Rusty breathed deeply through her nose. “So this is about the dog?”
“Yes. Mrs. Stein likes having Fred around. They had a dog, Goldie, but she died.”
“Does that make Mrs. Stein a better mother than me?”
“What? No.” This wasn’t going well.
“Mrs. Stein probably doesn’t go to business,” Rusty said.
“She doesn’t.”
“You see?”
Sometimes no matter what Miri said or didn’t say, Rusty acted as if it reflected on her as a mother. She should have told Rusty that Mrs. Stein would like to work. That she’d like to be a librarian or a clerk at a bookstore. Instead she wound up saying what she thought Rusty wanted to hear. “You’re the best mother.”
“You’re just saying that so you can keep an expensive bracelet she had no right to give you.”
“I don’t care about the bracelet.”
“Good. Then give it back. It’s inappropriate for a stranger to give you such an extravagant gift.”
“She’s not exactly a stranger,” Miri muttered under her breath as Rusty walked away with the bracelet. Miri chased her down the hall. “Mom…”
“What?”
“You took the bracelet.”
Rusty handed it to Miri.
The next day after school she returned the bracelet. She didn’t want to offend Mrs. Stein. But as soon as she began, “My mother doesn’t think…” Mrs. Stein gave her a kind smile, a knowing smile, and took the box.
“Maybe I will give it to my daughter, after all.”
“I’m sure she’d like it.”
“She’s hard to please.”
“Even so.”
“Thank you, Miri.”
There. She’d done what she had to do. She would tell Rusty she’d returned the bracelet and she hoped that would satisfy her. Rusty could be moody but her bad moods rarely lasted.
—
BEFORE THE FAMILY sat down to Miri’s birthday dinner, Rusty gave her a small box wrapped in blue paper and tied with a white ribbon. “Happy birthday, honey.”
Inside was a gold and garnet bracelet, not exactly the same as Mrs. Stein’s, but close enough. “It’s beautiful,” Miri said, slipping it onto her wrist.
“Now you see why…” Rusty began.
Miri hugged her mother. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to be sorry,” Rusty told her, smoothing her hair. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Miri would never know if Rusty had already bought her the bracelet when she showed her the one from Mrs. Stein, or if she went out and bought it that day. “It looks really pretty, doesn’t it?” She held up her arm for Rusty to admire.
Rusty smiled at her. “It does. It’s delicate enough to go with anything.”
Miri resisted the urge to laugh. At least Rusty hadn’t called her delicate.
—
LATER THAT NIGHT, Mason stopped by with a birthday present for Miri. After Rusty greeted him, she went into her room, closing the door behind her, so the two of them could have the living room to themselves. “Fifteen minutes,” Rusty called. “Four feet on the floor at all times.” They couldn’t help laughing over that rule, and when they did, Rusty laughed, too.
The present was wrapped in layers of tissue paper and tied with red and white bakery string. Miri opened it carefully, stealing looks at Mason. But he was looking down at the floor. At first she wasn’t sure what it was except it was made of wood. Beautiful polished wood. A spyglass? She held it to her eye. No, it was a kaleidoscope with exquisite pale stones, regrouping into intricate designs as she turned it. This was nothing like the toy kaleidoscopes she’d had as a child. She’d never seen anything like it. She couldn’t put it down. Finally, he took it out of her hands. “It was my mother’s.”
His mother’s. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.” She wanted him to tell her more but she sensed he wasn’t going to.
When Rusty knocked from inside her bedroom door, signaling their fifteen minutes were up, Miri walked Mason downstairs to the front door. “This is the best present anyone has ever given me,” she told him.
“It’s the only thing my mother had to leave me.”
“I’ll keep it safe for you,” she said. “If you ever want it back—”
“Don’t say that.” He kissed her goodnight. Then he whispered, “Don’t ever say that.”