"This isn't my first time staying here, Aunt Zipporah. I don't need to get acclimated."
"No, but you've been through a lot more than
you might realize. And here you are putting down
stakes in a new world. You deserve some time to
yourself, honey. Besides, I want you to start thinking
how you would fix up the room to your liking.
Change anything you want and let me know what else
you need, lamps, pillows, anything. The room is never
used until you're here anyway. Tyler's parents are both
gone, and his sister lives in Canada, as you know." "I don't have to change anything," I said. "You'll see. You're going to be living in that
room for quite a while now," she said. "I don't want
you just to be comfortable. I want you to like where
you are," she added. It almost sounded like a warning. "Okay, Aunt Zipporah."
She paused, put her hands on her hips and
squinted at me with a half smile on her face. "You know what, Alice. I know it's a sign of
respect and everything, but you don't have to call me
Aunt Zipporah all the time. You can just call me
Zipporah. Besides, I'd like us to be friends more than
relatives, if you know what I mean."
I smiled. "Yes, I do. Thanks."
"That's nice to see, Alice."
"What is?"
"Your smil
e," she said. She gave me a kiss on
the cheek and I went to my room.
I finished unpacking what I had brought and
thought about what Aunt Zipporah asked me to do. I
knew that my grandmother was always itching to get
her hands on the inside of this house. Whenever we
had made a trip here and were heading home, she