The Moment Keeper by Buffy Andrews Page B

cushion. I could tell that her knee was bothering her.
    “Knee OK?”
    “Just a little arthritis. Nothing to worry about. Now, let’s talk about the violin.”
    “I stink at it and I wanted to be good at it for you but I don’t like it and—”
    “Stop, my sweet child,” Grandma said. “First, it’s true. I wanted you to play the violin, but I thought you wanted to play it, too. And, if you don’t, you can stop. The last thing I want is for you to do something you really don’t want to do because you think it’s expected of you. If I told you to jump out our fifth-floor apartment window, would you?”
    I shook my head no.
    “I’m old, Sarah. I’m not going to be around forever.”
    “Don’t say that.”
    “Well, it’s true. You got to learn to make your own choices and not decide something based on what you think I want.”
    “But what if I make the wrong choice?” I asked.
    “That’s part of growing up. Heaven knows I’ve made plenty of wrong choices. But when you make a wrong choice, learn from it. If you fall, get up. That’s what we Ross girls do. We keep going because it’s all we can do. You can’t go back and change the past, but you can learn from it and make better decisions in the future.”
    “So you’re not mad?”
    Grandma kissed the top of my head. “I’m not mad. And, I’ll be honest, I’m not gonna miss that screeching. It gave me a headache. I think I’ve taken more aspirin this past year than I’ve taken my entire life. I happen to know the neighbors will be happy, too.”
    We both laughed and I realized that Miss Wagaman was right. Sometimes grown-ups are pretty smart. They figure things out way before kids do. And the things we fear aren’t nearly as scary as we imagine them to be.
    Elizabeth picks Olivia up after school to drive her to the dance studio. She’s now in company at the dance academy, which means practices four times a week, a lot for a ten-year-old. Olivia eats the peanut butter and jelly sandwich Elizabeth has packed along with a yogurt. She decides to save the banana for later.
    “How was school today?” Elizabeth asks.
    “OK. Everyone was talking about being in the band.”
    “I see.”
    “Mom,” Olivia says. “I don’t think I want to play the flute after all.”
    Elizabeth glances at Olivia. “But just last night you wanted to. What changed your mind?”
    “Well, I thought about what Dad said. About me always wanting to try all these different things and how I need to make sure it’s what I want to do and not do it because everyone else is doing it.”
    “And?”
    “And what I love most is dancing. So, I’m going to stick with dancing and work on it and be the best dancer I can be.”
    Elizabeth reaches over and squeezes Olivia’s hand. “I’m so proud of you, Libby.”
    “You are?”
    “Yes,” Elizabeth says. “My little girl is growing up.”
    “That’s a good thing, right?”
    Elizabeth smiles. “It’s a very good thing.”

Chapter 17
    Olivia drags her purple suitcase out of her walk-in closet that looks like a mini department store. She has so many clothes that you can’t even see the racks they hang on. Boxes and boxes of shoes are stacked along the sides and purses of every sort spill out of a red plastic tub in the corner. The wire shelf that hugs the closet walls is packed with stacks of sweaters and sweatshirts and other clothes that didn’t fit on the racks. It’s piled high with so much stuff that the weight is making the bracket connecting the shelf to the wall come loose. I see the screw has worked its way out and I wonder if Olivia sees it.
    Olivia looks at the list of things she’s supposed to pack for the week-long dance camp she’s attending in New York City. She’s never spent more than two days away from her parents and she’s worried about getting homesick.
    She packs all of her dance gear and some shorts and tops.
    Elizabeth walks in. “Don’t forget your swimsuits. There’s a pool at the