I was worried about seeing Mrs. Boucher, worried she would read her own secret in my nervous fluster—talking too much, being jumpy. I found it hard to act normal.

Mrs. Boucher had left Peter’s Big Wheel in the living room, and he kept trying to ride it. He was showing off in front of Ellen, who was taking the streamers and fabrics from the bag.

Peter got off the bike and stood at the table, watching. “Are they for my bike?”

“Yep,” said Ellen. “And you can help me, but first let’s try your costume.”

Ellen fitted the hat, which was nearly as tall as him. The sign was laid out on the table, and Mrs. Boucher stood and watched.

“Ah, that’s clever, Ellen. Dr. Seuss. You see the world like an artist.”

Ellen blushed with pleasure.

I didn’t know what Mrs. Boucher’s life had been like with Mr. Boucher. Having seen him with his new fiancée and talked to him a few times, I couldn’t imagine it had been good. He seemed superficial and interested in himself. Maybe it was hard for her up here, a house deep in the woods, alone with the kids. Now that I thought about it, my mother and Mrs. Boucher weren’t that different. Sage’s words came back to me: Don’t you want her to be happy? Mrs. Boucher was young, probably still in her twenties. She had a job that was a profession. But that didn’t make her entitled to an affair, and not my mother. Mrs. Boucher said she was a feminist, which Mom definitely wasn’t. But that confused me, too. If Mrs. Boucher believed in the best for women, why would she hurt another one so deeply?

Mrs. Boucher hugged Bruce, who was lying on the sofa, watching Ellen work. “Good night, my littlest chick.” She turned to Peter. “And you—you behave for Ellen and stop running around like a wild man.” She stood and watched Ellen for a moment. She seemed tired or sad about something, and I already regretted spying on her. She smoothed her dress with her hands. “Okay, then. I’m off. Good night, girls.”

Mrs. Boucher left. I brought Bruce to bed while Ellen and Peter worked on the floor, weaving strips of red, white, and blue crêpe paper around the Big Wheel. Peter was wearing his Dr. Seuss hat, with red, white, and blue streamers coming out of the top. Ellen had used pipe cleaners to get the streamers to stick up a bit.