Free Providence by Lisa Colozza Cocca

toss it away, but I changed my mind. I must have been having a vision of what was to come.”
    Rosie got a look on her face like she was having a vision right then and there. She turned on her heels and hurried over to the register. She reached into the cash drawer and handed me ten dollars. “Becky, you go on down the block to the Needles and Notions shop. You buy those threads in every color of the rainbow and anything else you might need, too. And tell Lydie that we’ll be giving her a lot of business. The way word of your work is getting around, you’ll need fresh supplies on a regular basis!”
    Rosie sat back down in her chair. She looked tuckered out from the excitement of the floss, so I decided to take Baby Girl with me on my shopping spree. I was surprised to see Sarah walking out of the Needles and Notions shop. “Hi Becky!” she said. “I loved that book. Thanks so much for the recommendation.”
    “I’m glad you liked it,” I said. “Do you do needlework, too?”
    “No,” she laughed. “My mother decided today would be a ‘girls day out.’ My little brother is away at camp for the week. We’re going to do our regular mother/daughter stuff, you know—hair, nails, and shoe shopping later, but Mom got this great idea that I should learn something that she enjoyed doing when she was my age. I’m sure it will end up in hibernation in the storage closet with the rest of her arts and craft projects, but whatever. I’ll give it a try.”
    The door to the store opened and a woman walked out. “I’m sorry that took so long, Sarah. It gave me time to come up with another idea, though. Let’s go to the library now and you can show me a few of your favorite books. I’ll check them out, read them, and we can have our own little mother/daughter book club to discuss them.” The woman caught her breath and looked at me as if she just noticed me standing there.
    Sarah said, “Mom, this is Becky. Becky, this is my mom, Mrs. Hanson.”
    “Hello, Mrs. Hanson. It’s very nice to meet you,” I said.
    “It’s nice to meet you too, Becky. I always enjoy meeting Sarah’s friends. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at school.”
    Before I can answer, Sarah says, “Becky is new in town, Mom. You wouldn’t have seen her at school.”
    “Well then, welcome to Watson’s Grove. Who do we have in here?” Mrs. Hanson asked as she bent over the carriage. “What a sweetheart! Look at those beautiful red curls. What’s her name?”
    “Her name is Georgia, ma’am.”
    Mrs. Hanson stood up and turned toward Sarah. “You could take a lesson from Becky,” she said. “You were complaining the other night there were no jobs in town. Babysitting would keep you very busy and provide the spending money you’re always asking for from your father and me.”
    Sarah hesitated a moment, then said, “Mom, maybe you should go to the library ahead of me. Becky and I were just about to discuss a book I’m sure you’re going to want to read. We don’t want to spoil the ending for you. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”
    “Spoiler alert!” her mom giggled. “Thanks for the warning! It was nice to meet you Becky. Sarah, I’ll see you in a few.”
    We watched her mother walk down the block, before Sarah said, “My mom and I aren’t best buds. I don’t spend all of my time with her. Last night at dinner, my dad mentioned that we would be spending most of his vacation days next spring and summer touring college campuses. Then they both started rocking nostalgic. They spent the rest of the meal talking about the things we did when I was younger and all the dreams and plans they had for me when I was born. So now a regular old mother/daughter day isn’t enough for Mom. She needs to throw in some of the things she thought we would do together, but never did. Anyway, the book was great. We really should get together and swap some books or book titles. I think we have the same taste in literature. That’s not