Dedicating Every Day to You

Chapter Thirty

"No!" I scream, sending popcorn flying. "Megara, please don't be dead!"

John puts a hand on my knee to keep me from leaping up. "Calm down, Kathryn. It's literally just a Disney movie."

"But dead people don't get happy endings!" I stuff a concillatory handful of popcorn into my mouth.

Alex takes the bowl from me. "Calm down before you get a stomachache. It's late at night."

"Not that late," I protest. "Only ten-thirty."

"Only? How late do you usually stay up?" John drops a piece of popcorn on the floor, and Koopa moves to eat it.

"I go to sleep at nine thirty," I admit. "So, it's not terribly late."

Someone knocks on the door, and Alex pauses the movie. He rises from the couch and opens the front door.

Maria is standing there at the door. She's wrapped up in a pair of red pajamas with a hole in the elbow, and she's carrying a small bag. Her eyeliner is smeared, and her eyes bloodshot. She looks tired, sad, and frankly kind of pathetic, like a lost little kid.

"I'm so sorry to bother you at home, but I don't know where to go, and I came here all alone-" She clings to the strap of her bag like it's a life preserver.

John stands up, shaking his wet hair out of his eyes. "I'm going to stop you right there. What's wrong?"

Maria sighs. "I need somewhere to stay, just for a few nights. I'm too broke for a hotel- but I could pay you guys."

"What about Peggy- I thought you were living with her?" Alex shoots me a capital-L Look. It is a valid question.

"Well, I'm not sure what that situation is. I'm kind of couchsurfing at the moment."

John smiles. "Well, our futon is always open."

I gasp. "Wait, this is a futon?" Sure enough, when I lift up the cushion, there are instructions for a foldout. My mind has been blown.

"Here, I'll pay you." Maria fumbles with the clasp of her bag, but is stopped by Alex's hand on hers.

"Your money's no good here. You're our friend- we're not taking your money. Kathryn, run upstairs and get some sheets?"

"We don't get to finish the movie?" I pout, then skip upstairs in my bunny slippers to the linen closet. John and Alex built cupboards everywhere when they redid this house, and now there's a linen closet, and a hall closet for shoes and bags, and a media closet and a book closet.

I grab sheets and a pillow and a big squishy blanket. Maria is upset, so she deserves the best. I skip them down the stairs, almost tripping over the edge of a sheet. "Here we are! Some sheets."

John takes them from me and begins to stretch them across the couch, which has folded out into a fantastic bed. It's all I can do not to jump on it. Alex walks Maria upstairs to let her clean her face off, from the makeup and tears. I start stuffing a pillow into a pillowcase.

"Daddy, do you like Maria?" The question pops out before I can stuff it back in.

John finishes making hospital corners on the left side. He looks up at me, then thinks for a moment. "Well, I honestly don't know her very well. She seems nice enough, and she makes Peggy happy. Peggy's my best friend- besides Alex, of course. So yes, I suppose I do like Maria. Does that answer your question?"

"Yeah, I think so." I punch the pillow experimentally. "Why doesn't Angelica like her? If she makes Peggy happy."

He sits down on the sheets, wrinkling their perfect flatness, and sighs. "It's kind of complicated. Peggy hasn't always had the greatest taste in dates. Angelica has had to swoop in and rescue Peggy more times than I can count. As a result, she's kind of wildly protective now. She sees Maria as a threat to her little sister- a threat that needs to be eliminated."

"So, she would like Maria if Maria wasn't dating her little sister?" I stifle a yawn.

"Come on, little girl. It's time for bed." John stands up and takes my hand. "No more questions tonight."

We walk upstairs, and I kick off my slippers and crawl into bed. John leans over to kiss my forehead, and I scrunch up my nose when he does. When he walks over to the doorway, about to shut off the light, I call out.

"Daddy, one more question." John turns to face me. He looks kind of tired.

"Yes, Kathryn?"

"Do you love Alex?" My eyelids feel like they have weights perched on them, but I can't go to sleep without an answer.

John laughs drily, and then nods. "With all my heart, yes." Then he flicks off the light and closes the door.

*********

The next morning, when I trudge downstairs with bedhead and morning breath, Maria is already awake. She's dressed, her hair is fixed, and she's helping John with breakfast. No one helps John with breakfast. Even I've been banned since the Unfortunate Omelette Incident. Yet there she is, frying bacon and laughing and singing along to John's old rock station. The thing is, unlike the rest of my family, Maria can sing. Her voice is rich and throaty, like an old jazz singer's would be.

I stand, mystified, until John looks up and sees me. He grins. "Morning, little girl!"

"I'm not little," I pout, turning the coffee machine on and scooping coffee grounds. "I'm almost fourteen, and I know how to make coffee."

"Someone said coffee?" Alex pokes his head into the kitchen, then comes in and hugs me. "Child, you are a savior."

"I get that a lot." I grab four plates out of the cabinet, careful not to break them. "What's for breakfast?"

"Bacon and potatoes," John calls to me. He begins dishing food up, and as I take them to the table, someone knocks furiously on the door.

I open it to see Peggy, dressed all in black. She's got a long coat that's obviously far too hot for early June, a bow tie, and shining boots. Her hair looks like it hasn't gone near a comb or a brush in three days. She smiles wanly when she sees me.

"Hi, Kathryn. Listen, is Maria really here?"

When I say that yes, in fact, Maria is here, she grins, but then looks down shyly. I extend a hand to her. "What's wrong, Aunt Peggy?"

"What if she doesn't want to see me?" Peggy's eyes fill with tears. "What if she ran off because of me?"

"Of course not." I hug her. "Come on- we're just making breakfast."

Tentatively, Peggy follows me into the house. Maria is singing along to a Nirvana song, but she falters when she sees Peggy. Peggy takes a deep breath and walks over to her.

"Maria, can I talk to you, please?"

Maria sighs and looks down at the floor. "Why bother?"

Peggy seems a little taken aback. "What do you mean?"

There seems to be an awful lot of floor-staring going on- good thing I swept! Maria's eyes focus on Peggy after a moment. "Your sister was right. I'm not good enough for you, Peggy."

Peggy extends a hand and lifts Maria's chin. "Listen to me, Maria. I'm the one who doesn't deserve you. You're a fantastic woman, you're always there when I need you, and I can't even tell you how special you are to me."

"B-but Angelica said-" Maria still looks uncertain.

"Forget Angelica. You're enough for me. I love the woman you are, and so should you." Peggy stands up on tiptoe and kisses Maria. At first, I think the girl in red might push her away, but then she gives in and holds onto Peggy like she's the only thing that matters. It feels creepy of me to watch them, but the two of them look really happy and adorable.

After a moment, Peggy breaks away. "Come on, we'll grab your stuff. You're coming home." Maria takes her hand, and the two of them grab her pajamas off the futon, laughing together.

When the two of them are gone, John leans against the counter, shaking his head. He takes a sip of his coffee. "Those two are going to turn the world upside down."