Ring of Light by Isobel Bird Read Free Book Online

the Internet in a couple of months now.”
    â€œVery funny,” Aunt Netty said. “But there must be something going on in the life of Katherine Elaine Morgan.”
    Kate rolled her eyes. She hated her full name, and her aunt knew it. She only used it when she wanted to tease Kate. Now Kate wished more than anything that she could tell Aunt Netty about her involvement in witchcraft. But she just couldn’t. She wasn’t ready to take that risk. Not yet.
    â€œI’m serious,” she said. “There’s nothing going on. I’m going to be the most boring junior at Beecher Falls High School. But what about you? What’s this assignment you’re here on? Something good, I hope.”
    Her aunt took a long drink and looked out over the water for a minute. When she turned back to Kate she sighed and said, “There’s something your mother and I have been keeping from you,” she said. “She didn’t want me to tell you, but I think it’s time you knew.”
    â€œDon’t tell me you’re getting married,” Kate said excitedly, remembering how her mother had seemed so nervous about Kate’s asking personal questions the night before and putting two and two together.
    Her aunt laughed. “No,” she said. “I’m not getting married. At least not any time soon. You kind of need a man for that anyway.”
    â€œI don’t get it, then,” Kate said. “What’s the big secret?”
    â€œThere’s something I want to show you,” said her aunt. “Remember how you said my hair was shorter than last time you saw me?”
    Kate nodded. Then she watched as Aunt Netty reached up, removed her hat, and lifted her hair clear off of her head. The hair dangled from her hand as she waved it around, and Kate stared in shock at her head.
    â€œYou’re bald!” she said.
    â€œSurprise,” said her aunt, putting her straw hat back on. “Do you like it? I hear it’s all the rage now.”
    â€œYou’re bald!” Kate said again, not believing what she was seeing.
    Her aunt plopped the wig onto the table, where Kate stared at it as if it might leap up and bite her. “That’s the big secret?” she asked. “You’ve been wearing a wig?”
    Her aunt laughed. “Actually, the wig is a relatively new development,” she said.
    Kate was confused. “I don’t get it,” she said.
    Aunt Netty reached out and took Kate’s hand. “I’d like to tell you that I’m making some grand statement about fashion, or even that I’ve become a Buddhist,” she said. “But, honey, the truth is that I’m not here on any assignment. I have cancer.”
    Kate shook her head. “What did you say?” she asked.
    â€œCancer,” said her aunt. “I have cancer. That’s why I’m wearing a wig. My hair fell out after the last round of chemo. I know finding out like this must be more than a little strange for you, but I didn’t really know how else to do it. I figured just jumping in would get the shock over with as quickly as possible.”
    Kate was stunned. She didn’t know what to say. Was her aunt kidding? It would be just like her to shave her head. But pretending she had cancer? She would never joke about something like that.
    â€œWhen?” was all Kate could say. “How? Why?”
    â€œI found out about three months ago,” her aunt explained. “I discovered a lump in my breast while I was showering. I went to the doctor, he did a biopsy, and voilà—I had cancer.”
    Kate looked into her aunt’s face. There were the familiar brown eyes, the nose that looked just like her mother’s nose and her own nose, the mouth that was smiling the reassuring smile that had comforted Kate so many times. But with her hair gone, Aunt Netty looked different. She was changed. And that change was because of the cancer