Amalli Quinn: The Nature of Stars

Windows

   "Morning,"

   My head shot up. I was barely awake. It was six in the morning and there were banging noises in the living room. No one in our household could sleep well through a racket like that, but I had trained myself to ignore as much noise as possible in the name of a good nap. Still, all that training was no match for this.

   "What's going on?" I asked, leaning against the nearest piece of furniture, which happened to be the sideboard.

   May looked at me from where she was, crouched low and focused on the man hammering away at our door. "That busted lock." She said. "I thought I'd have it done with as soon as possible."

   "It's so early."

   "Yeah, sorry about that. I have a schedule and so does Mr. Hammer over here."

   Mr. Hammer, the short locksmith that May had already apparently nicknamed, gave me a little nod of acknowledgement, and proceeded to give the doorknob a terrifyingly loud bang. May flinched at the sound, but didn't say anything. I groaned.

   The door to the master bedroom opened. "For Christ's sake, what's happening in this house?" Mom asked, still in her lavender night gown. I could hear Dad grumbling from inside.

   May gestured to the door. "Busted lock."

   Mom frowned. "You could've waited until maybe nine or something."

   Mr. Hammer gave the doorknob one last look and finally put his tools away. May stood and fished her pockets for the payment. She handed the man a few notes and led him out with a polite smile. She came back moments later, and I noticed she was dressed to go out.

   "You going somewhere?" Mom asked.

   "Grandpa's sick." May said, reaching for her bag on the sofa. "Sorry I had to wake you. Just felt that I couldn't leave you guys all asleep with a bad lock. Had to be done somehow."

   Mom nodded. She went into the bedroom and came out with a roll of bills. She pressed them into May's hand. "You take care of your grandfather. Don't let him want anything."

   May's wide eyes stared down at the money. "Momma, this is a lot."

   Mom sighed. "It's the least we can do. Now, go. You don't have to come back here until your grandfather's all good, okay?"

   I watched as May gave Mom one of those split-second but twice-as-meaningful hugs. They both smiled, and May took off, jogging down the path with her hair trailing behind her. May had it rough most days. She was only turning twenty-one, but she had to help her parents feed an entire clan of five kids, plus grandparents and a widowed aunt. What we paid her for helping out here at home wasn't enough for all that, but she'd only finished until fourth grade and couldn't apply anywhere else, and her parents were my own parents' friends. It was, like Mom said, the least we could do.

   "Are you going back to sleep?" Mom turned to me and yawned. Her night gown enveloped her entire upper body, making her look like a piece of satin with a head and legs.

   I was still sleepy but shook my head. "The windows need cleaning."

   "Hey, you can do that later. Look at your eyebags." Mom pointed out. "You look half-dead."

   I pouted. "Thanks a lot."

   "Are you sure you don't want any more sleep? I'm going back in."

   "I'll be fine. Go get some rest. And tell Dad he doesn't need to worry."

   Mom yawned again. "Okay. Don't do anything stupid."