Wednesday morning like clockwork —always the first patient of the day.
“What seems to be the problem, Mrs. Hill?”
And so the day progressed. By lunchtime, Lilly had seen a slew of patients, and now a dozen metal-backed charts were stacked at her elbow. Most doctors charted as they went, butLilly kept notes that she later transferred. She liked her logs and graphs to be neat and precise and always in navy-blue ink. Thankfully, Wednesdays were half days.
“Whew,” Mazy said as she plopped into the empty chair. “You never told me it would be so busy.”
Lilly leaned back in her chair, taking a minute for her sister. “What do you think? Did you enjoy your morning?”
“I did. This was almost fun —except for the sick people. All that sneezing and snorting. I didn’t like that so much. You know the best part?”
“No, what was the best part?”
Mazy straightened her shoulders. “For once in my life I got to tell people what to do.”
“The first time ever? Surely not,” Lilly teased.
“Oh, Lilly, you don’t know what it’s like to be the second-in-line twin. Molly was born superior.”
“Well, Nurse said you did very well. I hope you’ll take the job.”
“Do I get paid?”
Lilly opened a chart. “Yes, I think a stipend is in order.”
“I’d rather have money,” Mazy said, her face as guileless as a two-year-old’s. She jumped up and went into the washroom, leaving the door open. “I’ll bet you didn’t know there’s a beauty parlor here in Skip Rock,” she shouted as water splashed into the basin of the sink. “When I get paid, I’m going to get an appointment.” Drying her hands, she leaned around the doorframe. “Getting this mess of hair straightened will be money well spent.”
Lilly uncapped her fountain pen, but she didn’t say a word. There were some things a girl had to learn on her own.
Mazy smoothed lotion on her hands, releasing the scent of almonds and cherries into the room. “This smells just like Mama.”
Lilly looked up from the line she’d just penned. “I think that every time I twist the top off the bottle.”
Caught in a beam of sunlight streaming in through the window, Mazy’s golden curls framed her face like a halo. “Do you have any other jobs for me?”
A fissure of disquiet fractured Lilly’s concentration. Her sister was so lovely in her innocence —still so unmarred by the vicissitudes of life. Sometimes Lilly wanted to put her in a box and store her on the top shelf of a closet like a fine piece of china too precious for everyday use.
“Would you like to get us some lunch from the diner? Their chicken salad is really good.”
Mazy’s eyes lit up. “Oooh, yes, how fun. Mama would never pay for lunch. Do you want an iced tea? And oh, they have that machine that makes potato chips while you watch. I want some of those. We could share.”
“Sounds good,” Lilly said, fishing a bill from her wallet. “And, Mazy, stop by the sheriff’s office on your way. It’s two doors up from the diner. Tell Sheriff Clay I need to speak to him.”
“The sheriff’s office? Really? Are we in the midst of a crime spree?”
“Hardly. Now just ring the bell and wait until he comes to the door. Don’t go inside. Understand?”
“Well, yes, but why?”
“It’s an unbecoming place for a young lady. Sheriff Clay won’t mind taking a quick message.”
“All right.” Mazy patted her hair. “Be right back.”
“This cold sweet tea is so good, Mazy,” Lilly said after a long sip through a soda straw. “Don’t forget to rinse the thermos.”
“Mmm, okay.” Mazy wiped a bit of mayonnaise from the corner of her mouth.
“Did you see Sheriff Clay?”
Mazy laid her half sandwich on the linen napkin she had spread on the desk. “I did, Sister.”
“And?”
“He’s dreamy, just dreamy.”
“Forevermore, Mazy, you’ve seen Chanis in church every Lord’s Day since the first of summer. Why, you’re even in the same Sunday
“What seems to be the problem, Mrs. Hill?”
And so the day progressed. By lunchtime, Lilly had seen a slew of patients, and now a dozen metal-backed charts were stacked at her elbow. Most doctors charted as they went, butLilly kept notes that she later transferred. She liked her logs and graphs to be neat and precise and always in navy-blue ink. Thankfully, Wednesdays were half days.
“Whew,” Mazy said as she plopped into the empty chair. “You never told me it would be so busy.”
Lilly leaned back in her chair, taking a minute for her sister. “What do you think? Did you enjoy your morning?”
“I did. This was almost fun —except for the sick people. All that sneezing and snorting. I didn’t like that so much. You know the best part?”
“No, what was the best part?”
Mazy straightened her shoulders. “For once in my life I got to tell people what to do.”
“The first time ever? Surely not,” Lilly teased.
“Oh, Lilly, you don’t know what it’s like to be the second-in-line twin. Molly was born superior.”
“Well, Nurse said you did very well. I hope you’ll take the job.”
“Do I get paid?”
Lilly opened a chart. “Yes, I think a stipend is in order.”
“I’d rather have money,” Mazy said, her face as guileless as a two-year-old’s. She jumped up and went into the washroom, leaving the door open. “I’ll bet you didn’t know there’s a beauty parlor here in Skip Rock,” she shouted as water splashed into the basin of the sink. “When I get paid, I’m going to get an appointment.” Drying her hands, she leaned around the doorframe. “Getting this mess of hair straightened will be money well spent.”
Lilly uncapped her fountain pen, but she didn’t say a word. There were some things a girl had to learn on her own.
Mazy smoothed lotion on her hands, releasing the scent of almonds and cherries into the room. “This smells just like Mama.”
Lilly looked up from the line she’d just penned. “I think that every time I twist the top off the bottle.”
Caught in a beam of sunlight streaming in through the window, Mazy’s golden curls framed her face like a halo. “Do you have any other jobs for me?”
A fissure of disquiet fractured Lilly’s concentration. Her sister was so lovely in her innocence —still so unmarred by the vicissitudes of life. Sometimes Lilly wanted to put her in a box and store her on the top shelf of a closet like a fine piece of china too precious for everyday use.
“Would you like to get us some lunch from the diner? Their chicken salad is really good.”
Mazy’s eyes lit up. “Oooh, yes, how fun. Mama would never pay for lunch. Do you want an iced tea? And oh, they have that machine that makes potato chips while you watch. I want some of those. We could share.”
“Sounds good,” Lilly said, fishing a bill from her wallet. “And, Mazy, stop by the sheriff’s office on your way. It’s two doors up from the diner. Tell Sheriff Clay I need to speak to him.”
“The sheriff’s office? Really? Are we in the midst of a crime spree?”
“Hardly. Now just ring the bell and wait until he comes to the door. Don’t go inside. Understand?”
“Well, yes, but why?”
“It’s an unbecoming place for a young lady. Sheriff Clay won’t mind taking a quick message.”
“All right.” Mazy patted her hair. “Be right back.”
“This cold sweet tea is so good, Mazy,” Lilly said after a long sip through a soda straw. “Don’t forget to rinse the thermos.”
“Mmm, okay.” Mazy wiped a bit of mayonnaise from the corner of her mouth.
“Did you see Sheriff Clay?”
Mazy laid her half sandwich on the linen napkin she had spread on the desk. “I did, Sister.”
“And?”
“He’s dreamy, just dreamy.”
“Forevermore, Mazy, you’ve seen Chanis in church every Lord’s Day since the first of summer. Why, you’re even in the same Sunday
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