Chapter Eighty-two
Rose and Leo pulled into the driveway at the cabin and got out of the car, and Melly came tearing across the Vaughns’ lawn toward them, her hair flying. Princess Google scampered behind, her plumed tail wagging furiously.
“Mom, Leo!” Melly called out, and Rose threw open her arms.
“Sweetie!” Rose hugged her close, breathing her in. “I missed you so much!”
“Ready for your surprise?”
“Sure.” Rose kissed her and set her down. They’d called on the way, and Melly had told her she’d had a surprise for them. “Let’s see.”
“It’s not here. We have to go somewhere else.”
“Okay, you’re the boss.” Rose smiled, petting Princess Google, who had climbed up on her leg, resting feathery paws on her knee. “Hi, Googie girl!”
“Leo!” Melly ran to Leo, who lifted her up and gave her a bear hug and a little grunt.
“Melly Belly! Where you been all my life?” Leo kissed her on the cheek, and Rose turned to see Mo coming out of the house, in his navy polo and jeans, followed by Gabriella, dressed the same, holding John.
“How’s my baby boy?” she said, hurrying toward him, and John burst into a smile, looking so natty in his white T-shirt, Mom jeans, and two whole teeth. “I missed you, buddy boy! I missed my baby!” She scooped him up, hugged him close, and kissed his head, then grinned at Gabriella. “Girl, do we owe you! How can I thank you? Dinner? A night on the town? A car?”
“Nonsense, we loved it.” Gabriella beamed. “You’re a celebrity. You’re all over the news.”
“Yes!” Mo came up from behind, grinning. “Why didn’t you tell us you were a crimefighter?”
“Ha!” Leo smiled. “She didn’t tell me, why would she tell you?”
“Let’s go, Mo!” Melly started jumping up and down, and Rose noticed she had on new brown shoes with her jeans and Harry Potter T-shirt.
“Where’d you get those shoes?”
“They’re boots! Come on, Mr. V.!” Melly ran to Mo, who checked his watch.
“You’re right. Can’t be late. Gotta go.”
“Where?” Rose smiled, mystified.
“Not far,” Gabriella answered. “You all go ahead. I’ll stay here with the dog and get lunch ready. Come here, Googie!”
Mo nodded. “Let’s hit the road. Rose, why don’t you and Leo follow us in your car?”
Melly bounded after Mo. “I’ll go with Mr. V.”
Rose blinked. She couldn’t remember Melly ever choosing not to ride with her. Mischief was afoot. She looked at Leo.
“Don’t ask me,” he said, with a happy shrug.
Chapter Eighty-three
Rose and Leo stood together in the back pasture of a small horse farm, down the road from the cabin. The trees blazed with orange, red, and gold, and dry, grassy hills rolled on and on. Post-and-rail fences separated the pastures, and in the middle sat a white barn with a tin roof, faded red. Mo and Melly had gone inside, asking Rose and Leo to stay here and wait for the surprise.
“I’m trying not to worry.” Rose cuddled John, who hooked his little arm around her neck. “Mo’s not putting her on a horse, is he?”
“Relax.” Leo smiled easily, slipping an arm around her shoulder. “He wouldn’t do anything unsafe with her.”
Rose turned, and Melly was sitting atop a furry black horse, grinning as if she’d ridden all her life. She had on a black helmet and buckskin jodhpurs, and even though Mo stood beside her, Rose felt her heart jump into her throat. “Leo, you see this?”
“She’ll be fine.”
“Bsbsb!” John squealed, pumping his arm when he spotted Melly.
“How do you know she’ll be fine?”
“Shh. He’s coming over.”
“Mo!” Rose managed not to freak as he strode over. “Is this safe? She’s not that great in sports. She’s double-jointed. She trips a lot.”
“Don’t worry.” Mo put a hand on Rose’s shoulder, smiling. “She’s in total control.”
“Mo, she’s eight.”
“Just the same, and double-jointed is good, for riding. Look at the flex in those ankles. Her heels drop very low. It increases her stability.” Mo waved at Melly. “Walk on, Mel!”
Rose held her breath as Melly gave the horse a kick, and it walked quickly around in a circle. “Can’t it go slower?”
“Any slower, she’ll be in reverse.”
Leo smiled, looking away.
Rose asked, “So, Mo, how did this come about?”
“Well, she got tired of mucking, so we went for a hack. She’s become quite the barn rat. She has a perfect seat.” Mo cupped his hand to his mouth. “Melly, eyes up, heels down! Good girl!”
Melly steered around the circle, and when she came around their side, she waved happily.
Leo waved back. “Lookin’ good, cowgirl!”
Rose gasped. “Two hands, honey!”
Mo scoffed. “She can ride with no hands, her balance is that good. Want to see?”
“No,” Rose shot back. “I mean, no thanks.”
Mo and Leo laughed. Melly walked past them, and the horse swished his thick black tail. Mo cupped his mouth, calling out, “Mel, trot on!”
Melly kicked the horse, and it trotted around the circle, faster. She went up and down in the saddle, keeping the rhythm, even at speed.
Mo nodded. “Churchill said, ‘The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man.’”
“Churchill wasn’t a mother.” Rose bit her lip. “Why is she going up and down?”
“She’s posting. Many people take a few lessons to pick it up, but she got it right away.” Mo gestured at Melly. “She’s happy as a clam. On a horse, you have to meet the world with your eyes front and your chin up. A girl who directs a thousand-pound animal learns confidence.”
Rose watched Melly, who did look happy.
“Horses have a way of going, which means the way they move and relate to the world. People have a way of going, too. Melly’s way of going is to keep her head down, to run and hide behind books and computers.”
Rose winced. “These aren’t the worst things, Mo.”
“Don’t mistake me. I think she needs all the things already in her life, but she loves horses and she’s not afraid of them, even the biggest jumpers here.”
“I know she’s good with animals. The thing she needs to work on is people. She needs a friend in school, and riding isn’t even a school sport.”
“Ah, but riding is where it starts.” Mo kept an eye on Melly. “She’s making a friend, before your eyes.”
“She’s making friends with a horse.”
“Not at all. She’s making friends with herself.”
Rose hadn’t thought of it that way. She watched Melly.
“We all see Melly’s problem, but she’s got to find confidence in herself. Face the world as she is, on her own, with her eyes front and her chin up. The more she does it here, the more she’ll do it at school. Look. She’s moving that pony on her own. She’s succeeding.”
Rose watched Melly riding smoothly in the bright sun, with the lovely pastures and the gorgeous autumn backdrop, and felt her heart fill with emotion. Something had changed, and she was looking at it, and maybe things could turn around for Melly, someday. Maybe someday was starting right now.
“It’s worth a try, babe,” Leo said softly, his hand on her back.
“It surely is,” Mo added. “I can give her a lesson when you come up, and there are plenty of schooling barns in Reesburgh. I looked into it online and found you a list.”
Rose felt tears in her eyes, cuddling John close. It was hope, at long last. “Does she want lessons?”
Leo answered, “Ask her.”
Chapter Eighty-four
“Hit the sack, kid!” Rose tucked Melly into bed, feeling like herself again, having showered and changed into clean clothes. It was twilight, her favorite time at the cabin, when the day was over and they’d go to bed early, in harm
ony with the rhythms of nature rather than TV or homework.
“It’s cold tonight.” Melly tugged up the comforter, next to Princess Google, already asleep. “Isn’t Ebony so cute, Mom?”
“Very cute.” Rose sat down on the edge of the single bed. The room was bare-bones, containing only a small bookshelf and bureau. A metal reading lamp was clamped to the headboard, and Rose turned it off, leaving them in the dim light from the window.
“Do you really like him?”
“Ebony? Of course. I think he’s adorable and furry. You looked great up there.”
“Harry rides brooms, and I ride horses.” Melly smiled, and Rose gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Do you like riding horses?”
“I love it. It’s so fun, and Ebony is soft, really soft.”
“I remember.” Rose had petted the horse before they’d left, and he’d looked insanely tall, up close. “You know, I was wondering if you want to take riding lessons. Mo says there’s barns around us, at home. Want to give it a try?”
“What do you think?”
Rose fell silent a moment, and through the screen came the scent of horse manure, but that could have been her imagination. She knew if she said the word, it would put a kibosh on this whole crazy venture. Every mother had moments like this, when she could sway things toward what she wanted, and not what her child wanted. Instead, she said, “I think it’s a great idea, Mel. You’re really good at it, and it’s fun and really special.”
“But I don’t know any kids who ride. Nobody in my class does.”
“Kids do it everywhere, like those girls at the barn. You’d have a great time.”
“What if the kids make fun of me, at school?”
“If they do, you can deal with it. If they tease you, try not to let it bother you.” Rose thought of what Mo had said. “Keep your head up and go forward. Tell yourself, trot on. So what do you say? Wanna give it a try?”
“Think I can do it?”
“I know you can, honey,” Rose answered, without hesitation. She heard Leo’s footsteps on the staircase, and turned. “Hey, honey. You up here for another good-night kiss?”
“Leo!” Melly called out. “I’m going to take riding lessons!”
“That’s great!” Leo entered holding John, then leaned close to Rose’s ear. “Phone for you, babe. It’s Eileen, about Amanda.”
Chapter Eighty-five
Rose walked down the glistening hospital corridor, holding Melly’s hand. Amanda had come out of her coma and been moved from Intensive Care, though she’d developed motor problems in her left arm and was recovering her memory only slowly. Eileen had asked them to stop by on Sunday afternoon, and Rose was hoping it was a good idea.
“You okay, Mel?”
“Fine.” Melly held their gift under her arm. “Are you giving her the present or am I?”
“You decide. You picked it out, but I’m happy to give it to her and say that.”
“I’ll give it to her.”
“Good.” Rose squeezed her hand. “She doesn’t remember everything and she might not look very good, but she’s going to get better, very slowly. She won’t be back at school until the end of the year.”
“Does she remember putting the jelly on her cheek?”
Rose flinched. “I don’t know.”
“Who’s going to be there, visiting her? Any kids from my class? Danielle and Emily?”
“I don’t think so, but I’m not sure.”
Melly fell silent.
“You worried, Mel?”
“I’m trotting on.”
Rose burst into laughter, and Melly giggled, releasing the tension. The hallway was empty, and the air smelled vaguely antiseptic. People talked in low tones in one room, and a football game played on a TV in another. They reached Amanda’s room, where the door was propped open. Rose knocked on the jamb and peeked inside. “Any Gigots around?”
“Rose!” Eileen got up from her chair by the bed, and Amanda was awake under the covers, her head still bandaged and her face pale. She was hooked up to an IV, and her blue eyes were sleepy.
“Hi, Ms. McKenna.” Amanda’s voice sounded weak. “Hi, Melly.”
“So good to see you both.” Eileen came around the foot of the bed, looking relaxed in a sweatshirt and jeans, with light makeup and her hair in fluffy curls.
“I’m so glad Amanda is better.”
“Thanks.” Eileen nodded, her eyes shining, and she looked down at Melly. “Thanks for coming this afternoon. Amanda really wanted to see you.”
“Why?” Melly asked, and Rose tried not to laugh.
“Good question.” Eileen turned to Amanda. “Amanda, why don’t you tell Melly why you wanted to see her?”
“I’m going home in two or three weeks and we’re going to have a big Halloween party. Do you want to come?”
“Okay,” Melly answered, her tone wary. She stepped to the bed and held out the present. “We got this for you.”
“Thanks.” Amanda took the gift with her right hand, though her left arm didn’t move, apparently limp. “My arm and hand don’t work right anymore. My brain didn’t get enough oxygen, and I have to do rehab.”
Rose felt a stab of sympathy, and Eileen moved to help her, but Melly beat her to it, and the two girls began to unwrap the package with much fussing, ripping, and eventually, giggling. Behind them, Eileen and Rose exchanged relieved and happy smiles. Never before had such significance been projected onto the unwrapping of a gift, as if it could lead to world peace.
“Cool!” Amanda became animated, holding up the present, an American Girl book. “Look, Mom. It’s Lanie, my favorite!” She turned to Melly. “Who’s your favorite?”
“Harry Potter.”
Rose hid her smile.
Amanda said, “I like Harry Potter movies. Do you?”
“Yes,” Melly answered. “If you want, I can bring your homework to the hospital. But I can’t do it on Wednesdays because I’m starting my riding lessons.”
Amanda’s eyes widened. “You ride horses?”
“Yes. I ride Ebony.”
“Felicity rides horses. I love Felicity. She’s my old favorite. Lanie is only my new favorite.”
“Who’s Felicity?” Melly asked, puzzled.
“She’s an American Girl, too. She lives in Virginia. I have the DVD at home. You can come over and watch it when I get home, okay?”
“Okay,” Melly answered, cheering. “I never read American Girl but I have one of the books, too. Nicki.”
“Nicki is the one who likes dogs.”
Behind them, Eileen smiled at Rose. “Amanda knows everything about those American Girl books. She knows all the characters. She’s obsessed. You can’t imagine.”
“Uh, yes, I can.” Rose laughed, and Eileen motioned to her.
“Let’s go outside and let them talk, huh?”
“Good idea.” Rose followed her into the hallway, eavesdropping to make sure Melly was okay. The girls began to yammer about Felicity and Hermione, and Rose smiled. “Isn’t that great?”
“Great.” Eileen’s expression grew serious. “But I have to say, in person, I’m really sorry, for everything.”
“Forget it.” Rose waved her off, but Eileen held up her hand.
“No, listen. I told you on the phone that Amanda’s memory is in bad shape. It is. She doesn’t remember much, and what she does comes in dribs and drabs.”
“Okay.”
“So yesterday, we were talking about you and Melly, and, well, she remembered something.” Eileen frowned deeply, her regret plain. “She remembered that when the fire broke out, you took her out to the hallway with Emily. That you told them to go to the playground, but she went back in for Jason’s iPod, then got lost in the smoke. It wasn’t your fault, at all.” Tears brimmed in Eileen’s blue eyes. “I’m so sorry, for everything I accused you of.”
“Shh, it’s okay, don’t cry, the kids’ll hear.” Rose gave her a hug, and Eileen’s chest heaved with a sob, the
n a soft cry escaped her lips.
“I’m so sorry. I thought you abandoned Amanda for Melly, and that you didn’t even try.”
“Hush a minute. Listen to those kids. They’re laughing.”
Eileen settled down, her tears subsiding, and the mothers eavesdropped while the daughters yammered about Lanie missing her best friend Dakota, and Harry missing his best friend Ron, then they segued into what costume they would wear for Halloween, which, as any mother knows, is a conversation that lasts several weeks.
And by the end of the visit, the daughters had gotten to know one another better, and so had the mothers.
And as far as Rose was concerned, that was world peace.
Chapter Eighty-six
The morning was clear and cold, finally October in earnest, and Rose walked toward the school, holding Melly’s hand. John snoozed happily, cocooned in his Snugli, and Melly was bundled up, her red puffy coat making her backpack fit too tightly.
Rose tugged at her backpack strap, on the fly. “We have to adjust these when you get home.”
“It’s the coat, Mom. It’s too heavy.”
“It’s cold today.”
“Not that cold.”
Rose smiled, delighted to be talking about normal things again. Meanwhile, mothers were turning their way, smiling and waving as they approached the entrance ramp. The news had been full of stories about her, the Homestead CFO had been indicted, and its board had announced that it was going to rebuild the plant and compensate any victims of its crimes. And the company had already reached a voluntary settlement with Eileen, in connection with Bill’s murder.
“Way to go!” one mom called out, and a dad in a suit flashed her a thumbs-up. Another mom shouted, “Hi, Rose. Hi, Melly!”
“Hiya!” Rose called back, and Melly looked up, squinting against the bright sky.
“Who’s that, Mom?”
“I have no idea.”
Melly giggled, bewildered. “Mom, what’s going on?”
“It’s what I told you.” Rose and Leo had tried to explain what had happened, but it wasn’t something any eight-year-old should know in detail. “I helped catch some bad guys, and everybody’s happy.”
“It’s so different.” Melly looked around, in wonderment. Heads were turning everywhere, as they approached the ramp. “It’s like a birthday party.”