Tallahassee Higgins (17 page)

She shook her head. "Not a bit." Then she stood up and went to the refrigerator. "Help me get dinner started now," she said. "Dan will be home soon, and I haven't done a thing."

As I pared the potatoes, Fritzi sniffed the floor at my feet, hoping something might come his way, and Aunt Thelma tuned in her favorite radio station. While she fried the chicken, she sang "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" with Tony Bennett, hitting a few false notes now and then as well as muffing the words more than once. From Jane's backyard I heard Matthew, Mark, and Luke playing some weird death-ray game they'd invented. I knew Mrs. DeFlores would soon shout at them to come in for dinner.

Maybe after we ate, I would go over and tell Jane about Liz's visit. She'd be furious at first, but then she'd dream up some wild explanation for my mother's behavior, and I'd feel better. At least for a while. But no matter what Jane said, I knew Liz and I would never live the way we used to. Too many things had happened. I had ties I hadn't had before. Mrs. Russell, my aunt and uncle, Jane. And so did Liz.

When Aunt Thelma wasn't looking, I handed Fritzi a little piece of the French bread I was preparing for dinner. "Here, greedy," I whispered as he snapped it up. "Me and you might as well be friends. It looks like I'm going to be here for a long time."