But I knew it was more than that. Mackenzie wasn’t sick; she was sad. Her parents weren’t there to celebrate with her. For all I knew, they might have forgotten entirely.
“I have to run. But walkie me if there’s any change, okay?”
“Sure; will do.”
I ran to the office first, grabbing the mail for Cabin Five and checking if anything had come addressed to Mackenzie Brooks. Nothing. Ichecked the shelf where they kept the care packages, but it was empty. I hustled back to the Lodge, and although the post-meal singing had begun, I went straight into the kitchen to see Dottie.
“Everything okay?” Dottie asked. “You look kind of flushed.”
“Where’s the birthday list?” I asked.
“Right over here,” she replied, pointing to a list of names thumbtacked to a corkboard above the sink.
I scanned it. There it was, plain as day: Mackenzie Brooks, August 9th.
“So, you’re good for tonight?”
“Of course. Got my cake supplies all set for this afternoon.”
“Great. Just checking. Thanks, Dottie.”
My mind raced. Birthdays were hard for kids at camp, but usually, parents made arrangements to take their children out for the day, which was why the birthday cake and celebration was always done at dinnertime.
Suddenly, I thought of a plan. In the absence of parents, I would have to create something special enough to make things okay. And quickly. I didn’t want the poor girl to spend the whole day with the nurse.
I told Pat I had to run a quick errand. An hour later, I was back at the Health Office. “Any change?” I asked Marilyn.
“She’s awake, and I gave her some Jell-O. She didn’t want to go to third period, so I just let her be. She’s reading in the back.”
“Perfect. Thanks, Marilyn.”
I headed back behind the curtain to find Mackenzie curled up under a thin, pink blanket. She was thumbing through an old Archie comic book. When she saw me, her face showed a small sign of hope.
“Hiya, kiddo,” I said. “May I sit?” I gestured at the foot of the bed.
Mackenzie nodded.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere! You weren’t at breakfastorat lunch.”
“Yeah. I’m not feeling good today.”
“That’s a bummer. Hey, can you walk?”
Mackenzie looked confused. “Uh huh. I can walk. Why?”
“Then come with me a sec.”
She followed me out of the Health Office. I instructed her to sit on the stoop while I went to my car to get something.
“Close your eyes,” I told her. Mackenzie listened.
A moment passed, and I returned. “Okay, now open.”
Mackenzie Brooks opened her eyes to find a kitten on a purple harness leash in my arms. The kitten was brown with gray stripes and was wrapped in a towel. On the floor sat an empty pet carrier.
Her whole face lit up. “Oh! So cute!”
“Happy birthday,” I offered.
