be more like a pajama party.”
Sam had to admit that would be fun. She and Dee had had many memorable slumber parties when they were younger.
“Did you know that Poppy never had slumber parties when she was little? She shared her bedroom with two sisters, and there was no room for her friends. Isn’t that sad?”
“No,” Sam retorted. “She had
sisters.
”
“She really misses them,” Dee went on. “That’s why she wants Ruby to have a sister so much. You know, me.”
“What am I, a blow-up doll?”
Dee did her patented wide-eyed look. “I just thought we could share.”
Sam waved a hand in the air. “Share away.”
Dee pulled her knees up to her chest and circled them with her arms. “I had the most amazing dream last night. I heard a baby cry, and I wandered all through this house—
your
house—trying to find her. Finally I found her in one of the log cabins.
She looked just like Marilyn Monroe.
Only with a baby’s body. Isn’t that amazing?”
“More like bizarre. Can we get back to the moving-in thing?”
“It’s simple. I decided that I didn’t want to be home alone.” Dee’s round blue eyes grew huge. “I think our house is haunted, seriously. My dad says that Marilyn slept there with Bobby Kennedy, you know.”
“Dee. Stop and think. Marilyn Monroe had three different husbands. She had sex in a lot of places. She is not haunting
your
house.”
“Spirits return to where they have unfinished business. There used to be a vintage movie poster from
The Seven Year Itch
in our attic. I remember it from when I was little. But last week, when I went to look for it, it was gone.”
“Someone threw it out. That’s all.”
“Or maybe Marilyn came back for it,” Dee whispered. “I heard she didn’t like that movie very much. Anyway, I think I know what all of it means.”
This was beginning to hold a sick fascination for Sam. “I’m hanging on every word, Dee.”
“I think that
Ruby Hummingbird is the reincarnation of Marilyn Monroe.
”
“I don’t think so, Dee. Though that is a provocative theory. Listen, have you ever considered psychotherapy? Because—”
Dee scrunched up her forehead. “You don’t believe me. Poppy believes me.”
Of course
Poppy believed her. That was just
perfect.
No wonder Dee wanted to live under the same roof as her new mentor. The two of them could spin off into New Age paradise hand in hand. But Sam decided to work on grounding her friend back into reality another time. For now, she shifted to the matter at hand—reclaiming her home, or at least her grandparents’ special room.
“Back to the home-alone thing, Dee. Are both your parents in New York?”
“Well, my dad had a recording session there. Mom decided to tag along and keep an eye on him. Last time he went, he had a fling with one of Usher’s backup singers.”
“He cheated on your mother again?”
“Yep. But he says it’s not really cheating unless he becomes emotionally involved.”
“But your mom didn’t used to care,” Sam recalled.
“I think she’s going through menopause or something and she gets unhinged about everything. Listen, can I unpack?”
Sam sighed. Maybe this was a time to take some pity on her friend. “Sure.”
“You know, Sam, you are so lucky. To have Poppy as your stepmom.”
“Dee, she’s only four years older than I am. Who has a stepmom who’s only four years older than they are? No, wait, forget I asked. That would be about half of our friends.”
“Love doesn’t go by the numbers, Sam,” Dee murmured solemnly.
“My father does not love her, Dee. He screws the young hottie in all of his movies. This one happened to get pregnant.”
“That is a really mean thing to say,” Dee choked out, her voice stricken. “If he didn’t love her, he would have just written a really big check and made her go away. That’s what everyone does in this town. He loves her, Sam. Deal with it.”
“Fine, Dee. I’m wrong. He does lo—”
Just
Sam had to admit that would be fun. She and Dee had had many memorable slumber parties when they were younger.
“Did you know that Poppy never had slumber parties when she was little? She shared her bedroom with two sisters, and there was no room for her friends. Isn’t that sad?”
“No,” Sam retorted. “She had
sisters.
”
“She really misses them,” Dee went on. “That’s why she wants Ruby to have a sister so much. You know, me.”
“What am I, a blow-up doll?”
Dee did her patented wide-eyed look. “I just thought we could share.”
Sam waved a hand in the air. “Share away.”
Dee pulled her knees up to her chest and circled them with her arms. “I had the most amazing dream last night. I heard a baby cry, and I wandered all through this house—
your
house—trying to find her. Finally I found her in one of the log cabins.
She looked just like Marilyn Monroe.
Only with a baby’s body. Isn’t that amazing?”
“More like bizarre. Can we get back to the moving-in thing?”
“It’s simple. I decided that I didn’t want to be home alone.” Dee’s round blue eyes grew huge. “I think our house is haunted, seriously. My dad says that Marilyn slept there with Bobby Kennedy, you know.”
“Dee. Stop and think. Marilyn Monroe had three different husbands. She had sex in a lot of places. She is not haunting
your
house.”
“Spirits return to where they have unfinished business. There used to be a vintage movie poster from
The Seven Year Itch
in our attic. I remember it from when I was little. But last week, when I went to look for it, it was gone.”
“Someone threw it out. That’s all.”
“Or maybe Marilyn came back for it,” Dee whispered. “I heard she didn’t like that movie very much. Anyway, I think I know what all of it means.”
This was beginning to hold a sick fascination for Sam. “I’m hanging on every word, Dee.”
“I think that
Ruby Hummingbird is the reincarnation of Marilyn Monroe.
”
“I don’t think so, Dee. Though that is a provocative theory. Listen, have you ever considered psychotherapy? Because—”
Dee scrunched up her forehead. “You don’t believe me. Poppy believes me.”
Of course
Poppy believed her. That was just
perfect.
No wonder Dee wanted to live under the same roof as her new mentor. The two of them could spin off into New Age paradise hand in hand. But Sam decided to work on grounding her friend back into reality another time. For now, she shifted to the matter at hand—reclaiming her home, or at least her grandparents’ special room.
“Back to the home-alone thing, Dee. Are both your parents in New York?”
“Well, my dad had a recording session there. Mom decided to tag along and keep an eye on him. Last time he went, he had a fling with one of Usher’s backup singers.”
“He cheated on your mother again?”
“Yep. But he says it’s not really cheating unless he becomes emotionally involved.”
“But your mom didn’t used to care,” Sam recalled.
“I think she’s going through menopause or something and she gets unhinged about everything. Listen, can I unpack?”
Sam sighed. Maybe this was a time to take some pity on her friend. “Sure.”
“You know, Sam, you are so lucky. To have Poppy as your stepmom.”
“Dee, she’s only four years older than I am. Who has a stepmom who’s only four years older than they are? No, wait, forget I asked. That would be about half of our friends.”
“Love doesn’t go by the numbers, Sam,” Dee murmured solemnly.
“My father does not love her, Dee. He screws the young hottie in all of his movies. This one happened to get pregnant.”
“That is a really mean thing to say,” Dee choked out, her voice stricken. “If he didn’t love her, he would have just written a really big check and made her go away. That’s what everyone does in this town. He loves her, Sam. Deal with it.”
“Fine, Dee. I’m wrong. He does lo—”
Just
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