Fivesies line up first for their pony rides.
The decision was met with a storm of protests from the Foursies and Threesies mothers. One Threesie mom had the audacity to look Bettina in the eye as she groused, “But that’s not fair! The pony rides are all my little Theodora has been talking about for the past week!” She pointed to the little girl, whose outfit—Jodhpur breeches, velvet show coat and cravat, and tiny helmet—easily reinforced her claim.
Bettina sighed. “This isn’t The Price is Right . The fact that she came in a costume does not automatically move her to the front of the line. So sorry, but seniority prevails.”
So there was no mistaking her mandate, Bettina heaved Joanna’s five-year-old Chloe onto the pony and smacked the poor animal on its haunches to get it moving. Then she flexed her arm, as if it were sore. “This Thanksgiving, you may want to skip the pumpkin pie for Chloe, Joanna. ‘Pretty and plump’ might have been adorable at two, but at five, it’s downright criminal.”
Chloe’s squeal of terror should have brought her mother to her side, but Joanna knew better than to leave Bettina when she was in the middle of a lecture. Instead, she prayed that a summer of equestrian camp (in fact, the same one Theodora attended) had given her daughter enough of a rider’s seat to hold on for dear life.
***
Bettina’s admonishment had the desired effect. The groups dispersed to separate corners. The Threesies jumped on the hayride, while Foursies ran through the corn maze ahead of their mothers, whose shouts of caution were met with naughty giggles.
By the time the Fivesies were done with their pony rides, it was snack time. Everyone was just tucking into the smorgasbord of grapes, strawberries, bananas, cheese cubes, crackers, tiny Roma tomatoes, baby carrots, and juice boxes that Jade had arranged on a gold and black plaid quilt when Bettina, who had been riding hard on the other mothers all day, looked up anxiously. “Where’s Lily?”
Moms nearby grew silent and looked around. Lily was nowhere to be found.
Kimberley went white. As the Foursies’ lead mom, it was her job to make sure everyone was accounted for on field trips.
Especially Bettina’s child, whom Kimberley’s own daughter, Tallulah, swore was her Very Best Friend Forever and Ever and Ever.
Kimberley grabbed Tallulah by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. “Where is she? You two ran ahead when I called for you to stop! I know you heard me because I could hear you laughing!”
“It was Lily’s idea!” Tallulah’s tears filled her big blue eyes. “We were going to scare the Fivesies when they walked through the maze. But she fell asleep, and I got hungry.”
“Well, you’re going back in there, right now!” Bettina yanked the little girl by the cuff of her sweater. “You’re taking me to my daughter!”
“I don’t know where she is! I swear!” The child whimpered hysterically. “I saw Mrs. Connaught around the corner, and I followed her out.”
Bettina sought out Lorna in the crowd. “Lorna, can you remember your path through the maze?”
Lorna sat up straight. The maze had been fun, but it was also an exhausting puzzle. The rows of corn, eight feet high, zigged and zagged for a quarter of a mile. But seeing the sheer terror in her sister-in-law’s eyes, it was the last thing she dared to admit.
Instead, she said, “I’ll find her, Bettina. I promise.”
***
It was Ally’s idea to have Lorna synchronize the GPS signal of her smart phone to be viewed by Ally’s cell phone at all times. That way, when—not if —she found her niece, they could be guided out safely.
Before heading into the maze, Lorna handed Dante to Jade. She was close to tears. Lorna could imagine Jade saw her place in the club vanish along with Lily. A traumatized child, especially Bettina’s, would certainly earn Jade ongoing persona non grata status within the club, if not outright
The decision was met with a storm of protests from the Foursies and Threesies mothers. One Threesie mom had the audacity to look Bettina in the eye as she groused, “But that’s not fair! The pony rides are all my little Theodora has been talking about for the past week!” She pointed to the little girl, whose outfit—Jodhpur breeches, velvet show coat and cravat, and tiny helmet—easily reinforced her claim.
Bettina sighed. “This isn’t The Price is Right . The fact that she came in a costume does not automatically move her to the front of the line. So sorry, but seniority prevails.”
So there was no mistaking her mandate, Bettina heaved Joanna’s five-year-old Chloe onto the pony and smacked the poor animal on its haunches to get it moving. Then she flexed her arm, as if it were sore. “This Thanksgiving, you may want to skip the pumpkin pie for Chloe, Joanna. ‘Pretty and plump’ might have been adorable at two, but at five, it’s downright criminal.”
Chloe’s squeal of terror should have brought her mother to her side, but Joanna knew better than to leave Bettina when she was in the middle of a lecture. Instead, she prayed that a summer of equestrian camp (in fact, the same one Theodora attended) had given her daughter enough of a rider’s seat to hold on for dear life.
***
Bettina’s admonishment had the desired effect. The groups dispersed to separate corners. The Threesies jumped on the hayride, while Foursies ran through the corn maze ahead of their mothers, whose shouts of caution were met with naughty giggles.
By the time the Fivesies were done with their pony rides, it was snack time. Everyone was just tucking into the smorgasbord of grapes, strawberries, bananas, cheese cubes, crackers, tiny Roma tomatoes, baby carrots, and juice boxes that Jade had arranged on a gold and black plaid quilt when Bettina, who had been riding hard on the other mothers all day, looked up anxiously. “Where’s Lily?”
Moms nearby grew silent and looked around. Lily was nowhere to be found.
Kimberley went white. As the Foursies’ lead mom, it was her job to make sure everyone was accounted for on field trips.
Especially Bettina’s child, whom Kimberley’s own daughter, Tallulah, swore was her Very Best Friend Forever and Ever and Ever.
Kimberley grabbed Tallulah by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. “Where is she? You two ran ahead when I called for you to stop! I know you heard me because I could hear you laughing!”
“It was Lily’s idea!” Tallulah’s tears filled her big blue eyes. “We were going to scare the Fivesies when they walked through the maze. But she fell asleep, and I got hungry.”
“Well, you’re going back in there, right now!” Bettina yanked the little girl by the cuff of her sweater. “You’re taking me to my daughter!”
“I don’t know where she is! I swear!” The child whimpered hysterically. “I saw Mrs. Connaught around the corner, and I followed her out.”
Bettina sought out Lorna in the crowd. “Lorna, can you remember your path through the maze?”
Lorna sat up straight. The maze had been fun, but it was also an exhausting puzzle. The rows of corn, eight feet high, zigged and zagged for a quarter of a mile. But seeing the sheer terror in her sister-in-law’s eyes, it was the last thing she dared to admit.
Instead, she said, “I’ll find her, Bettina. I promise.”
***
It was Ally’s idea to have Lorna synchronize the GPS signal of her smart phone to be viewed by Ally’s cell phone at all times. That way, when—not if —she found her niece, they could be guided out safely.
Before heading into the maze, Lorna handed Dante to Jade. She was close to tears. Lorna could imagine Jade saw her place in the club vanish along with Lily. A traumatized child, especially Bettina’s, would certainly earn Jade ongoing persona non grata status within the club, if not outright
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