“I’m going to be out of a job, Doris.”
“I know, I know.”
“You don’t know the extent of it yet,” Archie said. “The market’s still moving, it could make an upward swing, we’ve got to let things play out.”
“You don’t believe that,” my father retorted. “I know you don’t.”
I turned away from the dining room and walked toward the kitchen instead. Addie didn’t need to hear this.
“I bet your dolls are hungry,” I said. “Should we have a tea party?”
Her eyes widened and she grinned.
“I’ll make us some tea and sandwiches, and why don’t you decide where we should all sit,” I said.
She sat the dolls and one bear carefully in chairs next to her at the kitchen table, propping them up and reaching across to switch which doll sat next to her more than once. As I set out teacups and small plates, she arranged them in front of her dolls.
“Maria and Sophie and Teddy,” she named them all. “And Addie…” She pointed to herself. “And”—she pointed to me and hesitated—“and you.”
“Oh, I’m Olive,” I said. “But you can call me whatever you like.”
She nodded uncertainly. “Ol-live,” she repeated, struggling a little with the “l” sound. Then she began again, pointing to each in turn, “Maria and Sophie and Teddy and Addie and…” She sighed, then pointed to me and said, “You be the mommy.” She seemed pleased with her idea, poured some imaginary tea into a cup and held it up to her doll’s mouth.
“Oh,” I said. She was only playing, of course, but it made me catch my breath. “I would love that,” I said, trying not to react with too much enthusiasm.
Archie walked into the kitchen as I pretended to feed the dolls and Addie nibbled on a sandwich.
“Is there room for one more?” he asked, crouching down at the table.
“Yes,” she said.
“You must be the little Addie that I’ve been hearing so much about,” he said, and she nodded back proudly. “My name is Archie.”
She watched him, her small feet swinging back and forth beneath the table, then she slid a teacup toward him.
“What a wonderful hostess,” he said, picking it up and pretending to take a sip. “You are just the most beautiful little girl I’ve ever seen in my whole life. And wow”—he looked from me to Addie with such a look of love that it brought tears to my eyes—“you look just like each other.”
She smiled bashfully, but I could tell she was enjoying his attention, the dolls, the party we were having.
“And these are some very lucky dolls to have such a nice lunch with you both.”
“Ateaparty,” she corrected him.
“A tea party, of course. Well, later this afternoon I’m hoping the three of us will get to go on a big boat, and I’ve heard that they have the most wonderful tea parties with dancing and music. Would you like that?”
She clapped her hands.
Archie stood up and squeezed my shoulder.
“Go outside?” Addie asked, jumping down from her seat at the table, taking Archie’s hand and pulling him toward the back door.
“Sure thing.” He laughed. “I’ve never seen the backyard.” He looked back at me and smiled.
My mother was still scribbling in her notebook when I reentered the dining room. It was strange and unsettling to see her so distant.
“Is everything all right, Mother?” I asked, looking over her shoulder to see what she was writing. It was a list of items from the house.
“No, Olive, it’s not—nothing is all right. Haven’t you read the papers, don’t you know what’s going on?”
