Free Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg Page A

onto her pillow. “Well,
stop
it, then,” she mumbled.
    Kitty led Louise to the bathroom, pulled her in, and locked the door behind them. Louise, her eyes squinting in the bright light, said, “What is it? Do you have cramps?”
    “There’s something I need to give you,” Kitty said.
    Louise sighed.
“Now?”
    There was a knock on the door, and here came Tish’s voice. “Hey? What’s going on, you guys? Did something happen?” Her voice rose. “Are we being
attacked
?”
    Kitty yanked the door open a crack. “Shhhhhhhhh! No, we’re not being attacked! Go back to bed.”
    Tish pushed the door open and looked at Louise. “What’s going on?”
    Louise shrugged.
“I
don’t know.”
    “Go back to bed!” Kitty said, and Tish crossed her arms. No.
    Kitty sighed and grabbed Tish’s arm, pulling her into the bathroom. Might as well let her be here, too. There was no pushing around this baby sister anymore.
    Again, Kitty locked the door, then turned to face her sisters. “I have something for Louise from Julian. Well, it’s from Michael, but it’s from Julian.”
    “What are you
talking
about?” Louise asked.
    Kitty pulled the velvet box out of her pocket, and Louise’s hands flew to her mouth. “No,” she whispered.
    “Yes,” Kitty said. “Take it.”
    Louise shook her head. “No.”
    “For cripes’ sake,
take
it!” Tish said.
    Slowly, Louise reached for the box and opened it. Tish rushed to her side and began to squeal. “You got it! You got it!”
    Louise stared in happy disbelief. “It’s so
beautiful,”
she said, and Kitty felt ashamed, remembering her own reaction to such a small stone.
    “Put it on!” Tish said.
    “I…” Louise began to laugh. “Gosh, I’m shaking!”
    “I’ll put it on you,” Tish said. “Want me to put it on you? I’ll pretend to be Michael. I’ll even kiss you! Through a towel, though.”
    “Tish!” Kitty said. “Will you stop? Let her do it!”
    Louise nodded, took in a breath, and pulled the ring from the box. She kissed it, then slid it onto her finger, where it fit perfectly.
Cinderella,
Kitty thought, instinctively clenching her own left hand into a fist. Where did Louise get such small fingers? Why were Kitty’s so large?
    Louise turned her hand this way and that, watching the diamond catch the light. Then, holding it out to show her sisters, she burst into tears. And her sisters followed suit. They embraced one another, laughing and crying.
    Another knock at door.
    The sisters sprang apart, and Kitty opened the door. Tommy looked up at her, his face troubled. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Who’s crying?”
    And now here came their parents marching quickly down the hall, Margaret’s face determined and Frank’s full of confusion.
    “Who’s hurt?” Margaret demanded. It was her Red Cross training coming through. In times past, Margaret would have been wringing her hands about a possible injury. Now she was ready to take over and manage the crisis. Kitty all but expected her mother to say, “Go and boil water, lots of it!” The knot in Margaret’s hairnet had slid to the middle of her forehead, and her robe hung open; she tightened it now, distractedly but determinedly. As for their father, he’d apparently risen so quickly he’d forgotten both robe and slippers.
    Louise pushed her way out of the bathroom and held up her hand, waving it around excitedly. “Look what I just got!”
    Margaret grabbed her daughter’s hand and inspected the ring. “Ah, Louise. That’s grand. ’Tis lovely.” She looked up at her daughter. “But what do you mean, you just got it?”
    “Kitty just gave it to me.”
    “Why did
she
give it to you?”
    “Julian gave it to me,” Kitty said.
    “What the devil are you
talking
about?” Frank bellowed, and now here came Billy and Binks down the hall, pushing at each other in their haste to get there.
    “Let’s go downstairs and celebrate,” Margaret said.
    “What are we celebrating?” Billy asked.