Read Firestone for Free Online

from one smiling face to
another.
    “ Good idea,” Delphie
said.
    “ We can take our huge car,
and . . .” Sandy was out almost up the stairs when
she turned, “Charlie can you . . .”
    Charlie was right behind her with Honey on
his back. Valerie carried Honey’s wheelchair up the stairs behind
him.
    “ What?” Charlie
asked.
    “ Nothing,” Sandy
said.
    “ Do you think Ivy will
like us all being there?” Delphie asked.
    “ Yeah, I think so,”
Charlie said. “I mean, this morning, she was furious at her aunt
and talking about getting high and heading back out to the street.
But just a minute ago, she was like ‘I’m here to start my cool new
life.’ Then she babbled on about going to the Marlowe school and
whatever. I asked her if she was high and she was like, ‘High? What
do you mean?’ Like she’d forgotten she’s actually an addict.
So . . . I don’t really know, but I would, so let’s
go.”
    At the top of the stairs, Charlie set Honey
in her wheelchair. Sandy gave Delphie a knowing look before running
upstairs for her purse.
    “ Do you think everyone
got . . . fixed?” Honey whispered to
Valerie.
    Valerie shook her head and shrugged. Honey
nodded.
    “ Do you wish you could
walk?” Valerie asked.
    “ Sure,” Honey said. “But
if I had to pick, I’d pick being able to use my hands over anything
else. I haven’t been able to even change Maggie’s diapers. Now I
can really care for her and MJ and my house. Hell, I can do
laundry.”
    Valerie smiled. They waited a few minutes
before Sandy raced back down the stairs. They followed her to the
car. When they got there, the kids were waiting. Everyone wanted to
pick up Ivy. Valerie ran back for the keys to Jill’s new SUV. They
filled two cars with people and headed out to welcome Ivy to her
new life.
    Looking up at the Castle before driving off,
Sandy saw Jill looking down at them. She blew Jill a kiss and Jill
waved.
    Only Jill could have picked just the right
thing to wish for everyone.
    Sandy smiled and wondered what other wishes
had come true today.
    ~~~~~~~~
    Saturday—4:32 P.M.
     
    “ Now, you’re sure you
don’t want me to go with you?” Rodney asked Yvonne. They were
sitting in his truck across the street from Jeraine’s old
condo.
    “ You are very sweet,”
Yvonne smiled. “But I’ve got this.”
    “ There’s no shame in
having me there,” Rodney said. “I can stay with you until Dionne
comes.”
    Yvonne smiled at him.
    “ I’d bet we could come up
with something to do,” Rodney grinned.
    Yvonne leaned over to kiss him.
    “ I’ve got this,” Yvonne
said. “I can do it. It’s a good test to see how my memory is doing.
There’s no down side. If I forget, Dionne will be right there to
remind me. If I remember, I will know that my memory is really
better.”
    “ Fair enough,” Rodney
said. “What are you supposed to do?”
    “ What do you mean?” Yvonne
looked confused. “About what?”
    “ You’re going to the
apartment to . . .” Rodney started. He glanced at
her. By her look, she was teasing him.
    “ I am going to meet the
IRS man or woman and give them the keys to the apartment,” Yvonne
nodded. “I don’t even have to go in. I just have to give them the
keys.”
    “ Why isn’t Jeraine doing
this?” Rodney asked.
    “ Jeraine is working,”
Yvonne said. “Somebody famous . . . Did he ever tell
us who?”
    “ One of those naked women
singers,” Rodney said. “I saw her saunter into the
house.”
    “ Oh . . .
Do you think . . .?” Yvonne started.
    “ I think that Fin
terrified Jeraine into lifelong fidelity,” Rodney said.
    Yvonne laughed.
    “ You ready?” Rodney asked.
“’Cuz I can always come in with you. No shame in that.”
    “ I got this,” Yvonne said.
“You go on. You’re due out at Limon for dinner with one of your
young men. That boy needs help and hope.”
    Rodney gawked at her. Yvonne nodded.
    “ How
did . . .?” Rodney started.
    “ Wrote it