would you like to come live with Sanford and myself, Janet? You'll have your own room, and a very large and comfortable one, too. You'll attend a private school. We'll buy you an entirely new wardrobe, including new shoes. You'll have a separate area in your room for your schoolwork and you'll have your own bathroom. I'm sure you'll like our house. We live just outside of Albany with a yard as large, if not
larger than you have here."
"That sounds wonderful' Mrs. McGuire said as
if she were the one being offered the new home, but
Mrs. Delorice didn't seem at all interested in what she
said. Instead she stared at me and waited for my
response.
"Janet?" Mrs. McGuire questioned when a long
moment of silence had passed.
How could I ever refuse this, and yet when I
looked up at Sanford and back at Celine, I couldn't
help feeling little footsteps of trepidation tiptoeing
across my heart. I pushed the shadowy faces out of
my mind, glanced at Mrs. McGuire, and then nodded. "I'd like that," I said, wishing I was as good as
Mrs. McGuire at faking a smile.
"Good," Celine declared. She spun her chair
around to face Mrs. McGuire. "How soon can she
leave?"
"Well, we have some paperwork to do.
However, knowing all that we already know about
you and your husband, your impressive references, the
social worker's report, et cetera, I suppose . . ." "Can we take her with us today?" Celine demanded impatiently.
My heart skipped a beat. Today? That fast? For once Mrs. McGuire was at a logs for words. "I imagine that could be done," she finally
replied.
"Good," she said. "Sanford, why don't you stay
with Mrs. McGuire and fill out whatever paperwork
has to be filled out. Janet and I can go outside and get
more acquainted in the meantime," she said. It was
supposed to be a suggestion, I guess, but it sounded
like an order to me. I looked at Mr. Delorice and