Star (Wildflowers 2)

you wait too long for pity, you'll miss the train to

happiness."

They all smiled, even Cat. Everyone looked a

lot more comfortable. It was like we were all trying

each other on for size, making adjustments here and

there and finding ways to make it work.

"Your granny sounds like a wise old lady," Jade

said.

"She is. Well, I guess I am hungry," I said. "Least we'll get something out of this, lunch. I ho

pe I

didn't spoil anyone's appetite."

"Not mine 1" Misty blurted and put her hand

over her mouth.

And then we all laughed.

It felt good, like some of that sunshine after the

storm Granny always expected.

3

Doctor Marlowe had a table set up for us in her closed- in back patio. There were large windows facing the pool and yard and a sliding door. It was still raining lightly, the drops zigzagging to outline odd shapes on the glass. Birds flitted from tree to tree, probably excited by the sight of worms that had come out of the dampened earth. The birds were about to enjoy a little feast too, I thought. When I caught sight of my reflection in the glass, I saw I had a smile on my face. It happened so rarely these days, it took me by surprise and I touched my cheek as if to be sure it was me.

I don't often look at birds, I thought. I know they are there where we live with Granny, but I just don't take the time to notice or care. Here, with such beautiful grounds, bushes, hedges, flowers and a small fountain, I felt different, almost as if I was out of the city. I imagined it wasn't as big a deal for the others. They looked like they took it all for granted . . . big houses, birds, trees, flowers and fountains.

"I see your gardener took out those oleanders," Jade said, remembering what Doctor Marlowe had told us the day before. "Yes. I hated to see them go, but they were dying and had to be replaced."

"My mother doesn't know one flower or bush from the other on our property. She only knows they cost a lot," Misty muttered. "She deliberately got a new gardener recently who's more expensive." She smiled and added, "Because it's part of the agreement she has with Daddy that he has to maintain the property. That was one wham-barn of an argument-- the new gardener," she told us gleefully. She had a mischievous looking little smile on her face.

Sophie brought out a jug of lemonade and the pizzas. It occurred to me that if we weren't brought here by our parents, courts and schools, the chances of the four of us sitting around a table and having lunch together were almost as small as Granny winning the lottery. Maybe we had passed each other in some mall or in the lobby of some movie theater, but I was sure we had never looked at each other and actually seen each other. Up until now we were as good as invisible to each other.

"I wasn't sure if everyone liked pizza," Doctor Marlowe said as she took a seat. "It's just a good bet."

"I eat everything," Misty said.

It was something I would have expected Cat to say. She was the one who looked like she could afford to shed some pounds. However, when she ate, she ate like a mouse, nibbling with hesitation like she thought she was going to be caught doing something illegal.

"Of course, my mother thinks that's terrible," Misty continued. "She has this list of foods she pinned on the wall in the kitchen. She calls it her Ten Most Wanted No-Nos because they will wreak havoc on your complexion and make you fat. Pizza is at the top of the list," she said, and bit into her piece with added pleasure.

"Momma gave my brother Rodney leftover pizza for breakfast sometimes," I said.

"You're kidding. For breakfast? Did she at least give him a daily vitamin?" Misty asked.

I looked at her as if she was crazy.

"You look pretty good. What's your brother's health like?" Jade asked.