Free Winter Sky by Patricia Reilly Giff Page A

just have to wait.”
    Siria looked at Izzy.
    “Rescued,” Izzy said, grinning. “At least for a day.”
    But so much to worry about.

CHAPTER 18
    Siria was being smothered. She couldn’t breathe. And what was that strange noise?
    She opened one eye. The dog was on top of her, the edge of her pajama sleeve in his mouth.
    Siria pulled at her sleeve. “Stop,” she said softly. She threw her arms around him. “Christmas. Our last day together.” She felt a catch in her throat.
    Siria sat up in bed, looking at the star book and the drawings she’d made of Canis Major. All those stars: one ear up, one ear down, a small tail. With a gold crayon she’d marked in the brightest star in the winter sky, Sirius. “I’ll call you Major,” she said to the dog. “It fits you perfectly.”
    But there was no time to think about Major. No time to think about anything but Douglas and what she had to do.
    Moments later, she was at his apartment door, knocking, banging. Kevin threw the door open, hair poked up, still in pajamas. “It’s seven in the morning, Siria.”
    “What did Douglas do in the kitchen?” she asked.
    He blinked. “Set it on fire.”
    Douglas was standing behind him now. “Not the whole kitchen,” he said. “Just a pot, messed up the stove a little. And my mac ’n’ cheese is the best. Worth it.”
    They were both laughing.
    “You were cooking?” Siria said.
    “Burning,” Kevin said.
    Douglas was staring at her.
    “I thought …,” she began, sounding miserable, feeling terrible.
    “Don’t think,” Kevin said. “I’m going back to bed.”
    “You thought I was setting fires,” Douglas said. “How could you believe that?”
    She shook her head. “Sorry,” she whispered. “I’m really so sorry.” And in her mind,
So glad it wasn’t you
.
    But Douglas’s hand was on his door. Before she knew it, he’d closed it, and she was standing in the hallway alone.
    They’d never be friends again. No more summers at the creek together, or hanging out on the fire escape watching the snow; no more anything.
    And she still didn’t know who was setting the fires.
    She went back upstairs to see that Mimi had turned on the tree lights in the living room. Everything smelled of Christmas. She stood there wiping her cheeks, while in the doorway, Major wagged his tail. Cookie crumbs dotted his muzzle. The plate of cookies in the kitchen, empty now.
    “I’m going to walk the dog,” she called to Mimi in the kitchen.
    “Are you all right?” Mimi called.
    “Sure,” she said, trying to make her voice sound normal, happy.
    There was barely time to walk him, feed him, and settle him in her room before the apartment door opened and Pop called, “Siria!”
    She closed her door and flew out. Izzy and Mimi were guiding Pop to the couch. He sank down, holding his side.
    Siria slid in beside him. She and Pop hugged each other, rocking back and forth. “My star,” he said. “I’ve missed you so much.”
    They opened presents then, red and green wrapping paper littering the floor. Siria had run across the street the night before for shaving cream and that sunny painting at Max’s for Izzy.
    “Shaving cream,” Pop said. “Just what I wanted.”
    Siria had to smile. There was probably tons ofshaving cream in the linen closet. She was handing Izzy the wrapped picture when she spotted Major in the doorway, tasting Pop’s crutches.
    Pop smiled. “Your dog?” he asked Izzy.
    Mimi hesitated. “Not really.”
    Siria’s heart was fluttering in her throat. Izzy glanced at her and she looked back, pleading.
    “You need a dog around here,” Izzy said slowly. “Just the way I needed the cat. It’s nice to have a pet.”
    “A real pet,” Siria breathed.
    Pop laughed. “That’s the last thing we need.”
    Mimi stood at the kitchen door, wiping her hands on a towel. “The child needs this dog.” Her voice was firm, her eyes behind her round glasses determined.
    Mimi! It was hard to believe.
    Siria