Mimi shook her head. “I bought him some button-down shirts,” she said. “And a few pairs of pants.”

Dad rolled his eyes and smiled at me in the rearview mirror.

“Where are we going today?” I asked Mimi. “Dad said it’s a surprise.”

Mimi nodded and smiled. “Oh, it is,” she said. “It definitely is.”

Chapter Six A Day at the Museum

Mimi typed an address into her phone, and we were off to the St. Louis Art Museum. Before I knew it, Mimi was ready to march me into the museum, but not without first touching up her makeup and hair in the car.

“Oh, I’m such a mess from traveling!” she said.

I tried not to giggle as I looked at Dad, because not one hair on Mimi’s head was out of place.

Dad pulled up in front of the museum and let us out.

“Have fun,” he shouted as we waved goodbye.

At the entrance, Mimi asked a man at the information desk for “a docent named Ellen Colbert.”

The man picked up the phone and made a call.

“She’ll be right down,” he said.

I turned to Mimi. “Docent?” I asked.

Mimi smiled. “A docent is a museum guide.”

A few minutes later a woman came to the desk and said, “Marla?”

“Yes!” said Grandma. “But you can call me Mimi! And are you Ellen?”

Ellen nodded. “I am! Jenny told me you were coming with your granddaughter.”

I admired Ellen’s black suit and silky white blouse. She wore black patent-leather pumps, and tiny little diamond stud earrings twinkled in her ears. She looked dressed up, yet she still managed to appear comfortable at the same time. Not an easy look to pull off.

Mimi shook Ellen’s hand.

“This is my beautiful granddaughter Lindsay,” she said, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Look at that gorgeous face!”

“Mimi!” I said, and I could feel my face getting hot.

Ellen laughed. “Oh, that’s what grandmas do!”

She led us into the museum and started pointing out all the different paintings.

It was incredible. Even though Mom was an artist, I had never been to an art museum before.

Ellen smiled at me. “We have something here your grandmother has been eager to show you,” she said. “She’s been calling me nearly every day, asking, ‘Is it still on? We didn’t miss it, did we?’ ”

I looked up at Mimi questioningly. She didn’t say anything.

Ellen laughed. “I think it’s time to tell her, Mimi!”

Mimi nodded and took me by the hand.

“There’s a special exhibit here this month,” she said. “I’m just so glad I was able to get you here in time before it ended.”