit up when he saw them. Siria went closer to kiss him. She sat on the edge of his bed, careful not to hurt him.
They munched on Mimi’s chocolate chip cookies. “The best,” Pop said. They talked about the fire then, and about Christmas coming. “I’ll have a few days off until I’m fit again.” His hand went to his side.
And Izzy said, “We have to go. Time to buy some Christmas presents.”
They raced for the bus to the mall. Once in their seats, Izzy pulled out a pad. “Let’s make a list.”
“A knitting bag for Mimi,” Siria said. “And shaving stuff for Pop.”
Izzy laughed. “How original.”
“I wish I could think of something wonderful.”
“We’ll look high and low,” Izzy said.
“There’s Danny, and Willie, and Jesse.”
“Christmas candy,” Izzy said.
Laila was harder. But wait. Hadn’t Laila mentioned fish in a tank? Siria closed her eyes. Yes. She’d give her a Siamese fighting fish, blue or purple, with a gently waving tail.
What would Christmas morning be like this year? Pop always made French toast and bacon that sizzled in the pan before they opened the presents under the tree. Would he be all right for that?
“Anyone else?”
“There’s you.”
“I’d put a new apartment down for myself,” Izzy said. “Mine is cold and damp, and there isn’t a kid in the whole building.”
“You have me.”
Izzy squeezed her hand. “Oh, I know that. I do.”
They were quiet for a moment. Then Siria began. “I was looking at Pop’s book
“Fine, Siria, and the security guards are, too. There’s just a little pain when I move my side or my leg. But I’ll be with you before you know it, eating Mimi’s butter cookies.” He paused. “Don’t worry. I’ll be home for Christmas.”
“Izzy said that.” Siria remembered that once she’d asked him to think about having a farm somewhere upstate, far from the fire department and danger. They’d grow corn and potatoes; they’d have an apple tree with branches that hung over a front porch. Pop had run his hand over her shoulders. “We’re fine here. Just fine.”
“Home soon,” she whispered as he said good-bye, sounding sleepy again.
Now Mimi pushed a suitcase into the living room and came in to see her. Her face was soft and her gray hair was pushed back with a scarf.
“I overslept,” Siria said.
Mimi made an
it’s not important
sound with her lips.
“Sit on the couch. I’ll fix you an omelet with tomatoes and onions. Maybe there’s a little ham in the refrigerator.”
“Thanks! Terrific,” Siria said. “I’m starving.”
It was true. How could that be, with Pop in the hospital, and Douglas …
Oh, Douglas!
In the kitchen, Mimi pushed aside a tray of cookies to work on the omelet. While she waited, Siria ate four or five chocolate chip cookies.
She ate the omelet then and wondered about the dog. Where was he? Had he found something to eat?
Izzy came in next, smelling of outside cold and almond shampoo. She smiled, her eyes crinkled, and Siria had to smile with her. Once she’d seen Izzy cry when someone was hurt at a fire. Her tears had been silver, brimming in her eyes.
“We could take a quick trip to the hospital,” Izzy said.
“Yes!” Siria said. “Let’s go.”
“I’ll wrap a package of cookies for him,” Mimi said. “And maybe you’ll take the rest to the firehouse.”
“Gladly,” Izzy said with that great smile. “I’ll pick them up for the house later.”
Siria slid into her jacket; then they took the elevator down to the lobby. Douglas’s mom was waiting to go up. “Sorry about your pop,” she said. “And where have you been the last few days? We’ve missed you.”
Siria swallowed. What could she say? “I’ve missed you, too.” It was true. She missed Douglas. She missed his whole family.
She and Izzy walked the few blocks to the hospital. It seemed much closer in the daylight.
Pop was awake when they opened the door to his room. His eyes lit up when he saw them. Siria went closer to kiss him. She sat on the edge of his bed, careful not to hurt him.
They munched on Mimi’s chocolate chip cookies. “The best,” Pop said. They talked about the fire then, and about Christmas coming. “I’ll have a few days off until I’m fit again.” His hand went to his side.
And Izzy said, “We have to go. Time to buy some Christmas presents.”
They raced for the bus to the mall. Once in their seats, Izzy pulled out a pad. “Let’s make a list.”
“A knitting bag for Mimi,” Siria said. “And shaving stuff for Pop.”
Izzy laughed. “How original.”
“I wish I could think of something wonderful.”
“We’ll look high and low,” Izzy said.
“There’s Danny, and Willie, and Jesse.”
“Christmas candy,” Izzy said.
Laila was harder. But wait. Hadn’t Laila mentioned fish in a tank? Siria closed her eyes. Yes. She’d give her a Siamese fighting fish, blue or purple, with a gently waving tail.
What would Christmas morning be like this year? Pop always made French toast and bacon that sizzled in the pan before they opened the presents under the tree. Would he be all right for that?
“Anyone else?”
“There’s you.”
“I’d put a new apartment down for myself,” Izzy said. “Mine is cold and damp, and there isn’t a kid in the whole building.”
“You have me.”
Izzy squeezed her hand. “Oh, I know that. I do.”
They were quiet for a moment. Then Siria began. “I was looking at Pop’s book
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