Night Road(92)

Grace wasn’t happy.

No.

Grace might be unhappy, and that changed everything.

There would be an empty seat on the Florida-bound bus today.





Twenty





Grace sat in the backseat of the car, feeling very small.

“How was school today?” Nana asked without looking in the rearview mirror.

“Okay, I guess.”

“Did you make any new friends?”

Grace hated that question. Her grandmother asked it all the time. “I am queen of the kindergarten. Allison Shunt is making me a crown.”

“Really? That’s wonderful.”

“I guess.” Grace sighed. It was wonderful, for Stephanie, who really was the queen of the kindergarten. She stared down into the little magic mirror on her wrist, wishing Ariel would come to visit her, but the circle was blank.

Ariel, she mouthed. I’m lonely.

Nothing.

Grace rested her head on the car seat’s fluffy side and stared out the window, watching the big green trees blur past. They drove up one street and down another and around a big corner, and then they were home.

Nana drove carefully down the dirt driveway to the cabin.

Grace waited patiently to be let out of her car seat, and, once freed, she grabbed her backpack and followed Nana up the gravel path to their front door.

Inside, she heard Nana mutter something under her breath as she start picking up stuff. Nana didn’t like Daddy to leave clothes lying around, and she hated Gracie’s toys.

Grace turned on the TV and climbed up onto the sofa to wait for her daddy. When Nana wasn’t looking, she sucked her thumb. She knew it was a babyish thing to do, but Nana made her nervous and sucking her thumb helped.

“Grace?” Nana said.

Grace pulled the thumb out of her mouth. “I wasn’t sucking my thumb. I was biting my fingernail. Is that bad, too?”

Nana frowned, and Grace felt her heart beat faster again, a sick feeling settled in her tummy.

Nana came closer. “There’s nothing wrong with sucking your thumb, Grace.”

Her voice was sweet and silky, like honey, and Grace felt herself starting to smile. “Really?”

“Maybe I should try it.”

Grace giggled. “It makes me feel better.”

“God knows that’s a good thing.”

“You said there was no God. That’s what you told Daddy when he wanted to go to the cemetery.”

Nana’s smile faded. “I’m going to make dinner now.”

Grace knew immediately that she’d done something bad again. She wanted to suck her thumb, but instead she dragged her blanket into her lap and sat there, watching Nana cook. No one said anything for the longest time. Grace kept looking down at her wrist mirror, whispering Ariel’s name, but her friend was gone.

For the next two hours it was just Grace and her grandmother, together in this small house, hardly ever talking.

Then, finally, Daddy was home. Grace heard his car drive up, saw the headlights flash light into the house. She jumped down from the sofa and ran for the front door.

“Daddy!” she yelled when he came into the house. He dropped his big backpack and scooped her into his arms. Just like that, her world righted itself.

He kissed her cheek. “How’s my girl?”

“I’m good, Daddy.”

He smiled at that, but she could see how tired he was. His eyelids were kind of saggy, and he’d forgotten to comb his hair again today.

“Hey, Mom,” he said. “Something smells good.”

Nana came into the room. She was wiping her hands on a towel, but that was stupid because she never made a mess or got dirty. “Meatloaf and au gratin potatoes. The salad is in the fridge.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” he said, starting to loosen his hold on Grace.

She clung to him like a cobweb. “I love you, Daddy,” she said.

“I love you, too, Princess.”

Nana came closer. She peered at Daddy, her pretty face turning into another frown. “You aren’t sleeping.”

“Finals,” he said.

Grace didn’t understand. Of course he wasn’t sleeping. He just got home. “Are we gonna play rodeo tonight, Daddy?” That was her favorite. She got to ride on his back while he bucked her high into the air.

“Maybe Grace should stay with us tonight,” Nana said.

Grace tightened her hold on her daddy. “I won’t bother you, Daddy. I promise. I’ll let you study.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Daddy said, “but we’re good.”

Nana gave him a long steady look, and then shrugged. “Okay. I’ll be here before eight to pick her up. Don’t stay up too late.”

Grace felt a rush of relief when Nana was gone. She didn’t quite know why, but her grandmother scared her. It was like playing with someone’s extraspecial toy, you were always afraid you were going to accidentally break it.

She looked at her daddy and saw how tired he was. She hated when he got quiet. “They made me the queen of kindergarten,” she said, hoping to make him proud.

“Even after you punched Austin?”

“No one likes him, Daddy. They were glad I punched him.”

“What is it, the Lord of the Flies day care?”