Free Dear Blue Sky by Mary Sullivan Page A

night?”
    â€œYup.” She laughed a little, but looked hurt. “Why do all the girls fall for the singer?”
    â€œSupper, Cassie, supper, Cassie, supper, Van!” Jack yelled up the stairs.
    We went down to the kitchen. “Where’s Dad?”
    â€œHe’s going to be late again. They’re trying to get as much done as they can before it gets cold.” Mom passed the dish of meatballs to me. “I’m going back to work tomorrow.”
    This meant I was back on babysitting.
    â€œYou have to go over to the Adamses’ later and apologize to Ben. I’m sure he deserved whatever you did to him, but they’re still our neighbors.”
    With his mouth full of meatball, Jack grinned and said, “She Jacked him!”
    We all laughed. It felt good. It was our first supper together since Sef left, even if Dad wasn’t there. For that minute, I wasn’t even mad at Mom. Sef had called, and he was fine. Mom cooked dinner and was doing the best she could.
    â€œWhen Sef gets back, he’ll blow Ben up,” Jack said.
    Mom had to take a big gulp of water to keep from choking. “He can’t really do that, honey,” she finally said.
    â€œWhat about Finn?”
    â€œNo, honey.” Mom covered her mouth. “Van would be sad if he did that.”
    Van squinted at him.
    â€œLet’s write Sef a letter right now,” I said, getting up to get some paper and a pen.
    Van pushed her plate of salad and spaghetti and butter away from her.
    â€œAren’t you going to eat anything else?” Mom asked.
    â€œI’m not that hungry.”
    â€œAre you all right? You look a little pale.”
    â€œI feel fine.” Her cell phone started ringing in the pocket of her sweater.
    â€œThis is the last time,” Mom said. “Tell Finn if it happens again at supper, I’m going to take your phone for a week.”
    â€œWhy doesn’t she ever talk to Nora anymore?” I said. “Or Ally or anyone but Finn?”
    â€œPeaze train,” Jack said.
    Van glared at us and left the room with her phone to her ear.
    â€œVan’s not going to be healthy,” Jack said.
    â€œWhy not?” Mom asked.
    â€œShe didn’t eat her vegetables.”
    â€œShe doesn’t eat anything.”
    â€œDear Sef,” I said out loud as I wrote.
    Jack said, “Tell him I’m taking care of everything. And tell him about how I was taking care of Tigger and Ben came over and you Jacked him.”
    â€œOkay.” I wrote slowly. “What else?”
    â€œTell him we’re eating meatballs now,” Mom said. “And that I made way too many because I forgot how many of them he always ate. And tell him we wish he was here, but we’re all fine. We’re all fine.”
    â€œDo you want me to write that twice?”
    She laughed. “Well, no, I guess not.”
    After a minute I asked, “Anything else?”
    â€œTell him I’m never taking my uniform off, just like him.”
    â€œWell, he takes it off sometimes to wash it and take a shower.” Mom frowned at Jack. “That is filthy. Tell Sef we’re going to scrub Jack and his uniform pronto.”
    â€œAnyone else want to say anything?” I glanced to the living room where Van was leaning over the couch, talking. Her short skirt rode up as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other. I could see the soft curves of her thighs underneath her black tights. Her dark hair fell down her back as she rocked slightly in her tall boots.
    â€œVan,” I called, “what do you want to say to Sef?”
    She snapped her cell phone shut and said, “Tell him Finn and I are getting married.” She burst out laughing. “Just kidding. Tell him I miss him.” She tossed her hair back and headed for the stairs.
    â€œWhat’s up with her?” Mom mumbled.
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    While Mom helped Jack in the tub, I went over to