She put her hand on my forehead. “Not feeling well, I know.” Then she dug around in the pocket of her bathrobe and pulled out a green bottle and a spoon. She poured out a spoonful and I opened my mouth. “This will fix your head,” she said. “Vitamins and sleep medicine.”

I swallowed and sneezed.

“Try not to worry. Rowan’ll be home soon, darling. And Gloria’s going to make everything better with Telly.”

She smoothed my hair over and over and a warm feeling went in my arms and legs and up in my head.

When I woke up, it was morning and someone was knocking on our front door. They knocked and knocked but Gloria wasn’t answering. I got out of bed and went downstairs. Gloria was snoring in Telly’s chair. On the floor was a fork and plate with orange smears on it. I think it was from the rabbit stew Aunt Erma made.

“Gloria?”

“What’s happening?” She lifted up her head. Her neck made a lot of rolls. There was greasy stuff around her mouth.

“Someone’s at the door?”

“Is it Telly? Is he back?”

My chest hurt. I peeked through the glass. “No,” I said. “It’s Mrs. Spooner.”

Gloria got up from the chair and started going upstairs. “Tell her—tell her to go away,” she said in an angry way.

“I can’t,” I said.

“Well, just tell her whatever you want.”

More knocking, and I heard the bathroom door slam. I cracked open the door. Mrs. Spooner was holding a white dish with a glass lid on top. She put the dish in my arms.

“Sorry to make such a racket, but I was certain you were home. And I—I wanted to check on you.” She looked behind me, and then she got close and said, “Is everything okay, Maisy?” She still smelled like the squirt can in the bathroom.

I nodded.

“I mean, is everything all right in there?”

I didn’t know what she meant. Rowan hadn’t come out of his hiding spot. Gloria was sad and angry all the time. Telly told a whole lot of lies about coming home, and he was still living with that lady. “Everything’s good,” I said.

“Did you know I submitted Rowan’s work for a contest? He wrote about a boy spending a night in the woods.”

I remembered the THEIF sign. My face got hot. Those boys. It was from those boys that wouldn’t let him play. Gloria was upset about that too, them being mean to Rowan.

“I just received a letter this morning saying he won second prize.” She sounded cheerful, but her face looked like she stubbed her toe. “Won’t that be wonderful news to share when he returns? He’s such a special talent.”

I nodded. I looked at my feet.