"I should move in here with you." "Move in here?"
"Yes. I sleep on a sofa now, and I have about as much privacy as a goldfish. Granddad is always complaining about how much time I take in the bathroom. We've only got one. Besides. I can see where you need me around more. Your neat-aunt is more than a handful. I know I can convince my mother. I'll promise to do all the housework here. We both will. She'll be happy about that and take my side against my granddad in case he puts up opposition."
She paused and looked up at me.
"Why don't you say something? Don't you want me to move in with you?"
"Yes," I said, even though I wasn't really sure I did. I'd never even had anyone sleep over for a night when I was at Grandmother Emma's, and sometimes Ian had been so involved in his projects. I hadn't seen him much at all.
"We have a lot to do. It's best that I'm here." Alanis said, nodding like someone convincing herself.
She rose quickly and went to the closet. "What is all this?"
"My Great-aunt's things."
"Well, why are they in your room?"
"This was once her room and she hasn't gotten around to getting her things out. She said some of it could fit me or you. She told me she would give away whatever didn't fit us."
"I wouldn't be caught dead wearing any of this," Alanis said, sifting through the clothes. "And neither should you, C'mon. Let's get it all out of here so there's room for my things. too."
She started to pull clothing off hangers and toss garments onto my bed. When she started on the shoes and boxes on the closet floor. I lunged forward, realizing she would discover the bag of Ian's letters.
"What's that?" she asked when I took it out quickly.
"Nothing," I said.
"It can't be nothing."
"Just same old letters I kept.'
"From who? Your brother?" she followed quickly.
"Yes, but I'm not supposed to let anyone else read them. I'm not!" I said firmly, tears coming to my eves.
"Okay, don't bust a blood vessel. I won't read them. I'm sure they would be boring anyway." She paused, then turned back to me. "Isn't there a return address on the letters? That'll tell you where he is."
I shook my head.
"Someone ripped it off all the envelopes."
"Who would have done that? The Grandmother from Hell?"
"I don't know," I said.
"Whatever," she said and shrugged as she went to the dresser drawers. "I can't believe she left all this in here." She started flinging things out of the drawers, "I'll need at least three of these drawers. Put some of this in that carton now," she told me. "I'll get some big garbage bags for the rest and we'll take it all down to the basement. Aren't you excited about us being together all the time?" she asked when I just stood there clinging to the bag of letters and looking at the clothing on the floor.
I nodded.
"You don't look very excited. But don't worry," she said, smiling and tapping the book Ian had given me. "I'll show you how to get excited. Okay, I'm heading over to Granddad's to break the news to them. I'm telling them you asked me to stay here, so go down and tell your great-aunt you did and ask her if it's okay."
"What if she says no?'
"She won't. Tell her I'm helping with the housework, the cooking, everything, and with your homework, too! Don't forget that. She likes the idea of my being your big sister. This is perfect," she said, looking around the room. "The bed's certainly big enough for both of us."
"The bathroom's very small," I said. "There's hardly room for my things."
"Don't worry about it." She looked at the book. "For now, let's keep this under the bed." She slipped it under. "I'll be back with the garbage bags. Don't just stand there. Get everything in a pile and go down to tell your great-aunt."