Alice practically drooled over the apple cider scent. “Thank you so much!” she stage-whispered.
“Can I come back there?”
“Sure.” Alice scooted over on the bench to make room for Karleigh. They ate their doughnuts in silence for a moment, keeping the young fishermen—and women—happy between bites.
“How did the paper turn out?” Alice asked.
“I got an A minus.”
“What? I thought you’d get an A for sure.”
“I probably would have, but I forgot to add the thing about the witches being not only a symbol of sin and stuff but of the darkness that’s inside all of us.” She shook her head. “It’s all right. I’ll still get an A in the class.”
“Good. You’re a hard workerandsmart. That’s an unstoppable combination.”
“Thanks. Justin got a B minus. He was totally stoked.”
“Over a B minus?”
“Yeah, it’s his highest grade in English this year.”
“If he ever needs help, let me know.”With Russ leaving, I’ll have all sorts of time.
“Hello, dears.” Grandma poked her head in.
“Hi, Mrs. Westbrook,” chirped Karleigh.
“I’m taking drink orders and dropping off cookies. Would you like a soda, cider, or water?” She handed a paper sack that smelled like apples and chocolate to Alice.
Alice searched Grandma’s eyes for any of the blankness she’d seen the night of the pre-festival meeting and found them clear and bright. The meds were doing their job. Still, worry nagged at Alice for her grandma’s sake.
“I’d better get back, or my mom’s gonna kill me.” Karleigh folded her paper plate. “Thanks anyway, Mrs. Westbrook.”
Grandma moved to the side so Karleigh could get out. Grandma tipped her head and then settled on the bench. Alice opened the bag and took out a cookie. Holding it was like holding a piece of her childhood in her hand. The taste was just as she remembered, a little fall spice, a little chocolate, a whole lot of love.
Grandma patted her knee. “Every time I turn around, you’re helping out. What you did with those kids at the library the other day was something special.”
A clip sailed over the wall, and Alice picked a random prize from the box. “It was fun. They’re good kids.”
“Well, you talk to them like they’re valuable, and they respond to you.”
“They are valuable.” Alice tugged on the line with her free hand, and the baggie disappeared. The cookie was almost gone too. “And I learned from the best.” She gave Grandma a one-armed hug.
Grandma nodded. “I heard someone’s graduating soon.”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t sound excited. You’ve worked so hard you should be jumping for joy.”
Alice stared at the grain in the wood floor. “It’s a lofty goal for a girl from the lower side of town.”
Grandma blinked several times. “I’m sorry, I don’t follow.”
Of course she didn’t. She and Grandpa were stalwarts in the community, respected. It just so happened that their wayward son was Alice’s father. Grandma wouldn’t know the shadow that cast, because shadows only went down the family tree. “No one ever expected the dirty-faced Westbrook girl to be anything.”
“And you want to prove them all wrong.”
“No.” Alice met the kind, pale eyes. “I want to proveto myselfthat they are wrong.”
