Mary, Mary (Alex Cross 11)

“Can we get those?” he asked hopefully. “Can we please, please, please?”

“No, I’m sorry, sweetie. Mommy doesn’t have enough money for that. Not this trip. Next time for sure.”

She wondered suddenly why she hadn’t thought to pack sandwiches. The trip to Disney was going to cost far more than she could afford. If something went wrong at home between now and her next paycheck, she’d be in deep doo-doo.

But that was just more to worry about. Stop. Stop. Not today. Don’t ruin everything, Marsey-doats.

“I know just what we should do,” she said gently, taking the map from their hands.

Shortly, they were floating through the It’s a Small World boat ride, something Mary hadn’t done since she was Brendan’s age.

But it was still the same, and that was comforting. The cool and the dark were as soothing as she remembered, and she still loved all the smiling animatronic faces that never changed. There was something reassuring about the ride, about Disneyland. She loved being here with the kids, and she’d kept her promise.

“Look at that!” Brendan squealed, pointing to a jolly-looking Eskimo family, waving from their snow-covered home.

Brendan and Ashley probably didn’t even remember snow, she realized, and Adam had never seen it at all. The gray and the endless cold from back home were like another world now, like the black-and-white part of The Wizard of Oz. Except Dorothy went back, and Mary never would. Never again. No more snow-covered mountains. It was all a million miles away, right where it belonged. From now on it was going to be nothing but California sunshine—and smiling Eskimos, and Goofy.

“Excuse me, ma’am, please step out,” said an attendant, breaking her reverie.

“Mommy!”

Mary winced in frustration. She had missed out on half the ride, thinking about other things. What was the last part she remembered? The Eskimo family. Snow. Oh, yes, snow.

“Ma’am? Please. Others are waiting.”

Mary looked up at the uniformed worker, who gave her a look of utter politeness.

“Can we go around again?” she asked.

He smiled obligingly. “Sorry, but we’re not allowed to let people do that. You’ll have to get back in line.”

“Let’s go!” Brendan cried. “C’mon, Mommy. No scenes. Please?”

“All right, all right,” Mary said. Her voice was tense, and she was a little embarrassed.

She winked to the attendant. “Kids,” she said conspiratorially, then jogged across the platform to catch up with her crew, her lovies.

Chapter 84

LUNCHTIME CAME QUICKLY, and Mary was terribly disappointed to find she had only twelve dollars and change in her purse. A small pizza and a drink to share were going to have to be it for herself and the kids.

“There’s green stuff on it,” Ashley said as Mary set the food on the table.

“It doesn’t taste like anything,” she said. She wiped away the flecks of oregano with her napkin. “There. All the green’s gone, all gone now.”

“It’s under the cheese, too. I don’t want it, Mommy. I’m hungry, I’m really hungry!”

“Sweetie, this is lunch. There won’t be anything else until we get home.”

“I don’t care.”

“Ashley.”

“No!”

Mary took a deep breath and counted to five. She tried to get control of herself, tried so hard. “Look at your brother. He likes it. It’s so yummy.”

Brendan smiled and took another bite, the picture of obedience. Ashley only ducked her chin and completely avoided Mary’s eye contact.