An Unlikely Friendship by Ann Rinaldi

his forehead on his drawn-up knees. "Maybe we should run away. Just you and me, Mary. We could join one of those groups of traveling strollers."
    It was a tantalizing thought, but I recognized it for the childish dream that it was. So I did not answer him. We sat there like that, together on the stairs, surrounded by empty rooms, for I don't know how long. I calculate it was over an hour. We talked in low tones, about things we'd done in the house. We recalled memories. I was willing to stay like that all night with him if need be.
    The light began to change. Still the insects droned. I grew sleepy and hungry and wondered if it was anywhere near six o'clock.
    I knew I was in a bind. But I also knew I would never leave George here alone. No matter what happened. I thought to myself,
Pa will come soon. And then we'll leave here. I'm about starved.
    And sure enough, then I heard the crunching of wagon wheels on our front drive. I looked at George. "It's Pa," I said.
    I went to the front door and opened it. But it wasn't Pa. It was Grandmother Parker.

S HE STEPPED DOWN from her carriage with a flourish, stood there for a moment looking up at the house as if it were an old friend, then, with the help of her footman, came up the steps and into the foyer.
    "What is this?" she asked, holding out her arms. "Are you two camping out here?"
    "Grandma, how did you know?" I asked.
    She enfolded us in those arms, one at a time. "Because your father sent word to me. And asked me to talk to my two stubborn grandchildren. Mary, you were sent to fetch George, not to encourage him," she scolded gently.
    I just sat down again with my brother. "Grandma, he won't leave. And I can't leave him here alone. But I'm beholden to you for coming. I know how hard it is for you to come into this house anymore," I told her.
    She nodded and looked around. "This place is haunted," she agreed. "But in a nice way. Yes, it was difficult for me to come here, but I came for you both. I love you and wanted to tell you something."
    We both looked at her, expectantly.
    "George, your mother is wherever you are, if you want her there. She is always with you. You carry her wherever you go."
    George gave her an unwavering stare.
    "She's in your eyes," Grandma went on. "You have eyes just like her. Whenever you look at your pa, he sees her. And she's there, in your heart. You couldn't lose her if you tried."
    "Is she with me, Grandma?" I asked.
    "Yes, child. You have her laugh. Every time I hear you laugh, I hear her. And she is in your mannerisms, even in the way you hold your head."
    I had never thought that way before. I got up and hugged her again, burying my face against her dress. "Suppose we didn't have you, Grandma, to tell us these things?"
    "Well, you have me. And now I'm asking you to both skedaddle out of here and go to your new home. The time you spend there will be brief enough. Remember, this place could burn down tomorrow and you'd still always have your mother with you. Nobody can take her away from you, no matter how they try."
    We skedaddled out of there shortly after that. Grandma got back in her carriage and we headed over to Main Street.
    "Imagine her coming to the house to fetch us, George," I said. "Do you know what an event that is on its own?"
    "Yes," he said.
    "She's stayed away, except for Elizabeth's wedding, ever since Betsy moved in," I reminded him. "It took a lot for her to come for us like that."
    "Pa sent her, Mary."
    "Nobody sends Grandma anywhere. She wouldn't have come, Pa or no Pa, if she didn't want to. She did it for us."
    We continued in silence to the new big house on Main Street. Lights were in all the windows. When we walked in, they were at the table. There were two places empty, one for me and one for George.
    George looked at me and I at him. We both saw Pa looking at us from the head of the table. "Come and eat," he said.
    Again George looked at me, and I knew what he was thinking. His place was to the right of Pa's and