"What do you want?"
"I came to say good-bye."
"Good-bye," she said and started to close the door.
"Why are you mad at me?" I asked. She held the door and looked down.
"I ain't mad at you. I'm just mad I got to come back here."
"Where else could you go?"
She looked up sharply.
"That's what I mean, stupid. I got no place to go. I got no rich family looking after me,"
I winced and her face softened.
"It's not my fault." I said. It seemed silly to say it. How could it possibly be my fault? But I didn't know what else to tell her.
"I'm not saying it is. I said I'm not mad at you," She looked toward the limousine. "Where you going?"
"I'm going back to live with my father. I'm sure you could come visit. Maybe you could come with Great-aunt Frances when she's well enough." "She's not your great-aunt."
"I know." I said. Now I was looking down. "You didn't tell, did you? Well?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. I didn't know what to say."
"It's not hard. You say that woman back at the mansion is not your mother. Daddy. She's your aunt and the woman you think is your aunt is your mother."
"I know," I said.
"You look like a big girl, but you're still a baby."
"No. I'm not. I just don't want to hurt anyone," I said. I saw her expression soften again.
"Well, my granddad got no right to be so mad at me for taking you to see Mrs. DeM
arco. You had a right to know the truth.
What you do with it is your own business. I suppose, but he's got no right to be punishing me. Am I right? Well? Am I?"
"Yes," I said. She softened some more and stepped out on the porch.
"You're going back to that big mansion. huh? You going to attend a private school again, too?" "Probably."
"We both got screwed-up families," she said. "but it don't hurt none to be the rich one."
"I didn't mind living here. We were having lots of fun."
She studied me to be sure I wasn't just saying it, and then she let go of her grip on a smile, let it out and nodded.
"I usually have a lot of fun no matter what." "I'm glad you're my friend."
"Yeah. yeah." She waved her hand to shoo off a fly.