The

Hopper-Hill

Family

Erika S. Castiglione

Copyright © 2015 Erika S. Castiglione

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 1514327562 ISBN-13: 978-1514327562

Contents

1. The News 1

2. Stained Glass and Dark Wood 8

3. Cheese Pizza 17

4. On the Verge 27

5. Sports Tales 37

6. Snow Days 45

7. Family Stories 54

8. Spring Fever 63

9. We All Make Mistakes 72

10. Moping 82

11. Late Night Questions 92

12. Messages in the Sky 101

13. You Should Be Here Now 109

14. Thrilled but Surprised 118

15. Summer Goals 128

16. A Halloween Treat 137

17. The Weary World Rejoices 144

1

1

The News

For twelve years I dreamed about what it would be like to grow up in a large family. I would have been happy to have had even one brother or sister. I asked for one several Christmases in a row, and it was my standby wish every time I blew out my birthday candles, but I didnÊt really expect it to happen, and certainly not in the way it did. It was a Sunday the day before school started for second semester, and Mom and I were pulling ornaments off the tree and putting them in boxes when Dad got the call. I could tell it was a serious conversation by the noises Dad was making, the way he drew in his breath, the way he whispered, „no.‰ Mom turned down the music, but he stepped outside anyway. I watched him on

2

the front porch in his hoodie and jeans, his breath like smoke in the cold air.

„Melissa, could you step outside a minute?‰ he said, sticking his head in the door.

I watched them talk, knowing they would have to tell me whatever it was and wishing they would hurry. Mom nodded as she listened and pulled Dad into an embrace. I could see his shoulders tremble and her knuckles turning white as her arms tightened around him.

„DadÊs going to drive out to GramÊs house. He might bring her back for the night,‰ she said. „LetÊs sit down. I guess you need to know what this is all about.‰

ThatÊs when I learned the first part of the story. My Aunt Bonnie, my dadÊs older sister, and her husband, my Uncle Phil, were in a wreck the night before. A car swerved and hit them head on. They both died, Phil instantly and Bonnie later that night in the hospital. My mom was somber when she told me, but she didnÊt cry. I wondered if it was because she and Aunt Bonnie werenÊt very close or if it was just because the reality hadnÊt set in. I didnÊt cry either, and I wasnÊt sure why myself. A few phone calls later, it was planned that we would all go back to school the next day as usual and then fly to Denver on Tuesday for the funeral.

I drifted in and out of sleep that night, think-ing about my cousins. It had been over two years

3

since Uncle Phil and Aunt Bonnie drove us to Rocky Mountain National Park, where we spent the day exploring. Sam was just three then. I was thrilled that he knew my name, which he normally said in triple. „Piper, Piper, Piper!‰ he would call, wanting me to chase him or play a game with him. Cora and Seth, who I had always observed with the sort of awe reserved for older cousins seldom seen, were thirteen and fourteen at the time, both tall with braces. I wondered what they were doing now. Surely they were crying, but with loud wails and torment? Or silently in a quiet place? Were they embracing, or fighting, or afraid?

MomÊs parents had died before I was born and Grandpa Bob when I was only two, so this was the first time I was old enough to feel it. I couldnÊt get a clear enough picture of Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Phil in my mind, so I got up and pulled their Christmas card off of the re- frigerator door. „May grace fill your hearts this Christmas and always. Love from Phil, Bonnie, Seth (16), Cora (15), and Sam (6)‰ it said on the back. The front had a family picture with „The Hopper Family 2012‰ written across the bottom. Aunt Bonnie and Cora were sitting on a rock with their smooth honey-colored hair shining in the sunlight, and the boys were standing behind them. SamÊs arms were wrapped around Aunt BonnieÊs neck, and his mouth was open like he

4

was talking when the picture was snapped. I guess one of the advantages of being an only

child is frequent travel. I love almost everything about flying: the bustle of the airport, watching Atlanta grow smaller as we ascend and the new destination come into focus as we descend, reading and listening to music on the plane, and studying the other passengers, imagining things about their lives. I had to remind myself that this flight was different, which wasnÊt hard to do when I looked at Gram. We were sitting behind Mom and Dad. As always, she had let me have the window seat, but she didnÊt ask for help with her crossword puzzle book like she usually did. Right after takeoff, she reached over and held my hand, which was a little embarrassing but I didnÊt say anything or pull away because I knew she was incredibly sad. After a little while she fell asleep, and I pulled out my schoolwork. For years, teachers had been telling me that the next year would be harder and I would have more homework, but they were actually telling the truth about seventh grade. It was the first time I really had to work, and I knew missing a week of school was not going to make life any easier.

I couldnÊt concentrate on reading, so I decided to move on to math, which was, unfortunately, word problems. I thought about asking my mom for help with the two I didnÊt understand, but

5

asking Mom for help normally requires a lot more work from me, so I try not to unless absolutely necessary. Mom teaches High School Math and Dad teaches History, Geography, and Language Arts (though not all three every year) at Addison Academy where I attend. This was my first year being in the upper school with them, but it wasnÊt as weird as you might expect. My dad winks at me if I pass him in the hall; my mom doesnÊt even notice me half the time, which doesnÊt totally surprise me. As I began reading one of the problems for the third time, my ears tuned in to their conversation.

Now, IÊll admit that I eavesdrop quite a bit. ItÊs really not my fault because they still havenÊt figured out that if IÊm in the backseat of a car or up in my room with the door open or sitting behind them on a plane and they are talking about something that sounds interesting·especially if itÊs something that involves me·IÊm going to listen.

„I canÊt believe you are honestly considering this, Trent,‰ Mom said.

„Mel, sheÊs my sister,‰ Dad said. „When was the last time you even talked to

her?‰ „Could you be a little more insensitive?‰ „Trent, thatÊs not what I mean. IÊm not trying

to make you feel guilty. IÊm just saying that the two of you havenÊt been close in years, and you

6

barely know her children. They barely know us.‰ „But weÊre family. And think about them.

TheyÊve just lost both of their parents, and they donÊt have any relatives close by,‰ he said.

„What about PhillipÊs parents?‰ „TheyÊre in their eighties and theyÊre in Texas.‰ „What about PhillipÊs sister? Where is she

now?‰ „Kenya. BartÊs still working in a medical clinic

for that nonprofit.‰ „Still?‰ she asked. „Yeah, I think they went there for life. Plus she

has five or six kids now. They have one every two years or so.‰

„Then sheÊd probably do a better job than someone who has only had one.‰

„DonÊt you think youÊre being a little selfish? I canÊt believe you wonÊt even consider this.‰

„IÊm not being selfish. Really. IÊm thinking about them, too. They just lost both of their parents, and weÊre going to move them away from all of their friends and bring them to Atlanta where they know no one and fit six people into a house that is small for three and stick them with two less than adequate parents?‰

„WhatÊs the alternative? Plus, weÊre not less than adequate. Look at Piper.‰

„PiperÊs easy. And have you thought about how hard this could be on her?‰

„SheÊll love it. SheÊs dying for siblings.‰

7

„Yeah, right. Be careful what you wish for.‰

„Promise me youÊll think about it. Mom isnÊt

too far away. I know sheÊd help out. We could

enroll them all at Addison with us. Come on,

arenÊt you always up for a new adventure?‰

„Sure. Take me back to Europe - donÊt make

me adopt three kids.‰

„Just think about it. YouÊll feel differently when

you see them. Besides, I donÊt even know what all

needs to happen legally.‰

„Trent,‰ Mom said and then sighed, „IÊll think

about it. I mean, I canÊt help but think about it.‰

Other than the passing of cups, the turn of

pages, an occasional cough, and the soft noises of

them shifting in their seats, I heard nothing from

my parents for the rest of the flight. Of course, I

had heard enough to keep my mind spinning,

rendering myself useless in terms of schoolwork.

So I sipped ginger ale and stared out the window,

wondering. Gram woke once with a sort of gasp,

looked around, took my hand again, and then

drifted back to sleep. Eventually, Denver, still

decorated with Christmas lights and covered in

more snow than I had ever seen, came into focus.

8

2

Stained Glass and Dark Wood

I wish I looked like my mom. People are always telling me how beautiful she is (normally around the same time they tell me how much I look like my dad). Her parents immigrated to Virginia from Ecuador, and she has olive skin, thick black hair, and large dark eyes with eyelashes that look like the tips of paintbrushes. I have fair skin and freckles and hair that some people call blonde, but only when preceded with adjectives like sandy, dirty, or worst of all, dishwater. ItÊs lost somewhere between curly and straight, and it always looks a little messy. My dad barely has any hair left at all, and he doesnÊt have any particularly handsome features. Onlookers must sometimes wonder how she ended up with him,

9

but Dad likes to point out that she just looks like a cool kid on the outside and that sheÊs really geekier than him on the inside.

On the day of the funeral she wore a fitted black dress with sheer sleeves. It was one of the dresses that she normally wore when she and Dad went to fundraising events for the school or to the symphony. That day she was worried that it was too flashy, though, and she was angry at Dad for telling her to bring it. We were all three staying in Uncle Phil and Aunt BonnieÊs bed-room. I slept on the floor on a pallet, and my parents slept right in their bed. Some neighbors had slept there before us, which seemed weird to me, but I guess there was nowhere else to go. Gram stayed on the futon in the small library that doubled as a guest room.

„I canÊt believe you let me pack this, Trent,‰ she said, „I look like IÊm going to a cocktail party. What happened to my funeral clothes?‰ She was as tall as Dad in her heels, maybe a little taller.

„We havenÊt been to a funeral in ten years. You look great. Besides, itÊs not about you,‰ he said.

„I know itÊs not about me. ThatÊs why I donÊt want to wear a dress that looks like I think itÊs about me.‰

„IÊm going to go make breakfast for the kids,‰ he said and kissed her on the cheek. Then he

10

looked at me and said, „Why donÊt you finish getting ready and help me out?‰

I nodded. I thought I was ready. I was wearing a gray sweater dress that hopefully didnÊt say anything offensive and had parted my hair on the side and pulled it into a low ponytail. It was easier to manage in Colorado. I went to the bathroom and flossed and put on lip gloss just because I felt like I needed to do something.

The kitchen was overflowing with food that

neighbors, co-workers, and church members had dropped off, but Dad decided to scramble some eggs. I leaned against the counter as he whisked and poured and folded.

„Have you had a chance to talk to any of them?‰ I asked.

„Not really,‰ he said. „They probably need to grieve with their friends and neighbors‰ Ever since we had arrived, there had been a steady stream of people coming and going. Cora and Seth thanked us for coming, but they spent all of their time with friends. Sam latched on to Gram and wouldnÊt let her go. I had kind of forgotten that she was his Gram too.

„Are they coming back with us?‰ I asked, and we both looked over our shoulders, but he didnÊt seem surprised that I had considered the possibility.

„I donÊt know, Piper,‰ he said. „There is a lot

11

we have to figure out in the next few days.‰ „Do you want them to?‰ „Well, I donÊt really think itÊs a matter of want

or not.‰ „Oh.‰ „Sometimes you do things because itÊs the right

thing to do, because youÊre supposed to take care of family.‰

„I wish I knew them better.‰ „Me too,‰ he said, and he looked so forlorn

that I didnÊt add that I wished we had visited them more, but I thought it.

„Should we call them down?‰ I asked. Before he could answer, Schroeder, their yellow lab, came bounding in with Sam right behind him.

„HeÊs got to go potty!‰ Sam stretched out the „o‰ in the word potty as he grabbed his snow boots by the backdoor.

„Uh, donÊt you need a jacket?‰ I asked. „No, this will only take a second,‰ he said, and

then they both rushed out. Cora came down soon after. She was still wear-

ing flannel pants and a long sleeved T-shirt with a stain on it, but she is one of those girls who wakes up pretty.

„Hey, Cora. How about some eggs?‰ Dad asked and gave her an awkward pat on the back.

„Sure. Thanks.‰ He loaded up her plate. She took a few bites

and then pushed the rest around.

12

„IÊve got some coffee, too. Uh, do you drink coffee?‰ he asked.

„No. Just juice. I can get it.‰ The door opened, and Sam and Schroeder

bounded in. Schroeder ran through the kitchen towards the living room.

„Sammy,‰ Cora said, „youÊre supposed to wipe the snow off of him when you come in. And what were you doing outside without a coat? Go get dressed and you can have some breakfast.‰

„Sorry about that,‰ Dad said. „Do you think Seth will want any breakfast?‰

„No, probably not,‰ she said. „Okay, weÊll need to leave in an hour or so,‰ he

said. The church they attended met in the cafeteria

of an elementary school, and I guess, for obvious reasons, you canÊt put two dead bodies in a school cafeteria, so they borrowed an old Methodist church downtown. It had stained glass windows with scenes on them, dark wood, and purple cushions that ran down the length of the pews. Gram sat in the front row with the cousins and Uncle PhilÊs parents. We sat behind them with Uncle PhilÊs sister, Lynn, her husband, Bart, and all six of their children. The oldest daughter was sitting by me with the youngest, a baby, on her lap. The baby had pulled off one of her lacy socks and was sucking on it. After a while she

13

started making noises and trying to grab hymnals

and pencils, really anything she could get her

hands on. She finally grabbed the corner of one

of the hymnals that was on the pew beside her

and pushed it off to the ground. It made a

thump that echoed all through the sanctuary, and

Bart swooped her up and took her out.

Unfortunately, all of the other kids were really

well behaved, so I no longer had any distractions.

A woman stood behind a podium with a

microphone and began to sing a song about

sorrow and peace, and I looked at the row in

front of me. Sam was on GramÊs lap. His head

was on her shoulder, his arm was wrapped

around her neck, and he was gripping a handful

of her sweater. I could tell they were crying by the

little jerks in their backs and shoulders, and I

could see their hands rising to their faces to wipe

away tears. Seth was bent over with his elbows on

his knees and his face in his hands. The coat of

his suit was stretched across his broad shoulders.

Dad put his arm around me. His other hand

was holding MomÊs, and we, too, were crying. I

would be lying to say that I missed Uncle Phil

and Aunt Bonnie because I didnÊt really know

them well, but it was impossible not to hurt for

Cora, Seth, and Sam. I couldnÊt help but think

about what it would be like if my mom and dad

died, and that made me cry more.

It seemed as if all of the sorrow in the world

14

was in that dark, beautiful building. I wished we

could have left it there, but it came with us to the

cemetery as the coffins that my dad helped carry

were lowered into the ground. It came with us

back to the house. It lingered long after the guests

had left, and after Dad carried Sam up to his bed,

and after all the lights were out.

I lied down on my pallet in the room where my

aunt and uncle had slept just a week before.

„I should call Carlos,‰ my mom whispered,

once she thought I was asleep.

„Yeah, you should,‰ said Dad.

„Make me, okay?‰ she said. I hadnÊt seen Uncle

Carlos since two years ago when he came and

slept in our guest room for a month and then left

one night when I was sleeping. Eavesdropping got

me nowhere when it came to him. They must

have left the house to discuss what went on.

„Okay, I will.‰

„What are we going to do about the kids?‰ she

asked.

„According to the will, weÊre the guardians. We

could legally give them over to someone else

though. There are two families here that are

willing to take all three. SethÊs friendÊs family is

willing to take just him so that he can finish his

junior and senior year in the same place. Bart and

Lynn donÊt think it would be good for them to

go to Kenya with all of the other changes in their

lives, but they like the idea of them being with

15

family. Mom wants to be near them.‰ „So, your mind is made up.‰ „I didnÊt say that.‰ „What if I canÊt do this? They never asked us

and I never signed up for this. Those kids are so crushed. What if we just make it worse? I mean, did you see them today?‰

„WeÊll get them the best counselor we can find. WeÊll work through it together. We can do this.‰

„I hate when you say that.‰ „What? 'We can do this?' What do you want me

to say?‰ „Say itÊs going to be hard.‰ „ItÊs going to be hard,‰ he said. „I love you.‰ „I love you too. But I hate this,‰ she added. They didnÊt talk any more, but IÊm not sure if

they slept. I didnÊt hear my dad snore, and my mom got up to use the bathroom later. I must have eventually fallen asleep because I woke up to the sound of barking and Sam saying, „Schroeder has to go to po-o-otty!‰ and the door opening and shutting. I got up to see if he put on his jacket.

I gave the window seat to Cora on the way back

to Atlanta. She put headphones on and closed her eyes from takeoff to landing. Sam sat behind me with Gram and kicked my chair every so often. Mom and Dad sat in front of me, and Seth sat with a stranger a few rows up and across the

16

aisle. He had headphones, too, but he stared straight ahead. It seemed to take twice as long going back. As we descended, I thought about how Atlanta looked sad with most of its trees leafless and no thick blanket of puffy snow on the ground.

17

3

Cheese Pizza

„There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,‰

Dad said when we gathered around the table after

spending the day shifting furniture, packing some

of our things deemed unnecessary in boxes to

store at GramÊs house, unpacking some of the

cousinsÊ things, and making room for the things

that were supposed to arrive the following week.

SchroederÊs big plaid pillow took up almost all of

the empty floor space in the family room. I had

always wanted a dog, but it was weird having one

so suddenly. I wasnÊt sure if I should even

consider him „mine‰ anyway. Sam had already

managed to leave LEGO bricks in every single

room in the house, including the bathroom, and

it didnÊt take long for all of us to discover the

18

excruciating pain of stepping on one. There were four large boxes of pizza from

GinoÊs, our favorite pizza place down the street, opened on the center of the table: two black olive and mushroom, one sausage and peppers, and a veggie supreme.

„Yuck!‰ said Sam when he saw them. „You donÊt like pizza?‰ Dad asked. „Pizza is my favorite food,‰ Sam said. „Then whatÊs ÂyuckÊ?‰ „I donÊt like it with stuff all over it!‰ Sam said. „He just likes cheese,‰ Cora said. „Most kids do,‰ Mom said to Dad. „I can go get a cheese,‰ Dad said. „No, donÊt,‰ Cora said to Dad and then to

Sam, „IÊll pick it off.‰ „I donÊt want it picked off!‰ Sam said, and then

he started crying. „ItÊs no problem,‰ Dad said, „IÊm going to grab

my coat and get some cheese pizza.‰ „You really donÊt have to,‰ Seth said. It was

one of the first things I heard him say all day, all week probably.

„I hate this pizza! I hate it! I hate it!‰ Sam started to scream and cry louder before throwing himself to the ground.

Dad and Mom exchanged helpless glances. Cora bent down to Sam and started to stroke his back, saying „I know you do,‰ and „ItÊs going to be okay.‰ Seth stood, picked Sam up and carried

19

him out of the kitchen upstairs to the room they shared. Cora followed. They shut the door. We could hear more crying and some kicking and the voices of Seth and Cora alternating between soothing and stern.

„WeÊre in over our heads,‰ Mom said. „Do you want to go get the pizza?‰ Dad asked. „ShouldnÊt we do something about what just

happened? WhatÊs happening?‰ „Any ideas?‰ „No.‰ „Why donÊt you go get the pizza? And IÊll

think. Piper and I will come up with something,‰ he said, looking at me for the first time. I had nothing.

Mom grabbed her coat and the keys. „I didnÊt sign up for this,‰ she said.

Dad and I sat at the table, looking at the opened pizza boxes. The noise upstairs had grown much softer. Schroeder put his head in my lap, and as I petted him, his tail wagged and some pieces of his fur fell to the ground. I think he wanted to be mine, too.

„You know it isnÊt the pizza heÊs crying over, right?‰ Dad said to me. I nodded.

„When my father died, I wanted to throw myself on the ground and scream. And I was a grown man,‰ he said.

„I know,‰ I said, even though I didnÊt know; I couldnÊt remember. It would have felt good to

20

cry then, but I didnÊt. I felt like I hadnÊt earned

the right to cry; my parents were both living; I

didnÊt have to move to a new place; my world

wasnÊt crumbling. Still, it was hard to hold it in

when everywhere we turned we seemed to bump

into the sadness like we bumped into all of the

new books and boxes and Legos strewn about.

„You didnÊt get enough pizza,‰ I said. „I saw

Seth eat a whole pizza on his own when we were

in Colorado.‰

„Well, I guess itÊs good your mom went to get

another,‰ he said.

I was born in Boston when both of my parents

were finishing graduate degrees. They were going

to stay in New England forever, but Dad wanted

to be closer to Gram after Grandpa Bob died,

and a few of their friends had a vision of starting

a school with them. One of them actually had a

wealthy uncle in Georgia (Addison Academy is

named after him) who was willing to provide the

seed money. We moved down when I was four,

and weÊve lived here ever since. Our house is old

and quaint and perfectly cozy for three people,

but it is a little tight, to say the least, for six

people and a dog. There are two bedrooms

upstairs with deep windows with seats (my

favorite part of my room) that overlook the

street, and a bathroom in the short hallway in

between. I already had two twin beds in my

21

room, so I cleared the one only used by stuffed animals for Cora. Seth and Sam took the guest room.

It was strange waiting for a turn in the bath-room, and it was stranger still to have menÊs shaving cream and deodorant on the counter. When one of the boys left the toilet seat up, I almost fell in. After I walked out, I bumped into Cora, and we both awkwardly said „excuse me,‰ more like strangers in a hotel instead of cousins who were now living together.

That night, I read a little of Great Expectations, but it was hard to concentrate. Cora had headphones in and was texting a friend back in Colorado. Eventually, she took the headphones out, put her phone down, put a retainer in, and rolled over, her back to me. I turned out the light even though I wasnÊt done reading and whispered, „goodnight.‰

„Night,‰ she said softly. About thirty minutes later, I was pretty sure I heard her cry. I laid there perfectly still, not knowing what to do. I had almost convinced myself to go sit on her bed or give her a hug or say something when she got up and went to the bathroom. She stayed in there so long that I fell asleep waiting on her to come back to bed. When I woke up the next morning, she was sound asleep.

Even though I said I didnÊt like being an only

22

child, I used to love Sunday mornings. Break-fasts are my dadÊs specialty, and he would make bacon, omelets, waffles, or some other pastry. We would all three stay around the table long after the food was gone, passing sections of the paper around (they always gave me the comics and the Parade magazine), commenting here and there. It was one of the few times in the week that both of them seemed as if they had all the time in the world and even the house itself, and the very air around us, seemed to breathe a collective sigh and take a moment to stretch before the coming week. By lunch, the spell was broken and it would be time to gear up for Monday, but I could always count on those few hours.

Cora, Seth, and Sam were all still sleeping, so I tried to tread lightly on the steps coming down. My parents were at the table, and they had coffee, but they werenÊt lingering over pastries and the paper.

„So, we havenÊt even thought about uniforms,‰ Mom said. „IÊll take them shopping after breakfast.‰

„Surely the boys have khakis and a navy polo or sweater. And canÊt Cora wear something of yours or PiperÊs?‰

„PiperÊs stuff is too small and mine is too big. The boys probably donÊt have anything either.‰

„Okay, youÊll take them shopping. They might need school supplies, too,‰ Dad said. „So, have

23

you thought more about what weÊre going to do about CoraÊs piano? SheÊs expecting to have it shipped here or to buy another⁄‰

„It wonÊt fit,‰ she said, „Unless you want it to double as the kitchen table. I donÊt know what weÊre going to do.‰

„Mom said we could put it at her house.‰ „How often would she get to play it?‰ Mom

asked. „She could borrow LoisÊs piano. IÊm sure Mrs.

Cho wouldnÊt mind,‰ I said, joining in the conversation.

„YouÊre sure about that, huh?‰ Mom asked. „Maybe,‰ I said. „I can ask Lois later when they

get back from church.‰ „We should take the kids to church,‰ Dad said

to Mom. „What? I havenÊt been to Mass in years, and I

havenÊt really missed it.‰ „It wouldnÊt be like Mass. They went to one of

those churches with a band and coffee in the back.‰

„YouÊre not really selling me on it. LetÊs just go to a B-grade concert and then to Starbucks.‰

„Your momÊs a comedian,‰ he said to me. Turning to her he continued, „IÊm just trying to think of ways we can make their life more normal.‰

„Do you really think thatÊs possible, Trent?‰ Schroeder was up and whining at the back

24

door, and both parents looked at me. I put on

my dadÊs Celtics sweatshirt and slipped on some

shoes and took him out in my pajamas.

I liked the way everything felt sleepy and serene

outside as I made my way down the block. If you

go a few miles to the south, youÊll hit the kind of

neighborhoods that some people say arenÊt safe

to walk in at night and if you go a few miles to

the west, youÊll hit large houses worth millions

(or close, at least), but our neighborhood is right

in the middle in almost every way, composed of

just a few streets filled with old maple trees,

houses built around the 1950s, young pro-

fessionals starting families, and a few old couples

who never got around to moving.

Schroeder spent an inordinate amount of

mental energy deciding where to do his business.

With him sniffing every tree and mailbox, it took

quite a long time just to get up the street and

back. I was making my way back towards the

house when I saw Knox across the street in his

front yard, stretching before a run.

„Hey Piper!‰ he said.

„Hi!‰

„You got a dog?‰

„Yeah, his name is Schroeder.‰ I said.

He walked across the street toward me. I

suddenly wished I wasnÊt wearing multi-colored

penguin pajama pants and that I had brushed my

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hair and teeth. I also wished I wasnÊt holding a plastic Target bag with doggie poop in it. Knox bent down to pet Schroeder, who went crazy trying to play with him. We both laughed, and I hoped Knox couldnÊt smell my breath from that angle. Knox has a nice laugh and a really nice smile. ItÊs not just his mouth - everything on his face smiles at the same time, and when he smiles really big, his eyes close for a second.

„Schroeder? Like the guy who plays the piano for Snoopy?‰

„Yeah,‰ I said. „I think.‰ „Well, IÊve gotta run. Ask your Dad what he

thought about last nightÊs game,‰ he said, kind of nodding his head towards my sweatshirt.

„Okay,‰ I said, not wanting the conversation to end. „Will do,‰ I added as he stood up and ran down the street.

Knox was sixteen, and he had moved from upstate New York to our neighborhood a year and a half ago with his mom. My dad loves sports, and the two of them have a bunch of running jokes about being fans of rival teams, the jokes changing from basketball to baseball to football as we move through the year. He watched the Super Bowl, the final game of the World Series, and the Masters at our house last year.

I wondered if I should have told him about my cousins. I felt like I should announce it or

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something, but there really wasnÊt a precedent for that sort of thing. A few months prior when Mrs. Reed down the street had another baby, they put a wooden stork in their yard with balloons attached, but, of course, that wouldnÊt be appropriate. Besides, we hadnÊt adopted them - they were only staying with us - and it wasnÊt anything permanent yet.