NOVEMBER 19, 1994
THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA.
I knew it when Liz slipped halfway up the tree and fell back on me, causing us both to fall on our asses. And I knew it now, as I balanced on a limb and watched her wobble like a newborn foal.
I was dead meat if anything happened to her.
If my mother didn’t kill me, my sister would.
“Careful,” I called out, unable to mask my concern. I should have known better than to agree to go climbing when it had been raining all day yesterday. Yeah, it was dry today, but the branches of the trees were still slippery. Problem was, I seemed to lose all common sense when Lizzie Young was nearby.
This morning, for example, I was supposed to be at rugby training, same as every Saturday, but Liz had had a sleepover with Claire last night, and when she asked me if I wanted to hang out this morning, I blew training off without a second thought.
Climbing out on a particularly shaky limb of the tree, the same one I was on, Liz balanced with no grace and held a stick out in front of her. Grinning mischievously, she swung the stick around with a flourish before aiming it at my heart. “I challenge you to a duel, brave knight.”
“A brave knight would never duel with a lady.” I mimicked the British tone she had used, and then, with an exaggerated bow, I tipped my imaginary hat to her. “Milady.”
“Come now, good knight, and make haste,” she challenged, edging farther out on the limb, to poke me in the chest with her stick. “For I have little time for such unpleasant remarks.”
“I couldn’t possibly, milady,” I replied, placing my imaginary sword at her feet. “Now, I must beg of you to retreat before you come to harm.”
Lizzie narrowed her eyes and broke character. “Come on! Fight me, Hughie.”
“You’re going to fall and break your ass,” I laughed, thoroughly amused by her antics. “Back up before you kill yourself.”
“Oh yeah?” Tossing her stick away, she winked and jumped off the limb.
“Lizzie!” I roared, heart stopping dead in my chest as I gaped down in horror at the blond pancaked on the lawn several feet beneath me. “Are you okay?”
The sound of her laughter was music to my ears, and when she rolled onto her back and held her thumbs up, I felt my entire body sag in relief.
“You’re shit at being a lady.”
“That’s because I don’t want to be a lady,” she called back with a grin. “I want to be a knight like you.”
“Hey, Liz, are you sure you don’t want to come to ballet with me?” Claire called out from the patio door, clad in a pink tutu and white tights. “Mrs. Good lets kids come to class to try it out to see if they like it.”
“Uh…that’s okay?” Lizzie called back, looking horrified, while I covered my mouth to smother my laugh.
Sprawled out on my lawn in a pair of denim dungarees and an oversized plaid shirt, Liz couldn’t have looked less like my sister if she tried.
I loved it.
“Hugh, can I have a word, love?” Mam called then, joining my sister in the doorway.
“Yeah, Mam,” I called back, maneuvering down the tree with expert precision. Feeling mischievous when I reached the ground, I retrieved Liz’s “sword” from the lawn and placed it at her feet. “Milady.”
She grinned up at me from her perch on the grass. “Brave knight.”
I offered her a dramatic bow before rushing over to my mam. “What’s up?”
“Come inside for a minute,” Mam said, then told Claire to go out and play with Liz until they had to leave for dance class.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, watching my mother carefully. “Mam?”
She started with, “How’s Lizzie doing? Is she doing okay? Has she said anything to you or Claire?”
My brows furrowed. “Like what?”
Mam sighed. “I’ve just gotten off the phone to her mother.”
“So?”
“Lizzie’s mam is very sick, Hugh.” She placed a hand on my shoulder. “She’s going through her third battle with cancer.”
“Okay,” I replied, frowning. “Is she not getting better?”
“Yes and no,” my mother replied, sighing heavily. “But Catherine’s recovery is a slow process and has taken a toll on her family—especially Lizzie. Catherine’s very worried about how it’s affecting her.”
“But Liz never says anything about her family,” I replied, frowning. “I thought everything was okay and her mam was getting better.”
Mam nodded, taking in my answer before asking me another question. “Has she ever spoken to you about her feelings?”
“What kind of feelings?”
“Scary feelings or scary voices,” Mam replied in a careful tone. “Or maybe her worries?”
“Huh?” I shook my head in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Never mind.” She smiled brightly. “That’s all I needed to know.”
“What’s going on, Mam?” I asked, feeling worried now. “Is Lizzie okay?”
“Yes, love, she’s fine,” my mother said, trailing her hand through my hair. “I’ve told Catherine that we’re happy to have her over whenever she needs to while she recovers, so expect Lizzie to be here a lot over the coming months.”
“Really?” Excitement sparked to life inside of me, mixing with the confusion I was feeling from this conversation. “That’s great.”
“You’re a good boy, Hugh, and I know you’re so emotionally mature that I don’t need to ask, but please keep an eye out for her.” Mam stroked my cheek and smiled sadly. “She’s a very fragile little girl who needs looking after.”
“I’ll do it,” I vowed, casting a glance out the patio window to the blond girl twirling around in circles in her denim dungarees. “I’ll look after her, Mam, I promise.”
