Sisters in the Wind(60)
“That’s the point,” I replied. “It’s called Batesian mimicry. When harmless prey appears dangerous to predators. A viceroy butterfly is not toxic, but it evolved to look like a monarch butterfly, which is poisonous to birds.”
“Badass Batesian bitch.” She repeated it until I threw my slipper at her.
As summer turned to autumn, I harvested plums, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and pumpkins. I learned about canning foods and helped to fill the Hoppy pantry. Sweatshirts were layered over Tshirts. Hammock siestas were spent watching red maple leaves flutter to the ground.
My library grew as I wrote letters requesting donations from public libraries, thrift stores, and nonprofit organizations. I recommended books for each of my foster siblings and the Hoppys. Diego was the only person who read the books and wanted to discuss them.
The night before Halloween, Tonya and I recapped our day as usual. Our room was dark except for a faint orange glow from a Himalayan salt lamp. She swore it improved her dreams.
“The chicken tasted different tonight. So did the sweet potato pie,” she said.
“Not to me.” Hoppy chicken remained the greatest dish ever.
The wind howled as if siding with my roommate.
“If you wanted, could you maybe get certain books?” Meekness was out of character for Tonya. She was more like Devery. Blunt to the point of embarrassment—mine, not hers.
“Yeah, I probably could. I’ve said that before,” I said.
“Does Missus know which books you look for?” Tonya asked.
“No. Why would she care about specific titles?”
“I think I’m pregnant.” She gulped. “I know I am. Lucy, I’m pregnant. I’m not ready to tell Missus yet. I’m gonna wait until Thanksgiving; I’ll be close to three months, I think.”
There was an awkward pause. In the months after Emily and the baby moved in with her aunt, Diego and I had become best friends. Boyd had left me alone and focused his attention on Tonya. They’d even called dibs on the double hammock.
“Does Boyd know?”
“Yeah. He’s so excited. Like, super excited, Lucy.”
“That’s good,” I said. “Dads should be excited.”
Boyd wasn’t the only one who was excited. Tonya lasted one whole week before telling Missus her good news.
* * *
We exchanged Secret Santa gifts on Christmas Eve. I had drawn Joy’s name. She opened her gift and squealed. Joy loved roses, which Tonya found hilarious because of the stinky farts. She immediately replaced one of the many metal spikes in her upper ear cartilage with the single stud in the shape of a rose bloom.
“It’s eighteen-karat gold, so it won’t turn your skin green,” I said.
Diego had taught me to look for the hallmark on jewelry to identify precious metals. Also to dip gold jewelry in vinegar, because real gold wouldn’t change color.
It was a helpful tip that I put to good use when I shopped for Diego at another secondhand store during a day trip to Alpena. Emily still had his crucifix. The one I found was smaller but made of twenty-four-karat gold.
Diego and I waited until we could be alone in the library to exchange gifts. He loved the necklace. I tried not to beam when he saw the hallmark.
“Wow, Lucy. This is … special.”
He seemed embarrassed to give me a small present the same size as the jewelry box for his necklace. I unwrapped the gift box to find a gift card to a bookstore in Alpena.
“I should’ve put more thought into it,” Diego said before I could react. “It’s just that all the donated books are old. I wanted you to pick a new book because—”
“I love it.” My voice caught. “I haven’t had anyone buy a book for me since…” I didn’t fight the tears. “Thank you. It means the world to me.”
* * *
Winter was mild at the farm—at least to me. When anyone complained, I told stories about the winter squalls that blew across Beaver Island. We could still have bonfires on Saturday evenings, unless it was too harsh and windy.
I hadn’t done much hiking on the state land surrounding the farm. During the summer and fall it was too easy to imagine Steven Sterling lurking in the woods. But a thick blanket of fresh snow made for a pristine canvas. Easier to see boot prints and animal tracks. Steven hadn’t seemed clever enough to master the art of camouflage, so it felt safe to explore the trails with others. I was surprised to discover how much I liked snowshoeing.
Emma’s pregnancy progressed without any physical issues, but she became withdrawn. The more Missus lavished special attention on her, the more she retreated to her bedroom. She was quiet during mealtime and didn’t participate in group activities. I was the person she interacted with the most, but all I did was replace the stack of books she’d set outside her bedroom door every other day.
On her due date in January, Emily gave birth to a baby girl that she gave up for adoption. A week later, she requested a different foster-care placement. She was like a breeze that passed through the drafty porch library. I hadn’t added her name to my tattoo list, figuring we’d get to know each other better in time.
Tonya had the opposite reaction to the attention Missus paid to her. She practically purred and sidled up to Missus for cuddles and belly rubs. When Emma left Hoppy Farm, Tonya had Boyd move her belongings into the private bedroom by that evening.