It's Like This by Anne O'Gleadra Read Free Book Online Page B

Matilda, and Matilda would make a point of not responding. But not today.
    “Have you seen Kya’s eye?” Matilda asks hopefully, like maybe if Mom’s already seen it then there’s nothing to worry about.
    “What do you mean?” Mom asks and I see Matilda’s hope vanish.
    “It’s doing this weird reflecting thing. I don’t know.”
    Mom’s eyebrows crease. “I haven’t noticed anything. Maybe it was just a reflection from the television. Which, Matilda, I do believe you’re currently banned from for breaking curfew.”
    I hold my hand up in Matilda’s defense. “My fault. I begged and pleaded.”
    I can tell Mom is going to let it slide, and Matilda looks at me gratefully.
    Kya suddenly comes charging back into the room. “God, you guys are boring,” she says matter-of-factly.
    “Kya. Language,” Mom warns automatically.
    “Mom. Language,” Kya mimics. God, Matilda and I would never have gotten away with that. I think child-rearing on the later side of middle age is a whole lot slacker.
    My dad scoops Kya up by the armpits. She’s wiry and kicks wildly, shrieking at him to put her down. Dad brings Kya’s face close to his until they are having a staring contest, with her still suspended in the air.
    “Charlotte, honey, I think you should take a look at this,” he says calmly. He places Kya’s feet back on the floor.
    Mom tilts Kya’s face up towards her own, and looks at the offending eye intently. Kya stills, seems to finally get that something is going on.
    “I’ll go give the nurses’ hotline a call,” Mom says quietly, and heads for the kitchen.
    “What?” Kya asks.
    No one answers her.
    “What?!” she repeats louder, impatiently.
    “Nothing!” Matilda says brightly. “Niles and I were just thinking that maaaaybe you’d like to go mini-golfing tonight.” Matilda looks at Dad who nods his confirmation before turning and leaving the room.
    “For serious?” asks Kya.
    We nod.
    “Heck, yeah I would!” she screeches.
    * * *
    Mom says the nurse won’t say anything definite, but she said to make an appointment with our family doctor first thing in the morning. She pulls out her laptop and types rapidly, researching. Her mouth flattens into a tight, thin line and she claps her computer shut. She says no one is going to worry about anything until we know something for sure. So of course, we all worry—except Kya.
    Kya doesn’t question why she’s allowed to go mini-golfing on a school night. She doesn’t get why Dad unhesitatingly makes her a grilled cheese when she complains about the chicken. She is thrilled when she’s allowed to stay up late that night watching movies she doesn’t really understand but is trying to watch anyway because she wants Matilda and me to think she’s smart. And she doesn’t get why Rylan isn’t here. When it’s getting late and she’s getting tired and cranky, she tells me he’s more fun than me anyway, and that I’m stupid for not inviting him over. Matilda glances over at me worriedly, thinking that that, after everything today, will upset me. It doesn’t. It seems pretty trivial in comparison.
    “Come on, Kya, this movie is lame,” Matilda says. “If you go to bed now, I’ll do your hair up in a billion little braids for tomorrow.”
    “Promise?”
    “Promise,” Matilda confirms.
    “Deal.” Kya solemnly sticks out her hand and Tilla shakes it.
    When she comes back down a half hour later, Tilla folds up next to me on the couch.
    “Do you think it’s really something?” she asks.
    “I don’t know,” I answer, truthfully.
    “I looked at the stuff Mom was Googling. There’s like…kid cataracts and stuff.”
    “Yeah, but it’s probably nothing serious.”
    “Yeah, but it could be.”
    Yup. It really could be. I wrap an arm around Matilda’s shoulder and rest my head on hers as she slumps against my arm.
    “They’ll figure it out,” I promise.
    “They’d better,” she whispers.

- 6 -
    After Kya and our parents are