Into the Woods (DeBeers 4)

"I lease it along with a few other people," Winston explained. "Now you see why we had to have something special to wear tonight, Grace," Mommy said. She looked as if she was high on same powerful drug. Her eyes were shifting back and forth as she visually digested every little detail. We were offered something to drink. Mommy and Winston had champagne cocktails. Mommy said I could have one, too. but I chose a soft drink. My stomach was doing flip-flops as it was. and I knew what one alcoholic beverage could do to me.

Minutes later we were off. and I gazed out the window at the lights below. I thought I should pinch myself to see if this was all really happening. Less than an hour later we were being driven to a beautiful hotel and a restaurant where there was a huge aquarium right in the dining room. We had the table that provided the best view. The staff fawned over us. The moment we lifted our eyes someone was there to ask if we needed anything. Surely kings and queens, princes and princesses, aren't treated any more regally, I thought.

I could see that Winston truly enjoyed seeing the excitement, surprise, and pleasure in Mommy's and my faces. Despite his wealth and position, he spoke to everyone respectfully, no matter how low his or her rung on the ladder of service. It was also obvious that he was well blown here and everyone truly liked him.

There was music at the restaurant, and during a lull in our dinner Winston asked Mommy to dance. She glanced at me nervously for a second and then smiled and went with him to the dance floor. As I watched them I thought about the way

Daddy and she looked whenever I saw them dancing together. It would take them only a few moments to glide harmoniously into each other's movements, so that they soon looked like

professionals. I was always taken with how other people were drawn to them and smiled softly to themselves.

Mommy and Winston looked quite formal, but he was a graceful dancer who never lost his

sophisticated elegance. They chatted as they danced. I wandered how they would be if I wasn't there watching them so closely.

Just before dessert was served. Winston surprised me again, this time by asking me to dance with him. The music was quite a bit more upbeat. I started to shake my head.

"Oh, go on. Grace. Have fun. You can do this sort of dance better than I can. Go on."

Winston was up, holding his hand out to me. "Mademoiselle, may I?"

It wasn't just that I was shy. Daddy always made sure to ask me to dance whenever I was with them at any occasion where we could dance..

"Hey, Sailor Girl," he would say, "let's you and I show them how it's done."

I stared at Winston Montgomery's hand, and then I swallowed away my tightened throat and took his fingers. They closed so quickly on mine it was as if I had stuck them into a trap. He escorted me to the floor, looking prim and proper, and then, without any warning, began to dance like a teenager. I couldn't help but laugh and get into it myself. When I looked at Mommy she was laughing so hard I could see tears of happiness streaking down her cheeks.

"How did we do?" Winston asked her when the sonc, ended.

"You blew everyone else off the floor." she said, then reached for me and kissed my cheek. "You look so beautiful. Grace. I just want to cry."

She sat beside me on the plane afterward, and I rested my head against her shoulder. Everything about the evening still seemed unreal. magical. The limousine was there waiting for us on arrival, and moments later we were heading for home.

"Go on ahead," Mommy said when we pulled up and the driver opened the door.

I left her speaking softly to Winston and went into our condo. The light on our answering machine was blinking. I had just turned on the playback when Mommy entered behind me.

There was a beep and then Dallas's voice. She was almost impossible to understand because she was speaking through tears and sobs.

"Jackie... Phoebe was in a terrible car accident. She's alive, but a boy in the car was killed... the police told Warren she was high on pot. They found it in the car... she's in intensive care... Warren is beside himself"

Mommy held her hands between her breasts and looked at me.

"I know the boy, too. Mommy. I'm sure it was Roger Winston, the boy you saw with her at the restaurant. Oh. Mommy..."

She hugged me. and we held on to each other for a few moments.

"I'd better call Dallas," she said.

I nodded and went to my room. All the fun, the excitement, the wonder of the evening leaked out of my body like air from a punctured balloon. I sat on my bed and stared at the floor. No matter how mean Phoebe was to me and to Mommy. I couldn't hate her enough to take any pleasure in this. and Roger, so handsome, with so much ahead of him...

Nearly ten minutes lat

er Mommy came to my door. I was still sitting on the bed. dazed.

She looked even more terrible than she had before. "Is Phoebe dead. too?" I asked quickly.

"No." she said. "But the boy who was killed... it wasn't Roger Winston, honey, I'm sorry. It was Randy Walker. He was in the rear seat, but he was thrown forward and into the windshield."