Free Xvi by Julia Karr Page A

to think they were talking about things that they didn’t want a little kid to hear, but now I wondered if it was something completely different. Maybe even something that could get someone killed.
    “Come on, Deedles.” Pops grabbed Dee’s hand. “Let’s get busy on your room.”
    “But I’m going to sleep with Nina.” The rims of Dee’s eyes reddened.
    Before she could start crying, I said, “Of course you are, but you might want to have a place to put some of the things you don’t need all the time.”
    Pops winked over her shoulder at me. “She’s right, Deedles. It’ll almost be like you’ve got two rooms. That’s better than me. I’m stuck with her”—he jerked his thumb at Gran—“for the rest of my life.”
    “Which won’t be very much longer if you keep that up, old man.” Gran wagged her finger at him. “Now the two of you git!”
    When they were out of earshot, I decided to risk it. “Gran, did Ginnie have a friend named Rita?”
    Gran peered over her glasses. “Hmm, I’m not sure. Why do you ask?”
    “When I was packing, I found a piece of paper with her name on it. I never met anyone she knew named Rita.”
    Gran pulled on her lower lip for a minute. Finally, she said, “The only Rita I recall was a high school friend of Ginnie’s. She was a couple of years older than your mom and dad were. I think she was related to ...” She stopped to pick a piece of lint from her sleeve. “Nope, can’t remember the name. Seems like she was another of Ginnie and Alan’s friends’ sister. As I recall, she was in one of the early groups of girls chosen when the FeLS program started some thirty-odd years ago. Strangest thing, if it’s the same girl I’m thinking of, she disappeared on the way out to O’Hare to catch the space station shuttle for FeLS training. Never seen or heard from again.” Gran shook her head. “Some thought it was her plan all along to get out of going, but I think she was kidnapped, plain and simple. She wasn’t the only one of your father’s acquaintances to drop out of sight over the next several years.”
    Ginnie never told me anything like that—friends disappearing. I was sure Gran knew more stories about my father and Ginnie that I’d never heard. I stopped myself from telling her about the book and my father being alive. I needed to look at Dee’s baby book more closely first and make sure this was real. No sense in getting Gran’s hopes up if all of this was the result of some medically caused hallucination.
    “There’s something else, Gran. Your name was on that same piece of paper, along with a note about my FeLS contract.”
    “Ah yes, Ginnie bought it out, dear, and sent it to me for safekeeping. She was worried that Ed might get his hands on it. He has quotas to make, and I’m not sure she trusted that he would leave you alone if he was short Chosens.”
    “Or if he was mad at her,” I muttered.
    Gran gave me a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”
    “Last summer, Ed told Dee that he was going to move us to the tier-five flats on the west side of Cementville. She was so excited. We all were. Then one night Ginnie came home with bruises all over her arms. Next day, Ed told Dee that because of her mother we’d be staying right where we belonged, in low-tier mods. She was crushed.”
    Gran scowled. “There’s something seriously wrong with that man. Who would do such a thing? And to his own daughter. I hope he doesn’t come around here wanting to see her. Although, he very well might. He’s got his rights.” Her scowl turned to a frown.
    My stomach knotted. “What if he wanted Dee as a Cinderella girl?”
    “Ginnie made sure that if anything happened to her, your grandfather and I would become your legal guardians. He can’t touch Dee.” She gave my arm a squeeze. “No sense in borrowing tomorrow’s troubles, dear. Let’s focus on getting this house in order.” She bent down and took a few knickknacks out of the box I’d been