Just Visiting

by Laura Dower

  She typed in a new question the next time.

  Does Hart like Ivy?

  The fish said, Be careful where you tread water.

  Madison gasped aloud. Was the fish talking about Ivy? Was Madison supposed to be careful of her enemy?

  She had to ask that question a second time to know for sure. She was a little more specific then.

  Does Hart like Madison?

  Now the fish said, Watch out for sharks.

  Madison gasped louder than before. This blowfish had to be talking about Poison Ivy; she knew it! Her head spun with frantic thoughts of Hart and Ivy and the Fourth of July extravaganza. She imagined the worst.

  There were so many reasons to be sad about leaving town for the holiday.

  Was this one more to add to the list?

  Phinnie stirred by Madison’s feet with a soft little cry. His wet nose was tickling her ankle. She was so tired from her long day in the sun and the yucky “Ask the Blowfish” advice, and she really wanted to get off the site.

  But she typed in one more question, just for fun … just to see what the blowfish would say.

  So what is my destiny this summer?

  The blowfish replied instantly with an underwater pop: You will be drowning in a sea of love.

  “HA!” Madison laughed out loud at the computer screen. “Double HA!” After a day at Lake Dora, she was fairly certain that “sea” did not include Hart “Splasher” Jones.

  “Rowrroooooo!” Phin jumped up, collar jangling.

  She couldn’t trust anything the silly blowfish had to say. But after its last answer, she also couldn’t wipe the smile off her face.

  Chapter 5

  MADISON WATCHED THE WEATHER Channel with Mom for two days after the Lake Dora get-together, hoping to figure out what to bring to Chicago. She had no idea how to pack for Gramma Helen’s lake house. It was getting down to the wire, too. She and Mom were scheduled to leave that morning.

  Mom pestered Madison to throw some clothes—any clothes—into a bag, but nothing seemed color-coordinated or comfortable enough.

  Packing for herself was only half the problem. Madison also had to consider what chew toys and pillows to bring for Phinnie. He’d be riding with baggage on the flight to Gramma’s, but Madison still packed him a little suitcase of his very own. His favorite tuggy rope, frayed and smelly, had to be sealed in a plastic bag.

  With Mom’s help, Madison finally decided on a few colored tank tops, T-shirts, and shorts. She threw in a flowered dress, faded jeans, and a lacy blue summer shirt that Fiona had let her borrow—just in case she and Gramma went somewhere special. Of course, she added in all the other essentials, too: underwear, hair dryer, hair stuff, pj’s, sandals, sneakers, and her favorite moonstone earrings.

  The suitcase was bursting by the time Mom announced, “We’re leaving in twenty minutes!”

  Phinnie was panting and running all over the house, too, like he knew something special was about to happen.

  Aimee and Fiona stopped by to say good-bye in the nick of time. Mom kept an eye on her watch as the BFFs stood on the porch, exchanging hugs and tearful farewells.

  “Promise me you’ll e-mail!” Madison asked them both. They nodded.

  “You better write, too!” Fiona said.

  Madison knew that Aimee and Fiona would be busier than busy with their visitors from out of town, Sasha and Debbie. But she hoped they would write.

  “It won’t be the same Fourth of July without you!” Fiona wailed. She was starting to tear up.

  “Girls, I’m afraid Maddie and I have to go,” Mom said, quietly interrupting. “We have a few errands to do before we head to the airport.”

  Madison wiped a tear from her cheek and sniffled. “I love you guys,” she said. “I’m going to miss you soooooo much.” It was only a week, but Madison and her BFFs were closer than close.

  They clinched for another group hug before Aimee and Fiona skipped down the porch stairs and onto the sidewalk. Phin barked after them. Madison kept waving until they were well out of sight.

  After loading their suitcases into the car, Madison put on Phin’s leash and got into the backseat with him. Their first errand was to stop over at the animal clinic where Madison volunteered. Her friend Dan’s mom, Eileen Ginsburg, was a nurse at the clinic and had agreed to loan Madison the required doggy travel crate for the plane ride to Chicago.

  When they picked up the crate, Eileen had packed it with water, kibble, cookies, and a brand-new rawhide bone. Phin licked his chops and crawled inside without a struggle. He liked the crate. The baggage handlers had no problems loading a crated Phin when the time came. He was panting like crazy, and looked almost like he was smiling.

  After dropping off the dog, Madison followed Mom toward the sign that said GATES 4A THROUGH 24A. They were in the A terminal, gate 22, all the way at the end of a long walkway. Madison was happy her carry-on backpack had little wheels so she could drag it behind her. They lined up at three different security checkpoints along the way to give their names and show a photo ID.

  When Madison and Mom finally took their seats on the plane, it started making a series of insectlike swooshing and whirring noises. Madison looked through the teeny window to her right to see the bunch of panels and flaps lifted and lowered while the plane readied itself for takeoff. She’d been on planes many times before today, but something about leaving home this time had her more apprehensive than before.

  “These seats sure are snug,” Mom complained, shifting from side to side. Mom was on the aisle. Madison was on the window. No one would have to sit between them. Center seats on a plane were way too cramped for comfort.

  “Please put your tray tables and seats in the upright, locked position,” the flight attendant announced over the intercom. He explained the safety rules while other flight attendants went around to check on the passengers.

  Madison watched out the window as the plane began its slow roll away from the airport. She’d spent the better part of the last few days thinking and rethinking about the Fourth of July extravaganza—and how she wouldn’t be attending. But right then, at that moment when the plane taxied down the runway for liftoff, Madison felt the enormous sadness well up in her all over again.

  “You okay, honey bear?” Mom said, leaning over and squeezing Madison’s hand.

  Madison nodded and tried to hide the fact that she was about to start crying.

  “After the plane takes off, you can have a soda and some pretzels,” Mom said, as if snack food could wipe away the tears.

  Madison squeezed Mom’s hand back.

  The pilot got on the loudspeaker and explained the flight route they’d be taking. No sooner had he signed off than everyone in the cabin felt the plane rush forward. Takeoff had come at last. Madison was on her way to Chicago for real. There was absolutely no running away now. They were about to soar twenty-five thousand feet into the air.

  Bling. Bling. The “fasten seat belt” sign blinked.

  Madison closed her eyes as the plane ascended. Mom did, too. After they’d climbed into the air for a little while, Mom turned to her daughter with a comforting voice.

  “You know, Maddie,” Mom began. “This brings back incredible memories for me…”

  Madison sighed. “It does?”

  “Going to the lake house was the highlight of every summer when I was your age. We had so much fun there,” Mom said.

  “You did?”

  “Oh yeah.” Mom nodded. She was talking about herself and her sister. They were close in age.

  “What did you do there?” Madison asked.

  “Everything,” Mom replied. “Swam, sailed, fished, played checkers …”

  “Checkers?” Madison asked. “Sounds like a party …”

  “Hey.” Mom giggled. “You know what I mean. And we did other stuff, too. I met the first boy I ever liked—really liked—up at that lake house. His name was Ethan Randall. He was so cute.”

  Madison couldn’t help thinking about Ha
rt Jones right then.

  “Well … Ethan Randall was the cutest boy I had ever met. And he was so nice, too.” Mom smiled. “We went for walks. We swam together in the lake up there. When I was thirteen, I had my best summer ever.”

  “You did?” Madison said. Madison figured that “best” meant more than just a great game of checkers. “So what happened?”

  Mom got a look on her face that flushed her cheeks pink. She knew that look. It was a blush, like the way she’d felt at the beach with Hart.

  “Mom …” Madison teased. “Tell me what happened!”

  Mom looked Madison right in the eye. “It was magic. Sometimes boys can do that to you.”

  “I know,” Madison said. “I thought I was going to have something magical happen at home for the Fourth of July. That’s why I’m so sad to go so far away…” she explained.

  “So that’s why you were so angry,” Mom said, understanding Madison’s moodiness at last. “Your father and I were worried about you. We didn’t know why you were so upset about leaving.”

  “Well, I’m going to miss my friends,” Madison said.

  “And Hart?” Mom asked with a little smile.

  Madison chewed on her lip and nodded. “He’s this boy in my class.”

  “Hmmm,” Mom said. “Well, you know, honey bear, he’ll be in Far Hills when you get back. You’re only going to be gone for a week. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Summers are filled with all kinds of surprises.”

  Bling. Bling.

  Mom unhooked her seat belt and got up to use the lavatory as soon as the plane beeped.

  “It is safe to move around the cabin now,” the flight attendant said over the loudspeaker.

  Madison turned to look out the window again. Gazing off at the thick clouds, she fell fast asleep.

  “Wake up,” Mom whispered. “We’re landing.”

  Madison couldn’t believe she’d slept through the entire flight. She had planned to write in her files on her laptop and maybe even read a chapter or two from Just as Long as We’re Together, her favorite book by Judy Blume. But none of that happened. She’d even slept through the refreshment cart.

  “Gramma is meeting us at the gate,” Mom explained. “You and she will go off to the lake house together while I get on my connecting flight for California. Oh, honey bear, I’m going to miss you!”

  “I’ll miss you, too, Mom!” Madison said. “But I guess it’s just a week.”

  Mom grinned. “Right you are.”

  It was a bumpy landing, but Mom and Madison laughed their way through it. Madison wondered if Phinnie had fared as well. She had thoughts of him bumping around inside his carrier, howling at the suitcases in the luggage compartment.

  When they pulled into the gate, Madison raced up the gangway and into the terminal. Now that she was here in Chicago, she couldn’t wait to see her Gramma Helen. She wanted to throw her arms around Gramma and hug.

  Mom followed right behind Madison. Her connecting plane was due to board in less than an hour.

  “Frannie! Maddie!” Gramma called out when she saw her daughter and granddaughter. She was wearing a floppy purple hat and waving her hands madly in the air. “Over he-ere!”

  Madison raced into Gramma Helen’s arms.

  “Gramma!” she cried. “I’m so happy to see you.”

  Mom came over and gave her a kiss, too. “Hey, Ma,” Mom said, adjusting the strap on her bag. “I hate to say hello and run—but my flight takes off in a little while, so …”

  “No time for a cup of coffee or a little chat?” Gramma Helen said. She sounded disappointed.

  “I’m sorry,” Mom said, taking Gramma’s hand. “Can we talk later? I owe you one.” They hugged and then Mom turned to Madison.

  Madison slid her arms around Mom’s waist. “I’ll miss you.”

  Mom kissed Madison’s head. “Me, too. Now, be good, Maddie, okay?” She started walking away. “I’ll call you when I get into San Francisco—both of you. Love you!”

  “Bye!” Gramma and Madison said at the same time. They watched as Mom vanished into a crowd of rushing passengers. Madison kept looking in the same direction, just in case Mom turned around again. Their good-byes had been so fast.

  Gramma Helen clapped. “Let me look at you!” She turned Madison around so she saw her front, sides, and back. “You’re so BIG!” Gramma said.

  Madison felt like she was being inspected. “Big?” she asked, squirming a little.

  “I mean … gorgeous!” Gramma Helen corrected herself. “Mature. Sophisticated! Amazing!”

  Madison giggled. “Yeah, sure, Gramma.”

  “Now, let’s get the pooch and get ourselves to Winnetka,” she said. It was only a short drive to the community where Gramma lived on the North Shore of Chicago.

  “I can’t wait for you to see Phinnie!” Madison exclaimed. “He’s gotten big, too!”

  Gramma Helen grabbed Madison by the shoulders. “We’ll get your bag and Phin, and then I thought we could head back to the house and catch up a bit. But we have to stop at the grocery store first. Oh! There’s so much to do!”

  The baggage claim area was packed with passengers from flights all over the country. People were shoving and elbowing to get a front-row look at the luggage carousels. Gramma stood back and to the side.

  “Does Phin come out on this?” Madison asked.

  Gramma shook her head. “Nope,” she explained. “Comes through this door back here.”

  She pointed to a metal door with a coded alarm on the lock. Madison stared at the knob until a handler finally came through with a dog carrier. Inside was a Pekinese, and he was acting yippy.

  Madison looked up at Gramma. “But where’s Phinnie?” she asked. As soon as she said the words, the handler came in again, lugging Phinnie’s crate.

  “Rowrooooo!” Phin barked as soon as he was brought into the terminal. “Wooooooorf!”

  Madison ran over to the crate and peered through the bars. “PHINNIE!”

  “Rowrooooo!” Phin barked again.

  The handler helped Madison unhitch the crate and reattach Phin’s leash. The pug was twirling and twisting all over the place. Once out of the crate, the first thing he did was scoot right over to Gramma Helen, and give her a big lick on the face.

  “Oooooooh!” Gramma squealed. “Stinky little dog kissies! How delightful.”

  Madison chuckled.

  In Gramma’s world, everything was delightful.

  Chapter 6

  GRAMMA HELEN’S CAR SMELLED like roses. Lots of roses. Madison noticed a funky air freshener die-cut in the shape of a red flower. It was hanging from the dashboard. The smell was overpowering. Even Phin was sneezing.

  Their first stop after leaving the airport was the supermarket. Gramma needed milk and some other basic food groups. They parked in the shade, cracked open a window, and left Phin in the car.

  Everything about the store was different from Far Hills. Little tables were set up all over the place where people could taste samples of top-selling food items and read magazines. It was like a supermarket library and cafe in one.

  Shopping with Gramma was an adventure. Anytime Madison pointed out that she liked something, it got tossed into the cart. Madison didn’t mind being spoiled, though.

  Madison marveled at how everyone in the store seemed like Gramma’s oldest friend. She’d never considered that her grandmother would have BFFs the same as she did.

  On the way out of the market, Madison spotted a red-white-and-blue poster tacked to a bulletin board. It looked a little like the billboard outside the BBQ restaurant and the flyer from the beach back in Far Hills—only this one said much more. Just as Dad had predicted.

  Winnetka was holding its own Fourth of July extravaganza with a carnival, BBQ, and fireworks, too. Madison wondered if maybe the celebration here could possibly be better than the one back home.

  As she and Gramma drove from the store toward the house on the lake, Madison rolled down the window and took s
ome deep breaths. Even the air was different here. Gramma described the places in town as they passed: city hall, the real library, her favorite florist shop, and even a pet shop.

  “Hey, look, Phin!” Madison cried out. “A pet store!”

  Phinnie barked from the backseat.

  “It’s so peaceful here,” Madison said to Gramma. After driving for only a few miles, she’d almost forgotten all her reasons for feeling sad. She still missed her friends … but Madison was getting more and more excited about being in Winnetka.

  “Heeeere’s my driveway,” Gramma pointed out as they drove onto the smooth blacktop. “Just had it paved again. Isn’t that super? Do you remember coming here when you were just a pipsqueak?”

  “Gramma!” Madison laughed at the old nickname. Madison nodded even though she didn’t really remember much about the place.

  “Well, you’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with me and my neighborhood on this trip,” Gramma Helen said with a big grin.

  As soon as the car stopped, Madison jumped out with Phin, who wandered around Gramma Helen’s front yard, sniffing trees. He seemed to like the new surroundings. So did Madison. She glanced around for herself.

  Gramma’s house looked like a storybook cottage. The family had owned it for so many years—since Mom was a little girl—and Gramma claimed that it grew cozier and cozier with each year. At one time it had been reserved just as their summer house when the family moved to downtown Chicago. But now, Gramma lived by Lake Michigan all year long. She’d sold the city house long ago.

  The pretty white porch was set off beautifully against the woodsy landscape, and the yard was wide open except for a jam-packed clothesline off to the side. Gramma didn’t believe in clothes dryers.

  Directly next to Gramma’s house was another, more contemporary cottage with gigantic windows. Gramma said a family named the Millers lived there. On the opposite side was a plainer-looking house with yellow curtains and a weather vane. Her best friend, Mabel, lived there.

  Around toward the back of Gramma’s house was a rickety old wooden dock where Grandpa had used to moor his fishing boat.