it, and tears sprang to her eyes.
Eight
Since Florence would not arrive until tomorrow, Jane left the office at two-fifteen and picked up Nick at school. He gave her a scrutinizing look as he got into the car.
“Feeling better, Mom?”
She pulled away from the sidewalk and around the drive. “About what?”
“Marlene. Did she call?”
“No.... But I’m sure she will soon. It looks as if she’s with a friend in New York.”
“Oh!” he said, as if that settled that. “Then what’s bothering you?”
She frowned. “Who said anything’s bothering me?”
“Your eyes are all scrunched up, and you’re leaning forward and holding the steering wheel supertight.”
Immediately she forced herself to relax, leaned back against the seat, and eased her grip on the wheel. “It’s some work stuff.”
“What work stuff?”
“Well, Roger’s publisher isn’t treating him very nicely. I’ve been trying to get them to do some things they don’t. want to do. Roger’s very upset.”
“And you’re upset because you love Roger?”
A laugh exploded from her. “Love Roger! Nicholas Stuart, what on earth are you talking about?”
“He kisses you sometimes. I’ve seen it.”
“Oh, really? When?”
“At your party, when he was leaving. I was at the top of the stairs.”
She shook her head. “You shouldn’t spy on people.”
He ignored this. “You do love him a little, don’t you?”
“I’m . . . fond of him.” Was she really having this conversation with her nine-year-old? “And you’re right. Sometimes when you care about someone and that person gets upset, you get upset, too.”
They were climbing Lilac Way. Jane turned into their driveway. As she pulled up to the garage she noticed that the front yard was thick with maple leaves of crimson and gold.
“Hey, let’s do some raking!” she said.
“Raking!” He looked at her as if she were crazy. “That’s boring.”
“Nonsense. It’s great exercise, and it needs to be done. Jonny Quest can wait.”
“Mom,” he said with forced patience, “Jonny Quest isn’t on till five-thirty. Rugrats is on now.”
“Well, the Rugrats can wait. We’ll bring in our stuff and change into work clothes.”
Despite a lot of whining, Jane got herself and Nick changed and back outside, where they got rakes from the garage and began dragging the leaves into two large piles, one on each side of the front walk. Nick had insisted that they leave the front door open so that Winky could watch them through the window of the storm door. She stood with her front paws up against the glass, opening her mouth wide in silent meows.
“Watch this, Wink!” Nick cried, and hurled himself into one of the leaf piles. He nearly vanished beneath the crunchy blanket of color, only his shiny brown hair showing.
“Hey, that was fun!” he said, standing and brushing off his jacket. “You do it, Mom.”
“What! Are you crazy? And look at the mess you’ve made of our pile.”
“Aw, Mom, loosen up. This is supposed to be fun.”
She felt as if she were the child and he the parent. He was right. That was why she’d suggested raking in the first place—so they could have some fun, and she could get her mind off Roger and Marlene.
“Oh, what the heck,” she said, threw down her rake, and fell into the pile of leaves. It felt wonderful, and she laughed as she couldn’t remember laughing in ages.
“My, my, aren’t you two having fun.”
Jane poked her head up through the leaves. Audrey Fairchild from across the street stood on the walk between the holly hedges, smiling as if at two mischievous children. She wore a belted mauve sweater over a cream turtleneck and tan wool slacks. Her honey blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her face was fully made-up, from her berry lips to her ashy eyelids.
Nick, as if sensing that the fun was over, the mood spoiled, slouched into the house. Looking after him, Jane got up and brushed herself off.
“I feel so
Eight
Since Florence would not arrive until tomorrow, Jane left the office at two-fifteen and picked up Nick at school. He gave her a scrutinizing look as he got into the car.
“Feeling better, Mom?”
She pulled away from the sidewalk and around the drive. “About what?”
“Marlene. Did she call?”
“No.... But I’m sure she will soon. It looks as if she’s with a friend in New York.”
“Oh!” he said, as if that settled that. “Then what’s bothering you?”
She frowned. “Who said anything’s bothering me?”
“Your eyes are all scrunched up, and you’re leaning forward and holding the steering wheel supertight.”
Immediately she forced herself to relax, leaned back against the seat, and eased her grip on the wheel. “It’s some work stuff.”
“What work stuff?”
“Well, Roger’s publisher isn’t treating him very nicely. I’ve been trying to get them to do some things they don’t. want to do. Roger’s very upset.”
“And you’re upset because you love Roger?”
A laugh exploded from her. “Love Roger! Nicholas Stuart, what on earth are you talking about?”
“He kisses you sometimes. I’ve seen it.”
“Oh, really? When?”
“At your party, when he was leaving. I was at the top of the stairs.”
She shook her head. “You shouldn’t spy on people.”
He ignored this. “You do love him a little, don’t you?”
“I’m . . . fond of him.” Was she really having this conversation with her nine-year-old? “And you’re right. Sometimes when you care about someone and that person gets upset, you get upset, too.”
They were climbing Lilac Way. Jane turned into their driveway. As she pulled up to the garage she noticed that the front yard was thick with maple leaves of crimson and gold.
“Hey, let’s do some raking!” she said.
“Raking!” He looked at her as if she were crazy. “That’s boring.”
“Nonsense. It’s great exercise, and it needs to be done. Jonny Quest can wait.”
“Mom,” he said with forced patience, “Jonny Quest isn’t on till five-thirty. Rugrats is on now.”
“Well, the Rugrats can wait. We’ll bring in our stuff and change into work clothes.”
Despite a lot of whining, Jane got herself and Nick changed and back outside, where they got rakes from the garage and began dragging the leaves into two large piles, one on each side of the front walk. Nick had insisted that they leave the front door open so that Winky could watch them through the window of the storm door. She stood with her front paws up against the glass, opening her mouth wide in silent meows.
“Watch this, Wink!” Nick cried, and hurled himself into one of the leaf piles. He nearly vanished beneath the crunchy blanket of color, only his shiny brown hair showing.
“Hey, that was fun!” he said, standing and brushing off his jacket. “You do it, Mom.”
“What! Are you crazy? And look at the mess you’ve made of our pile.”
“Aw, Mom, loosen up. This is supposed to be fun.”
She felt as if she were the child and he the parent. He was right. That was why she’d suggested raking in the first place—so they could have some fun, and she could get her mind off Roger and Marlene.
“Oh, what the heck,” she said, threw down her rake, and fell into the pile of leaves. It felt wonderful, and she laughed as she couldn’t remember laughing in ages.
“My, my, aren’t you two having fun.”
Jane poked her head up through the leaves. Audrey Fairchild from across the street stood on the walk between the holly hedges, smiling as if at two mischievous children. She wore a belted mauve sweater over a cream turtleneck and tan wool slacks. Her honey blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her face was fully made-up, from her berry lips to her ashy eyelids.
Nick, as if sensing that the fun was over, the mood spoiled, slouched into the house. Looking after him, Jane got up and brushed herself off.
“I feel so
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