Awake and Dreaming - Kit Pearson [20]
Now Lisbeth was asking Theo where she lived. She had to say something. “I—uh—my mother and I live in Vancouver. We’re going to Victoria to visit my aunt.” That seemed to satisfy them.
“Do you like iguanas?” asked Ben.
“I guess so,” said Theo with surprise. She wasn’t quite sure what an iguana was. Some kind of lizard?
“I have a huge iguana. He’s this long.” He held out his arms as far as they would go. “His name’s Mortimer.”
Lisbeth put her mouth close to Theo’s ear. “He doesn’t really have an iguana,” she whispered. “He just pretends he does, because our parents say he’s not old enough for one.”
Ben frowned at her. “Mortimer’s fierce. He’s as fierce as a—as a tyrannosaurus rex! Bingo’s afraid of him. That’s our dog. He’s in the car because dogs aren’t allowed upstairs on the ferry.”
“I have a guinea pig,” said Lisbeth. “Her name’s Snow White and she’s going to have babies.”
“I don’t think she is, Lisbeth,” said John. He grinned at Anna. “You need two guinea pigs for babies. I think she’s just fat.”
“She’s having babies,” insisted Lisbeth. “About six or seven, I think. All their names are going to be after the seven dwarves. Grumpy and Sleepy and Dopey and—”
Anna interrupted her. “We have a cat, too. He’s called Beardsley.”
“I have sixteen fish,” said John. He looked worried. “I hope the Mitchells remembered to come in and feed them.”
Theo’s ears and eyes couldn’t stretch large enough to take all of this in. She sat quietly in the middle of the group, feeling amazingly relaxed.
Lisbeth’s violet-blue eyes were looking at her curiously. “How old are you?”
“Nine,” said Theo.
“I’m seven,” said Lisbeth. “Ben is only four. Anna’s ten and John’s twelve. In the fall he’ll be a teenager! He’ll start staying out late and getting into trouble.”
John frowned. “You’re the one who’s trouble.”
Theo continued to let their banter wash over her like a warm wave. This was it! This was the family she’d dreamed about. She ached to belong to them—to be their sister.
But how could she? Magic was only in stories. She couldn’t wish to belong to them and have it come true. Her emptiness twitched at her, as if it were reminding her that it was still there—that she didn’t belong anywhere.
There wasn’t time to worry about it. At the moment, at least, this family seemed to accept Theo as part of them. They swept her along in their energy.
“We’re almost at Active Pass—let’s go outside,” said John.
“Come on!” said Ben. He grabbed Theo’s hand—the second time one of them had touched her. His palm was pudgy and hot.
“Can you?” asked Anna. “Should you ask your mother?”
Rae. Theo had completely forgotten her. “She’s already outside, having a cigarette,” she told them. “But she said—she said I could go and look for her when I wanted,” she finished quickly.
“Then let’s go!” said Lisbeth.
“Bring your jacket, Theo. We have to get ours,” said Anna.
Theo snatched up her jacket and followed them down the aisle, to a man and woman sitting near the back. They looked up from their books and smiled.
“This is our brand new friend,” said Lisbeth.
“Her name’s Theo,” said Ben.
“How do you do, Theo?” The woman leaned forward and shook her hand as if she were a grown-up. “I’m Laura Rice and this is my husband, Dan Kaldor.” They looked as perfect as their children. Laura was small, with tidy brown hair. Dan was round and rumpled-looking, with a beard and glasses.
“We’re going out,” said Anna, pulling on a purple fleece jacket.
“Do your parents know where you are, Theo?” Laura asked.
“Her mother’s already on the deck—we’re going to look for her,” said John.
“Okay. Be sure to stay together,” said Dan.
The five of them raced out to the deck.
THEY STOOD IN A ROW by the railing, the icy wind whipping back their hair. Beyond them was a tossing kaleidoscope of water and land and sky. The huge boat was making its way towards a channel between two rocky islands studded with firs and small houses. The sea was almost the same grey-blue as the sky; fishing boats bobbed on its swelling surface.
Another long white ferry was approaching