Sink or Swim by Laura Dower Page B

toys. Madison told him to get his plastic boats, too. His eyes were glimmering with excitement.
    “What are you two up to?” Mrs. Reed asked from the bathroom doorway.
    Becka looked around the room, wide-eyed.
    Madison explained, and Mrs. Reed smiled. “You’re terrific! What a great idea!” she told Madison. “You already know how much he likes playing with his boats, huh? What do you think, Eliot?”
    “Mama gonna play in the sink!” he cried.
    Mrs. Reed laughed. She told Madison that Eliot could take off his T-shirt and strip down to a diaper so he wouldn’t get his clothes soaked. Of course, Eliot loved that. He pulled his shirt right off and started to hop around the bathroom like a kangaroo.
    Madison filled the sink with water and soap bubbles. Eliot battled his boats. Water went everywhere, but Madison didn’t mind one bit. Eliot was giggling with each dunk.
    They had so much fun together in the bathroom that an hour flew by. Soon it was time for lunch. Eliot whined a little about stopping, but Madison convinced him that it wouldn’t be so bad. She was planning another creative idea for lunch—the next item on her list—making little sandwiches and cutting them into shapes with cookie cutters.
    The rain outside seemed to be letting up a little. Mrs. Reed put Becka down for a nap. Madison could tell that Eliot was the happiest he’d ever been when Madison was with him, but he still cried out a little at times for his mother. Unfortunately, whenever she tried to spend a few moments with Eliot, Madison noticed that Mrs. Reed always got distracted. Eliot asked her to read him a book, and she passed the task along to Madison. He asked Mrs. Reed to play Legos, but she had to get the phone. He asked for a hug, and she had to run and check on the baby.
    By late afternoon, Mrs. Reed’s casual brush-offs seemed to be making Eliot crankier than cranky. He lost interest in reading books and playing toys with Madison. She suggested they play with the boats in the sink again, and he stuck out his tongue. She asked him what he wanted to do, and he pulled Madison’s hair.
    Of course, Madison knew what he really wanted. But that was the one thing she couldn’t do for him. Eliot didn’t want to color, and Madison had no luck fishing with magnets, another game the Internet suggested. She only had two refrigerator magnets, and they didn’t work very well at all.
    When Mr. Reed arrived home, Madison called Dad to say that she’d be going over to Aimee’s house and that he should pick her up there.
    And even though Eliot was moody when Madison left, he seemed a little sad to say good-bye. It was the first time Madison thought he even noticed that she was leaving.
    “Buh-bye, Maddie,” Eliot said, waving to Madison as she sprinted out into the rain. “See you tomollow.”
    Madison chuckled. “See you then. Bye, Mrs. Reed!”
    She leaped over a few giant puddles and walked down the street toward Aimee’s house. Blossom was spread out on her belly on the Gillespie porch, sniffing at the rainy air.
    “Blossom!” Madison cried. She leaned down to kiss her big ears, and Blossom shook her head.
    “Maddie!” Aimee said as she pulled open the door. “I was so glad you called. Come inside!”
    Two of Aimee’s brothers were inside watching TV and eating homemade vegetarian nachos. Every meal in the Gillespie house was a tribute to health food. Even TV snacks here were healthy.
    “Wanna go out on my roof?” Aimee asked Madison.
    “It’s kind of wet outside, Aim,” Madison said. “Can we just hang here and make milk shakes or smoothies or something?”
    Aimee nodded. “I have something to tell you,” she said in a singsong voice. Her eyes bugged out wide.
    “What?” Madison said, taking off her coat. “What is it?”
    “He called me,” Aimee said.
    “Who?” Madison asked.
    “Who do you think? BEN!” Aimee said. “He called me this afternoon. He said that he’s been thinking about calling me since the