Free Halo by Alexandra Adornetto Page B

me. Maybe even the face of Xavier Woods, suddenly wanting nothing to do with me.
    “I’ll have the pancakes,” I said glumly, and Gabriel turned back to the stove with a satisfied look.
    Breakfast was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell, and I wondered who could be calling at such an unconventional hour. We had been careful to steer clear of the neighbors and thwart any offers of friendship. We must have appeared stand-offish compared to the locals.
    Ivy and I looked at Gabriel expectantly. He was able to sense the thoughts of those around him, a useful talent in many circumstances. Ivy’s celestial gift was her healing hands. My gift was yet to be determined—apparently it would surface when the time was right.
    “Who is it?” Ivy mouthed.
    “The woman from next door,” Gabriel said. “Ignore her, and she might go away.”
    We sat very still and silent, but our neighbor was not the type to be easily dissuaded. Gabriel left the kitchen and returned wearing a pair of freshly laundered jeans. A few minutes later we were surprised to hear the click of the side gate, and next thing we knew she was at the window, waving at us enthusiastically. I was outraged by the intrusion, but my siblings maintained their composure.
    Gabriel went to open the door and came back followed by a woman somewhere in her fifties with platinum blond hair and a bronzed face. She was wearing a lot of gold jewelry, bright lipstick, and a velour tracksuit. Tucked under her arm was a large paper bag. She looked dazed for a moment when she saw all three of us together. I couldn’t blame her; it must have been an unnerving sight.
    “Hello there,” she said in a bright voice with a Southern drawl, leaning across the table to shake our hands. “I’d check out that doorbell if I were you—it doesn’t seem to be workin’. I’m Dolores Henderson from next door.”
    Gabriel took care of the introductions, and Ivy, ever the perfect hostess, offered her a cup of tea or coffee and set a plate of muffins on the table. I saw Mrs. Henderson eyeing Gabriel in much the same way as the girls at school had.
    “Oh, no, thank you,” she said in response to the offer of food. “I’m watching my caloric intake. I just wanted to pop over and say hello now that you’re all settled in.” She set the paper bag down on the countertop. “Thought you might enjoy some homemade jam, I’ve popped in an apricot as well as a fig and strawberry—I wasn’t sure what you’d like.”
    “That’s very kind of you, Mrs. Henderson.” Ivy was all politeness, but I could see Gabriel bristling with impatience.
    “Oh, call me Dolly,” she said. “You’ll find we’re all like that around here—very neighborly.”
    “That’s good to hear,” Ivy said.
    I marveled at how she seemed to have a ready response for every circumstance. As for me, a few moments later, I’d already forgotten the woman’s name.
    “You’re the new music teacher at Bryce Hamilton, aren’t you?” persisted Mrs. Henderson. “I have a very musical niece who is keen to take up the violin. That’s your instrument, isn’t it?”
    “One of them,” Gabriel replied distantly.
    “Gabriel plays several instruments,” said Ivy, flashing him an exasperated look.
    “Several! Oh my, how talented you must be,” Mrs. Henderson exclaimed. “I hear you playin’ most nights from my porch. Are you two girls musical as well? What a good brother you are to take care of your sisters with your parents away.”
    Ivy sighed, the news of our arrival and our personal story seemed to have become town gossip very quickly.
    “Will your folks be joinin’ you anytime soon?” Mrs. Henderson asked, looking around nosily, as if expecting a set of parents to jump out of the cupboards or drop from the ceiling.
    “We hope to see them soon,” Gabriel said, his eyes flicking to the clock.
    Dolores waited expectantly for him to elaborate, and when he didn’t, she pursued another line of questioning. “Do you