Mind Games

“But what if I’m not? What if nobody likes me because I’m not from here, and I don’t sound like they do when I talk? Or I don’t dress right?”

“Your blood kin’s from here as far back as anybody’s. But that’s not the point, darling. We’ll make a deal, all right? You give it two weeks. You go to school, and be who you are. If after those two weeks you feel the same, I’ll look into it, and we’ll talk about it. Promise me those two weeks, and I’ll promise you that.”

Thea’s belly hitched, and her breath with it. “I don’t want them to stare at me and say that’s the girl whose mom and dad got murdered.”

Lucy pulled her in. “Some of them may. And some of those who do will reach out to you because they have good hearts. You reach back if they do.”

“What if—”

“What if a giraffe had a short neck and a zebra had spots?”

Thea could only sigh. “Just two weeks?”

“Just two weeks.”

“Don’t tell Rem about it.”

“It stays between us.”

Satisfied, and absolutely certain in two weeks’ time she’d stay right there on the little farm, homeschooled, Thea got through the day without a worry.

And the very next day, after the chores, Lucy made an announcement.

“Today’s the day,” she said, “of the Big Reveal.”

“Right now!” Rem leaped from the table.

“After you finish your breakfast.”

“I’m all done!”

Lucy just pointed to his plate.

“You didn’t tell us it was finished.”

“I had a little fussing to do up there,” she told Thea. “Just a bit of fussing after y’all went to bed.”

“Did you hook up the PlayStation?”

“You don’t have much longer to wait to find out, unless you keep ignoring those eggs and breakfast potatoes on your plate.”

Rem shoved more in his mouth. “We can go up there anytime we want and play games?”

“You can go up there when you’ve done chores, when you’re not in school, when it’s before your bedtime, and you don’t give me grief. You can play games on that thing after you do schoolwork. And I expect you won’t hole up there for hours at a time and leave your poor grammie alone.”

“You can play, too!”

“We’ll see about that.”

“I really am done, Grammie.”

“Close enough. Hold on! Don’t you go racing out of here, Rem. You take care of your plate like always. Then I’m leading the way. It’s my Big Reveal.”

When she did, Rem nearly stepped on her heels.

“It took forever! I don’t see why it took so long.”

“You’re supposed to say thank you,” Thea reminded him.