Dawn (Cutler 1)

"What are you doing here?" Clara Sue sniffed disdainfully. She inspected me from head to toe. "Why does that outfit look so familiar? Oh, yes!" she laughed gaily. "It was mine before I decided to throw it out. Shall we call you 'Second-Hand Dawn' from now on? It seems like you're always settling for seconds. Clothing, family." She laughed cruelly.

Philip gave Clara Sue a dark look. "You sound jealous, Clara Sue. Could it be that your outfit looks much better on Dawn than it ever did on you?" he said, coming to my defense.

"Thank you," I said to Philip. "And thank you, Clara Sue." I was determined not to let Clara Sue's pettiness bother me. "I never owned anything so pretty before."

"It must be hard getting used to silk when you've only worn burlap for years," Clara Sue said sweetly.

I bit my tongue and turned to Philip. "What did you buy for Grandm

other?"

"Perfume," he proudly boasted. "It's her favorite. It costs a hundred dollars a bottle."

"I bought her a handmade vase," Clara Sue threw in, shoving herself between me and Philip. "It was made in China. What did you get her?"

"I didn't have enough time or money to buy her a present," I admitted, "so I'm going to sing her a song."

"A song?" Clara Sue looked at me blandly. "A song? You've got to be kidding!"

"Yes, a song. What's wrong with that?" I could feel myself turning red. Maybe I should have brought Grandmother Cutler something. There was still time. I could get a bouquet of flowers in the hotel gift shop.

"You can't be serious!" Clara Sue exclaimed. "What's the matter? You too cheap?"

"I'm not cheap!" I told her. "I told you why I don't have a present. Besides, it's the thought that counts."

"Some thought," Clara Sue snorted. "An off-key tune. Whooppee!"

"That's enough, Clara Sue," Philip ordered sharply. "Dawn's right. It's the thought that counts."

I gave Philip a grateful smile as we moved closer up. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

He gave me a wink. "Don't worry. You'll knock her socks off."

After half an hour we reached Grandmother Cutler. Both my parents were at her side, looking exceptionally nice. My father gave me a smile while my mother stared at me nervously.

Philip was the first to approach Grandmother. She opened his present slowly, being careful not to rip the paper. After finding the bottle of perfume, she dabbed some on her wrists and neck, inhaling the scent while giving Philip a big smile.

"Thank you, Philip. You know how much I adore this scent."

Clara Sue was next, and Grandmother once again opened the package slowly, removing a very pretty vase with an Oriental design from a mass of pink tissue paper.

"It's exquisite, Clara Sue," she raved. "Exquisite! It will look lovely in my bedroom."

Clara Sue nudged me in the side. "Let's see you top that with your dinky little song," she whispered before heading to kiss Grandmother Cutler on the cheek.

Now it was my turn. Butterflies fluttered around my stomach, but I ignored them as I stepped up to Grandmother Cutler, a tentative smile on my face.

"This is a surprise," she said, looking down at me from the ornately carved chair she sat upon. She held out her hands, expecting a gift to be placed in them. "Well?" she coldly asked.

I nervously cleared my throat. "My gift isn't wrapped, Grandmother."

She looked at me strangely. "It isn't?"

"No." I took a deep breath. "I'm going to sing you a song. That's my present to you."

Taking a deep breath, I launched into the song I had chosen to sing. It was my very favorite, "Over the Rainbow," the song I felt I sang with the most confidence. Suddenly I was no longer in Cutler's Cove, but over the rainbow. In the land of my dreams. I was back with Momma and Daddy, and Jimmy and Fern. We were all together, safe and happy. Nothing would ever tear us apart.

When I finished the song, there was a tear in my eye. The crowd broke into applause and I smiled at everyone. My parents and Philip were even clapping, although Clara Sue wasn't. I turned to Grandmother Cutler. She was also clapping, but it wasn't because she was proud of me. Oh no! She was only doing this for appearance, because others were around. Her eyes glared at me icily and although there was a smile on her lips, her face was devoid of emotion. Frozen solid and as sleek as a chunk of granite.