The table was set for two people.
“Ruby, what is this?” asked Flora. “What’s going on?”
“It’s for Min and Mr. Pennington. I planned a surprise for them. See, what I did was, I phoned Mr. Pennington this afternoon and asked him if he could come over at six o’clock for dinner, and he said yes. But I didn’t tell him it was dinner for two, so he’s going to be really surprised. And Min doesn’t know anything about it at all. She’s going to be even more surprised.”
“I’ll say,” murmured Flora. She sniffed the air. “Ruby, I smell stuff cooking, and you know you’re not supposed to use the stove when I’m not here.”
“Well, where were you?” said Ruby accusingly. “You were supposed to be home by now.”
“I know, but I —”
“But you were supposed to be. I can’t help it if you’re late. You need to be more dependable, Flora.”
Flora sighed. “The house didn’t burn down, so that’s good. What are you serving tonight?”
Ruby disappeared into the kitchen and returned holding a piece of paper. “Here’s the menu,” she said. “Read it out loud, okay?”
“Okay. Let’s see. ‘Friday, November Thirteenth.’”
“That’s the only bad part,” interrupted Ruby. “That today is Friday the thirteenth. It sort of casts a spell, or whatever you call it, over dinner. I hope it doesn’t mean that something terrible is going to happen.”
“Oh, I’m sure it doesn’t. And by the way, your menu looks very fancy.”
“I chose a different font for every single line of the menu,” announced Ruby. “Okay. Keep reading.”
Flora cleared her throat. “‘Special dinner for two for Mindy Read and Rudy Pennington.’ Ruby?”
“What?”
“How come you’re doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“This. Fixing a romantic dinner for Min and Mr. Pennington.”
“I just thought it would be nice.”
“Ruby …”
“Okay. And I wanted to hurry things along.”
“Hurry them along toward what exactly?” asked Flora.
Ruby looked at the kitchen floor. “I don’t know. A wedding?”
“Ruby!”
“Well, everything is going too slowly. It’s taking forever, and I want to be the flower girl. But pretty soon I’ll be too old to be a flower girl.”
“If you’re too old, you can be a junior bridesmaid.”
Ruby stamped her foot. “You don’t understand! I want to be a flower girl! I’ve never been one. Opportunities are starting to pass me by. I’m too old to be the littlest orphan in Annie. I’m too old to be Gretl and probably even Marta in The Sound of Music. And if the community theatre doesn’t put on Mary Poppins in the next year, I’ll be too old to be Jane Banks. It’s all slipping past me — and I’m only ten. Min has to get married soon. I don’t want to miss my shot at flower girl.”
“Are you planning this dinner for Min and Mr. Pennington or for yourself?” asked Flora.
“I — it’s — never mind. Just finish reading the menu.”
Flora looked back at the piece of paper. “All right. ‘First course — Campbell’s Tomato Soup. Second course — olives. Main course — fish sticks and SpaghettiOs.’” She paused. “Fish sticks. Is that what I smell cooking?”
Ruby nodded. “I guess I started them a little early.”
“No kidding,” said Flora. “Okay. ‘Dessert — Pop-Tarts.’ Wow. Ruby, this is really something. I’m … stunned.”
Ruby grinned. “Good.”
“I have just one suggestion. Don’t you think Min and Mr. Pennington might want something green with their meal?”
“The olives are green.”
“I mean lettuce or a vegetable. Most grown-ups like vegetables with their dinner.”
“Well …”
“And also, maybe we could come up with something different for dessert. Mr. Pennington might not like Pop-Tarts.”
“Might not like Pop-Tarts! Who doesn’t like Pop-Tarts?”
“Well, again, grown-ups.”
“But I don’t have time to redo the menu!” Ruby said explosively. “It took me an hour to do that one.”
“We could just make additions — surprise additions — to the meal,” said Flora diplomatically. “We’ll give Min and Mr. Pennington some things that aren’t on the menu. I’ll help you make a salad and you can serve it with the olive course, okay? And maybe we could serve ice cream with the Pop-Tarts.”
Ruby narrowed her eyes at Flora. “How come you’re being so nice? I know you don’t want Min and Mr. Pennington to get married. Not yet, anyway.”
Flora sighed. “You’re right. But I do want Mr. Pennington to have a nice meal. So let’s embellish things, okay?”
Ruby sat down on the dining room floor with a plop. “This is not how I wanted things to go!”
Flora looked at her watch. “Stand up,” she commanded. “You don’t have a whole lot of time to finish getting ready. Let’s take the fish sticks out of the oven and put them in the fridge. You can stick them in the microwave just before you’re ready to serve them.” She sniffed thoughtfully. “You didn’t heat up the soup already, too, did you?”
“Yes,” said Ruby.
“All right. We’ll put the pot in the fridge with the fish sticks. Now, what do you want me to wear? You’re going to wear your chef’s outfit, aren’t you?”
“Yes. And I want you to wear your velvet dress. The one from last Christmas.”
“Fine. Let me go change. I’ll be back downstairs in a minute.”
Ruby thought of all the hopeful, optimistic songs she knew, and finally admonished herself that she was never fully dressed without a smile. Another song, one from Bye Bye Birdie, came to her, too, and she said out loud, “So put on a happy face.”
Then she returned to the kitchen to straighten out her dinner.
At precisely six o’clock, the doorbell rang.
“That’s Mr. Pennington!” cried Ruby. “Are you ready, Flora? Oh, you look nice.”
“Thank you. And you look very chef-y.”
Ruby flung open the door and greeted Mr. Pennington. Moments later, Min arrived.
“Surprise!” exclaimed Ruby. “Look!” She took Min by one hand and Mr. Pennington by the other and led them into the dining room. The drapes were drawn, the candles were lit, and the lights had been dimmed.
“My stars and garters,” said Min.
“I planned it all — just for you!” announced Ruby. She thrust the menus at them.
“‘Special dinner for two,’” read Mr. Pennington. “Well, isn’t this something?”
“I had a little help from Flora,” said Ruby. “But mostly I did this myself. Okay. Now, Min, you sit here, and Mr. Pennington, you sit here around the corner from Min. Isn’t that how they do it in fancy restaurants? The two people don’t sit across from each other, they sit next to each other, or on the corner like this. Ready for your first course?”
“Ruby,” said Flora in a loud whisper, “let them get settled first. Mr. Pennington is still wearing his coat.”
Ruby slowed down a bit, but by six-thirty the dinner was over.
Mr. Pennington leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach. “My, my. That was excellent.”
Ruby noted that he had not, in fact, eaten his Pop-Tart. But his ice cream dish was empty. Flora was kind enough not to point that out to her, though.
“Well, well, well,” said Min.
Hmm. Six-thirty. Ruby had not expected the romantic dinner to be over quite so quickly. She stood on a chair to make an announcement. “And now,” she said, “for the entertainment portion of the evening.” She eyed her sister. “Flora, could —”
“No! I am not doing any kind of performance. You go perform and I’ll clean up the kitchen.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” said Flora, sounding vastly relieved.
Ruby led Min and Mr. Pennington into the living
room, settled them side by side on the couch, sang four numbers from Annie, and performed a tap number as well.
She had no idea that in just an hour the thoroughly pleasant evening would come to an end with a frightening jolt.
That evening, while Ruby cooked and served and performed for Min and Mr. Pennington, Flora’s thoughts were mired in her afternoon at Willow’s house. She had intended to greet Min that evening and immediately share the horrifying news with her, but she didn’t want to spoil Ruby’s plans, and she didn’t think a few hours would make much difference, anyway. After all, poor Willow had lived with her mother for twelve years. So Flora tried to forget about Mrs. Hamilton and enjoy the hours with her grandmother and her sister and Mr. Pennington.
“Why don’t we play a board game?” suggested Mr. Pennington after Ruby’s performance was over.
“That’s a lovely idea,” agreed Min. “Girls?”
“Let’s play Sorry,” said Flora.
“Charades,” said Ruby.
“No! Too much acting!” cried Flora, looking stricken. “Besides, charades isn’t a board game.”
“Min, you choose something,” said Ruby.
Min chose Life, and they set up the game on the kitchen table.
An hour later, Mr. Pennington was winning — and gloating — when Flora cocked her head and said, “Do you hear sirens?”
Everyone held very still, and a moment later Ruby said, “I hear them!”
“It must be a fire,” said Mr. Pennington.
“Remember last summer,” said Ruby, “when the diner burned down? That was an exciting night.”
Min frowned at her.
“Well, it was exciting. Come on. You have to admit it.”
“The sirens are getting louder,” remarked Mr. Pennington, and he stood and opened the back door. “I think they’re closer.”
“They don’t sound like fire engines,” said Min.
“I think they’re on our street!” cried Ruby. She dashed through the house to the front door and flung it open.
Flora was right behind her. And she was moving so fast that when Ruby came to a stop, Flora stepped on her heels.
“Ow!” Ruby screeched.
Flora ignored her. “Look,” she said. She pointed toward Dodds Lane as two green-and-white Camden Falls police cars careened around the corner and turned onto Aiken Avenue. To her amazement, they drew up (in a great hurry) in front of the Row Houses, and in a flash, doors opened and three officers leaped out and walked briskly across the lawn.
“They’re going to the Hamiltons’!” said Ruby.
Flora felt her stomach turn over. She whirled around to call Min but found that her grandmother and Mr. Pennington were standing behind her, leaning through the doorway.
“Uh-oh,” said Flora, beginning to tremble. “Min, I was going to tell you something. It’s really awful —”
“Honey, I think whatever it is will have to wait.”
Min was staring at the Hamiltons’ house and Flora followed her gaze. She saw Willow and Cole huddled on their stoop, Bessie beside them, Willow’s arm protectively across her brother’s shoulders. With her free hand, Willow signaled to the officers.
“Oh, my lord,” said Min softly.
“What’s happening?” whispered Ruby, now sounding frightened.
“Do you think we should offer to help?” asked Mr. Pennington.
Min hesitated. “They might want their privacy. We don’t know what’s going on.”
It was at that moment that Flora heard screams from inside the Hamiltons’ house, and Willow suddenly tugged her brother down the steps and partway across the lawn. They were followed by a trembling Bessie.
“An ambulance!” said Ruby then, her breath coming quickly. Flora put her hand on her sister’s back and realized Ruby was shivering.
An ambulance was indeed on the way. It came from the direction of Main Street and turned onto Aiken Avenue so fast that Flora truly thought it was going to topple over. It didn’t, of course, and it pulled up behind the squad cars.
“There’s Mr. Hamilton,” said Mr. Pennington.
The front door had opened and Mr. Hamilton had burst through it, calling, “Willow! Cole!”
“We’re right here, Dad,” Willow replied, and when her father caught sight of them, he put his hand over his heart, then ran to them and hugged them tightly in a great trembling embrace.
“I think we’d better go offer to help after all,” said Min. “Rudy, will you come with me? Girls, you stay right here. Right here. I mean it.”
“Yes,” Flora and Ruby said instantly.
Flora didn’t take her eyes off of her grandmother and Mr. Pennington. She watched them hurry across the lawn and along the sidewalk to the Hamiltons’ house. Min hesitated just briefly before taking Mr. Pennington’s hand and approaching Willow and Cole and their father. One of the police officers joined them then. Flora couldn’t hear what was said, but moments later, Willow and Cole hugged their father again and, with Bessie in tow, followed Min and Mr. Pennington back to Flora’s house.
“Pssst! Flora!”
Olivia, clad in a flannel nightgown, appeared next to Flora, and Flora jumped and nearly stumbled down the steps.
“Sorry,” said Olivia, who didn’t sound sorry at all.
Flora looked up and down the street and realized that Aiken Avenue had come to life. Couples stood on porches, blinds were raised, and a small knot of people was gathering on the sidewalk. Robby Edwards, also dressed in his pajamas, jumped up and down in his yard while his father spoke to the Fongs. Olivia’s parents were peeking out of their front door, simultaneously peering down the street and trying to keep Henry and Jack inside.
“What is it? What happened?” Olivia asked breathlessly.
Flora shook her head. “I don’t know. We heard screams coming from the Hamiltons’, and now Min is bringing Willow and Cole back here.”
“I can’t wait to find out —” Ruby began to say.
But Flora hushed her. “You can’t ask a lot of questions. It isn’t polite. Just let them say whatever they want to say. They look scared to death.”
Min and Mr. Pennington guided Willow and Cole to the stoop, where Flora, Ruby, and Olivia waited. Flora noted that Willow kept her head down. Cole was crying.
“Inside, everybody,” said Min matter-of-factly. “Olivia, I think you’d better come back in the morning.”
“I’ll call you,” Olivia whispered to Flora, and she ran next door.
“Willow, Cole,” said Min, “do you know Mr. Pennington? He lives two doors down.”
Before Willow or Cole could answer, Bessie and Daisy caught sight of each other and burst into earsplitting barking. King Comma ran up the stairs with such speed that all Flora caught sight of was the tip of his tail as it disappeared over the top step.
“Bessie!” cried Willow. “No!”
Ruby grabbed Daisy’s collar. “Daisy, where are your manners? Bessie is your guest.”
Cole sat down in the middle of the hall and cried silently, his face buried in his hands.
“Flora, can you manage the dogs?” asked Min as she took Cole by the hand and guided him to his feet. “I think Cole and I will see about making hot chocolate.”
“Perhaps I should go home,” said Mr. Pennington quietly. “Min, would you like me to take Daisy for the night?”
After a hasty discussion, Mr. Pennington left without Daisy, promising to call first thing in the morning. Then Min led Cole into the kitchen, Ruby closed Daisy into Min’s bedroom, and Flora and Willow settled Bessie on the couch with one of Daisy’s bones.
“I — I didn’t say anything to Min yet,” Flora told Willow.
Willow brushed her hand across her eyes. “Well, everyone is going to know now.”
“Know what now?” Min had returned to the living room, followed by Cole. She was carrying a tray with five mugs of hot chocolate.
Cole looked at his sister. “You can’t tell,” he said.
“Dad
is talking to the police, so it’s all right,” Willow replied.
“You don’t have to tell us anything, though,” said Min. “Not if you don’t want to. But you do need to tell me if you’re injured. Is either one of you hurt? We heard screaming, so you have to tell me if you’re hurt.”
“That was my mom,” said Willow. “She was screaming. But no one is hurt. I promise.”
“The problem is Mom’s rules,” Cole spoke up.
“No, it’s more than that. The rules are a symptom of an illness,” said Willow.
“She’s not sick,” replied Cole, looking confused.
“Yes, she is. Her mind is sick. Your mind can get sick just like your body can. And Mom’s mind is sick.” Willow turned to Min. “She’s been sick for a really long time. Since before I was born. But it didn’t used to be so bad.” She paused. “It’s hard to explain.”
“Why don’t you begin at the beginning?” said Min gently.
“It’s even hard to know where the beginning is.” Willow glanced at Cole.
“Maybe we’ll talk about this later,” said Min. “Ruby, you take Cole to the guest room and show him where everything is. Maybe you can choose a book to read.”
Cole carefully placed his half-full mug on the tray and followed Ruby upstairs.
Willow drew Bessie into her lap and said, “I don’t know exactly what’s wrong with Mom. I mean, she’s mentally ill, but I don’t have a name for her illness. I remember that when I was really little, she was a nice mom who played with me and read to me and made me laugh. But then Cole came along and little by little Mom changed. The rules started a few years ago.” When Min raised her eyebrows, Willow said, “She has all these rules that don’t make any sense. She says we have to leave the closet doors open and they have to be exactly perpendicular to the walls. And we have to line up our shoes a certain way, and there’s this vase by the front door that we’re all supposed to tap whenever we come in the house. At first everything was sort of okay. As long as we followed the rules, she was, you know, calm or whatever. But lately there have been more and more rules. She makes up new ones almost every day. We can’t remember them all, and then she gets so mad at us. It’s out of control. I mean, Mom is out of control.”
“Does she see a doctor?” asked Min.