Free Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin Page A

you’re right, Mallory. There’s something there. I don’t know if I can spin it out for five pages, though.”
    â€œWhat about her last name?”
    â€œFay. Oh! You’re brilliant, and I’m a complete idiot. Fay spelled with an A, which is a homonym for fey spelled with an E , which is another word for fairy.”
    â€œThe author meant that Daisy Fay is literally a fairy?”
    â€œDon’t make fun of me. It’s metaphorical. Daisy is ethereal and unreachable. Gatsby will never ever have Daisy the way he wants. She will never love him. And also, probably, F Scott Fitzgerald means the name to indicate that Gatsby doesn’t really know her at all. She’s rich, so that’s the same as if she were a different species from him. Again, metaphorically.”
    â€œYou’re all set,” said Mallory. “Five pages is nothing. Throw in a little Shakespeare quote at the beginning. What’s in a name, and voila.” Mallory smiled. “Fay, Fay, Fay,” she said.
    A thought struck Phoebe. “Hey, Mallory? Ryland’s name is Fayne, which is close to Fay. Is your brother unreachable and ethereal? Or a fairy, or—” She stopped talking and then, she couldn’t help herself, she looked at Mallory and blushed. Was Mallory trying to hint to her that—
    â€œI know just what you’re thinking,” said Mallory. “No, my brother isn’t gay.”
    â€œI didn’t say—and it would be fine—”
    â€œYou were wondering.” Mallory went on rather intensely, “So, since he’s not gay, with a name like Fayne, that must mean he’s literally fey. Unlike Daisy Fay, who is only fey metaphorically.”
    Phoebe laughed. “I’m definitely writing this up,” she said. “But without the part about your brother.”
    Mallory lapsed again into silence. Phoebe typed hard on her essay, the words coming to her easily now that she had the full spine of her argument. She even took some delight in saying in her concluding paragraph that she, personally, thought that F. Scott Fitzgerald was hitting the reader over the head with the name “Fay.” A better writer would have been more subtle. She shared this excellent tidbit with Mallory.
    But Mallory said, “I bet he didn’t want to be subtle. He wanted the reader to know and used the name as a deliberate clue. And by the way, a few minutes ago you hadn’t thought of it. So it wasn’t all that obvious after all, was it? I had to tell you to think about the name Fay.”
    â€œBut now I think it’s too crude,” said Phoebe. “From a literary point of view.”
    She finished her essay. When she looked up, satisfied, she saw that Mallory was again staring into space.
    â€œMallory? Are you okay?” Phoebe drew in a little breath and then dared say, “You’re thinking about your brother again, aren’t you? Worrying?”
    â€œYou think so?” snapped Mallory. Then she sighed. “Sorry. I’m actually thinking about my mother.” She began talking rapidly. “Mother’s been so obsessed with her gardening magazines. She’s got a whole pile of pictures of herbs and flowers. And Ryland is into planting, why couldn’t he help her plan a garden? It wouldn’t take him long, and it would make her so happy.”
    â€œWhat does Ryland say?” Phoebe asked.
    â€œHe says she wants to dream. She doesn’t want reality.” She hesitated. “Phoebe? Don’t take this the wrong way, but Ryland has dismissed the home health agency. He says that now he’s home, he and I can take care of Mother together.”
    â€œWhat?!” Phoebe sat up straight. “Mallory! He can’t possibly understand. He hasn’t been here long enough.”
    â€œWell, the thing is, our family has leaned on yours enough. Too much. It’s not right, Ryland says.”
    â€œNo,