Awake and Dreaming - Kit Pearson [47]
Laura came back into the living-room. “Your Aunt Sharon is shocked of course, but she’s not angry at you, Theo. Let’s get you into the car—can you walk?”
Theo struggled to her feet and let them help her into the car. They all wanted to come, but only Laura and Anna took her to the clinic. A doctor prodded her and took her pulse. “You’re fine,” she said. “Just take it easy for the rest of the day. Sometimes people faint for no reason. If it happens again, though, be sure to go to your own doctor, all right?”
“All right,” whispered Theo.
Anna was as friendly as she had been when Theo had first met her on the ferry. “How long have you lived in Victoria? What school do you go to?” she asked on the way to Sharon’s.
Theo answered in spurts, still shocked that Anna didn’t know her.
They both walked her into the apartment. “Oh, Theo!” cried Sharon, forgetting her cold and kissing her many times. “Thank you,” she told Laura fervently. “I don’t know what made her do such a thing. She’s usually so well behaved!”
Laura smiled. “You can’t always predict what they’ll do. Believe me, I know—I have four!”
“Won’t you stay and have coffee?” asked Sharon. She’d got dressed and tidied away all the tissues and glasses.
She and Laura sat on the couch while Laura told Sharon what the doctor had said. Theo and Anna sat on the rug nibbling cookies.
Theo couldn’t speak, but Anna whispered, “Aren’t grown-ups boring? I think it was really brave of you to go somewhere on your own. Once my older brother and I sneaked out at night and played in the cemetery! It was really spooky. We got back without being caught and no one ever found out!”
She tossed back her shining cap of hair and gave the same rich laugh she had always had. A thrill went through Theo. It was awful that Anna didn’t remember her, but she was Anna—she really existed!
“What are you two muttering about?” smiled Laura. “I think we’d better go, Anna. I hope you’ll be all right, now, Theo. It was nice to meet you, Sharon.” She shook hands with both of them and they left, Anna winking at Theo over her shoulder.
Theo almost ran after them. “Don’t go!” she wanted to call. “I’ve just found you again!” She stood in the doorway until Sharon’s voice made her turn around.
Sharon was quivering. Theo braced herself; would her aunt hit her?
But instead of being angry Sharon broke into sobs. “Oh, Theo honey, what a bad scare you gave me! I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you!” Her face was red and swollen with tears and her cold. “How could you lie to me like that? I thought we were friends!”
It was hard to focus on Sharon when Theo’s whole being was concentrated on the Kaldors. But her aunt looked so baffled and hurt, she took her hand. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to go for a walk on my own and I thought you wouldn’t let me.”
“Of course I wouldn’t let you! Look what happened!”
“I’ll never do it again,” said Theo. “I promise. And I’ll never lie again, either.”
“I hope not.” Sharon stiffened. “Mary Rae was always lying to our parents. I hope you’re not going to take after her.”
“I’m not! I’m nothing like her!”
“Of course you aren’t, hon. You’re just yourself.” Sharon blew her nose and smiled weakly. “You’re an odd kid, though. Mary Rae warned me about that. Why would you want to go for a walk all by yourself?”
When Theo didn’t answer, Sharon hugged her. “I think we both need to lie down. On Monday I’m taking you to my doctor for a complete physical. We won’t talk about this again, Theo. I hope you’ve realized what can happen when you do something so foolish.”
Theo escaped to her bed. She lay on her back, staring at the sun that turned the drawn blind a glowing yellow. Her mind danced with all that happened and she kicked up her feet with excitement.
Her time living with the Kaldors hadn’t been a dream! They really existed!
That meant it must have been magic after all.