Alice Alone (21 page)

Lester and I looked across the table at each other and suddenly we began to grin and gave each other a high five, just as Dad came back in the kitchen.

“Al,” he said, “Sylvia wants to talk to you.” He was smiling. His cheeks were pink, his eyes sparkled.

“Me?” I slowly lowered my hand, and could feel my face redden. I had talked to her with ice in my voice and slammed the phone down on the table. I’d torn her
picture
in pieces, for heaven’s sake!

“What … what’ll I
say?
” I choked.

“How about
Merry Christmas?
” Dad said, smiling still.

I went down the hall and picked up the phone.

“Alice, I want you to know what’s going on,” she said. “There was a Christmas program at our school this afternoon, and when I got back to my flat, Jim Sorringer was waiting for me in the landlady’s parlor.” And then, as though she was talking with a friend—she
was
talking with a friend—she said, “That is
so
like him. Just up and decides he’s going to do something, and … I had no idea he was coming. He evidently thought he
could change my mind about things by surprising me here, but I explained to him that I am madly in love with your dad, and I think he finally got the message. He’s on his way back to London, to spend Christmas there. I know how stories get around, though, and wanted you to know that I had nothing to do with his visit. Nothing has changed between me and your dad.”

“Oh, Sylvia! I love you! I really, truly do!” I cried. “Merry Christmas!”

“Well, sweetheart, I love you, too,” she said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. “And I hope you have the best Christmas ever!”

When she hung up, I walked slowly to the kitchen and gazed unblinking at my family.

“Helloooo!” Lester said, waving one hand in front of me.

I blinked. “Dad,” I said. “You know that picture I like of Sylvia? The one you took of her in her blue-green dress?”

“Yes, I know the one,” Dad said.

“Could you get me another print? Something happened to the one I had.”

Dad studied me for a minute. Then he said, “I suppose that could be arranged. What size did you want, Al? Four by six? Five by seven?”

“Poster size?” I said, and gave him a sheepish grin.

B
E
S
URE TO READ
ALL
OF THE
A
LICE BOOKS

The Agony of Alice

Alice in Rapture, Sort of

Reluctantly Alice

All But Alice

Alice in April

Alice In-Between

Alice the Brave

Alice in Lace

Outrageously Alice

Achingly Alice

Alice on the Outside

The Grooming of Alice

Also check out Alice on the Web at
http://www.simonsayskids.com/alice

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“Naylor’s funny, poignant coming-of-age series … has continued to serve as a kind of road map for a girl growing up today.” —
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