Twenty Wishes (Blossom Street #5)(34)

“That would be very nice. Thank you, Ellen.”

The child waited for her turn and poured Anne Marie a small paper cup full of juice, which appeared to be some watered-down fruit punch. She also brought her two small cookies, definitely a store-bought variety.

“You didn’t get anything for yourself,” Anne Marie said.

“That’s because you’re supposed to serve your guests first,” Ellen informed her solemnly.

“Of course,” Anne Marie murmured. “I must’ve forgotten my manners.”

Silently Ellen stood next to her.

Anne Marie bent down and whispered, “What’s going to happen next?”

“Nothing,” Ellen said. “You’re supposed to drink your juice and eat your cookies.”

“Okay.” Anne Marie sampled a cookie, which crumbled in her mouth at the first bite. She washed it down with a gulp of juice that was far too sweet. Ellen waited until Anne Marie had finished before she returned to the refreshment table and poured a second cup of juice and took two small cookies for herself.

“Baxter wanted me to tell you hello,” Anne Marie said when she came back.

Ellen swallowed the cookie she was chewing and nodded. “He’s a good dog.”

“A little spoiled, though.”

“I’ll teach him how to roll over the next time you bring him to school,” Ellen promised. “I got a book from the library and I read about teaching dogs tricks. Baxter’s smart and I know how to get him to roll over.”

“I hope you can show me how to teach him, too.”

“I will,” Ellen said.

“I’ve tried to teach Baxter new tricks, but he doesn’t seem to understand the concept.” Anne Marie felt it only fair to warn Ellen; she didn’t want to discourage the girl, nor did she want her to think it would be an easy task.

One of the other mothers glanced speculatively at Anne Marie and Ellen and moved toward them. “Are you Ellen’s mom?” she asked Anne Marie.

“Actually, no, I’m her friend.”

“Anne Marie is my Lunch Buddy,” Ellen explained proudly. “She brought her dog for me to meet.”

“Oh.” The other woman drew a tiny long-haired girl close to her side. “I’m Shelly Lombard and this is my daughter, Cassie. She’s friends with Ellen.”

“Hi, Shelly, Cassie,” Anne Marie said, smiling. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“I wanted to ask if Ellen could come over for a play date one afternoon. Would that be possible?”

This wasn’t something Anne Marie could answer. “You’ll have to ask her grandmother.”

“Ellen lives with her grandmother, then?”

Anne Marie nodded.

“Oh…well, I don’t know if that would work. I was actually hoping we could exchange play dates once in a while.”

“I see.”

“It’s just that occasionally I have an appointment after school and it’s difficult to find someone to look after Cassie for just an hour or two.”

“You could always ask her grandmother,” Anne Marie said a second time.

“Yes, of course, but if she couldn’t arrange to come for Ellen’s performance, it’s unlikely she’d be up to looking after an extra child.”

Shelly had a point. Anne Marie remembered Ellen’s saying that her grandmother slept a lot, which made her wonder if the woman was ill.

Shelly drifted away to chat with another parent. Anne Marie wanted to leave but she could tell that Ellen was desperate for her to stay. She searched for a topic of conversation.

“Would you like to show me your schoolwork?” Anne Marie asked. She remembered that during her brief orientation, this was an option suggested for Lunch Buddies.

“Okay.” Ellen sat in her small chair and opened her desk to retrieve a notebook. Everything inside was impeccably organized.

Ellen set the notebook on top and flipped it open for Anne Marie to examine. On nearly every page the teacher had written a comment praising Ellen’s work.

“You’re an excellent student,” Anne Marie said.

“Grandma Dolores makes me study every night.” Ellen didn’t seem happy about this.

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

“I guess.” Ellen shrugged.

“Then you get to watch TV, right? That’s what you told me before.”

She bobbed her head. “We watch shows on the religion channel.”

“What about cartoons?”

“Grandma Dolores doesn’t think cartoons are good for kids. She saw South Park once and got upset. She hid my face in her apron and started praying to Jesus.”

Anne Marie bit her lip, trying not to smile.

A buzzer rang, announcing the end of the school day. In short order, children and parents began to vacate the classroom. Ellen looked up at Anne Marie. “I need to catch my bus.”

“Would you like me to walk outside with you?”

“Yes, please.”

While Ellen put on her coat and gathered her things, Anne Marie went to introduce herself to the teacher. Ms. Peterski smiled at Anne Marie. “I’m so pleased you could come.”

“I am, too,” she said and she meant it.