Mac slowly entered the living room again. She was a sight to behold. Her long purple dress-up dress rustled as she walked slowly across the carpet. A veil of filmy pink chiffon fabric covered her face and was held in place by a gold cardboard crown. Rows of beads from the dress-up box circled her neck, and the sparkly silver slippers on her feet completed her outfit. “I’m Queen Esther!” Mac announced, twirling in front of Mom. “Do you think I’m beautiful?”
Trevor Paul Monroe opened his eyes. He was wide awake and full of energy. How strange to be absolutely asleep one minute and completely awake the next!
Hannah raised her hand. “Can we do something special? I mean, since our class is in charge of the potluck, could we do something so people would think it was extra special?”
Hannah Maria Estevez was dreaming. A giant fly buzzed around and around her head. She took aim and swatted at it. Hannah Maria Estevez hit herself in the nose. She abruptly woke up!
“Remember to be polite!” Mom called from the kitchen. “Make sure it’s convenient for you to go over to Joseph’s this morning. Joseph and G.M. (Grandma Maddie) may already have other plans.”
Joseph Anderson Donetti sighed and rolled over in bed. He cracked one eye and peeked at the summer sunshine spilling around the edges of the window shades into his bedroom. He yawned and stretched mightily.
MacKenzie Isabelle Evans sat cross-legged on an old quilt on the grass and leaned back against one leg of the lawn chair where Mom rested. Mac sighed. She felt as if she could sit happily in that same spot forever, surrounded by her Kansas kin.
MacKenzie Isabelle Evans heard the telephone ring, but she paid no attention to it. That is, until she heard Grandma say to somebody on the other end of the line, “I’m sure she’d love to go horseback riding this morning.”
MacKenzie Isabelle Evans pressed her nose against the back seat window of the car. She watched the flat land of Kansas slide by outside. “How much farther is it?” she asked. “Are we almost there yet?”
Dad looked across the table at Mom. “When was the last time she was this quiet?” he asked. “She hasn’t said anything for at least five minutes.”
