“But that was IMPORTANT, Arcade! The woman could have given us some answers!”

I shook my head. “She said there was no time for answers. And just that—”

“WHAT?”

“That things were going to heat up to test my metal. And it’s part of the process. And I’m supposed to trust the tester.” I scratched my head. “What’s a tester?”

Zoe picked up a couch pillow and threw it at me. “YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED HER.”

Squawk!

Flames ran over and pecked Zoe on the ankle.

“OUCH!!!! Why did you do that?”

I laughed. “Looks like he’s protecting me.”

“But I’m the one who gave him my backpack to use as a bathroom.”

Squawk!

“Is that really a flamingo?” Doug examined Flames’s feathers. “Why isn’t he orange?”

“Flamingos are pink,” Zoe said.

Ugh. Time to change the subject.

“Hey, Doug, what was that sign in your front window?”

Doug settled back on his hands on the floor. “Oh, that.” He sighed. “It’s a For Sale sign.”

I sat up straight. “Is your greenstone for sale?”

“Brownstone,” Zoe said.

I ignored Zoe and looked back at Doug. “Well, IS IT?”

Doug stood up and then he began pacing. “Yeah, Arcade. I didn’t know how to tell you but . . . the greenstone is for sale.”

I walked right up and put my face in front of his. “But WHY? Your grandma’s lived here all her life. Where does she want to go? Where could you go that would be better than here?”

Doug grabbed his bag of Fritos from the couch. He frantically munched, and chili-cheese crumbs fell to the floor.

“It’s like this. Grandma’s not doing so good. She doesn’t want to move from here, but she . . . I mean . . . I . . . well . . . we can’t take care of her anymore. She has to go to an assisted living place, and she needs the money from the sale of this place to pay for it.”

Zoe and I just stared at Doug. Flames stopped his exploring and stared at Doug too.

Doug continued, “Okay. She’s sort of already in an assisted living place.”

“Sort of?” Zoe walked over and put a hand on Doug’s shoulder.

Doug slumped a little. “Yeah. She’s been there two weeks.”

“Doug,” I walked over and pulled the chip bag out of his hands. “Why didn’t you tell us? Have you been staying here alone for two weeks?”

Doug nodded. “I figured if I told you, that would mean that it’s really happening, and I really don’t want this to happen.”

A knot formed in my throat. I didn’t know what to say.

“And then that lady realtor came by today and asked to put up the sign. Do you think anyone’s gonna want to buy this place?”