feelings.” Abby looked down at the letter in her hand. “It was a nice letter, Carol. Sorta newsy and upbeat. I admit I was surprised. That’s not how I remember her.” Shepaused to gather her thoughts. “She graduates from her school this month. She wanted to know if you would let me go to her graduation.”
Carol shook her head. “Oh, Abby—I don’t think—” She put her arm around Abby’s shoulders. “I want to say no, but you’re an adult now; it’s your decision, not mine. I guess the big question is, do you want to go?”
Abby sat down on the top step and hugged her knees. “I’m not sure. I’d like to, but this is a busy time for me. I have exams coming up. I’m working on our school yearbook, and I’m on the prom committee. And if that’s not enough, I have to get ready for my own graduation.” She rested her chin on her knees and wondered how she was going to manage it all as it was. “God, I haven’t seen Mallory in five years.” She turned her head and glanced up at Carol. “It seems like somebody should be there to see her graduate. I know this is going to hurt your feelings, but she doesn’t want you or Donovan there.”
Carol made a sound of disgust. “We’re good enough to pay forty thousand dollars a year for her education, but we’re not good enough to be invited to her graduation. I think that’s pure Mallory.” She shook her head in exasperation. “Don’t let her letter manipulate you into doing something you don’t want to do.”
“Manipulate me? You told me her counselor said she’s well adjusted now, that she could have left there a couple of years ago if she’d wanted.”
“That’s true. She could have left, but I’m glad she didn’t. I hate to admit this, but I didn’t want her coming back here, and neither did Donovan. We offered to continue to pay for her schooling if she stayed where she was.” Carol saw Abby staring at Mallory’s letter. “You surprise me, Abby, that you would even consider going to her graduation after all the hurt she caused you.” She ruffled her ponytail. “Maybe I’m not so surprised. You always did have a big heart. I think it’s wonderfulthat you can forgive her. I wish I could, but I can’t.” Carol crossed her arms and rubbed herself as if she’d felt a chill.
Abby stood up. “Hey, where’s that brother of mine?”
“Bobby went to one of those roller-skating birthday parties. I have to pick him up at four.”
Abby was on her way up to her room when Carol stopped her. “Oh, wait a minute! I almost forgot,” she said, reaching into her pocket. She handed Abby an envelope. “Isn’t that from that teen magazine you sent your short story to?”
Abby gasped, then froze, her eyes fixed on the imprint on the return address. “The envelope is too small for them to have sent back my manuscript with a rejection,” she said as she slid her index finger under the back flap. “Maybe I forgot to put in an SASE or … Look at this!” She pulled out a contract and scanned what appeared to be an acceptance letter. “ American Teenager is going to publish my short story! For two hundred dollars! And they want to know what else I have. Here, read their letter!”
Carol reached for the letter and quickly read it. “Abby, this is so wonderful. If I remember correctly, you sent that story out at least a year ago. I all but forgot about it.” She threw her arms around the girl and hugged her. “We have to celebrate. I’m going to call Donovan right now! Where do you want to go for dinner?”
“Magnolias. I want those fried chicken livers!”
Carol laughed. “Magnolias it is. You’re probably the only kid in the world who likes chicken livers. I’m so proud of you, honey.”
Abby’s voice turned shy. “Someday when Bobby is older, I want him to read my story so he’ll know what you and Donovan went through to adopt him, and how excited I was to get a baby brother.”
“I’m sure he’d love to read it but
Carol shook her head. “Oh, Abby—I don’t think—” She put her arm around Abby’s shoulders. “I want to say no, but you’re an adult now; it’s your decision, not mine. I guess the big question is, do you want to go?”
Abby sat down on the top step and hugged her knees. “I’m not sure. I’d like to, but this is a busy time for me. I have exams coming up. I’m working on our school yearbook, and I’m on the prom committee. And if that’s not enough, I have to get ready for my own graduation.” She rested her chin on her knees and wondered how she was going to manage it all as it was. “God, I haven’t seen Mallory in five years.” She turned her head and glanced up at Carol. “It seems like somebody should be there to see her graduate. I know this is going to hurt your feelings, but she doesn’t want you or Donovan there.”
Carol made a sound of disgust. “We’re good enough to pay forty thousand dollars a year for her education, but we’re not good enough to be invited to her graduation. I think that’s pure Mallory.” She shook her head in exasperation. “Don’t let her letter manipulate you into doing something you don’t want to do.”
“Manipulate me? You told me her counselor said she’s well adjusted now, that she could have left there a couple of years ago if she’d wanted.”
“That’s true. She could have left, but I’m glad she didn’t. I hate to admit this, but I didn’t want her coming back here, and neither did Donovan. We offered to continue to pay for her schooling if she stayed where she was.” Carol saw Abby staring at Mallory’s letter. “You surprise me, Abby, that you would even consider going to her graduation after all the hurt she caused you.” She ruffled her ponytail. “Maybe I’m not so surprised. You always did have a big heart. I think it’s wonderfulthat you can forgive her. I wish I could, but I can’t.” Carol crossed her arms and rubbed herself as if she’d felt a chill.
Abby stood up. “Hey, where’s that brother of mine?”
“Bobby went to one of those roller-skating birthday parties. I have to pick him up at four.”
Abby was on her way up to her room when Carol stopped her. “Oh, wait a minute! I almost forgot,” she said, reaching into her pocket. She handed Abby an envelope. “Isn’t that from that teen magazine you sent your short story to?”
Abby gasped, then froze, her eyes fixed on the imprint on the return address. “The envelope is too small for them to have sent back my manuscript with a rejection,” she said as she slid her index finger under the back flap. “Maybe I forgot to put in an SASE or … Look at this!” She pulled out a contract and scanned what appeared to be an acceptance letter. “ American Teenager is going to publish my short story! For two hundred dollars! And they want to know what else I have. Here, read their letter!”
Carol reached for the letter and quickly read it. “Abby, this is so wonderful. If I remember correctly, you sent that story out at least a year ago. I all but forgot about it.” She threw her arms around the girl and hugged her. “We have to celebrate. I’m going to call Donovan right now! Where do you want to go for dinner?”
“Magnolias. I want those fried chicken livers!”
Carol laughed. “Magnolias it is. You’re probably the only kid in the world who likes chicken livers. I’m so proud of you, honey.”
Abby’s voice turned shy. “Someday when Bobby is older, I want him to read my story so he’ll know what you and Donovan went through to adopt him, and how excited I was to get a baby brother.”
“I’m sure he’d love to read it but
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