Two days after Christmas, Anne decided to take Amy and Victoria to The Cloisters in northern Manhattan. They'd have to take the train into the city today; the holiday traffic would make any approach by road nearly impossible. The last time she'd taken Amy to the museum was in 1978 when she was in the third grade. This was going to be Victoria's first visit. Anne parked the car in the lot at the Irvington station. Keeping them close, Anne herded her children onto the platform.
"If you like the Saint Victoria picture, you'll love this place." Amy cajoled. Since she'd been there before, Victoria trusted Amy's knowledge. Suddenly, the low rumble of the approaching train caused a rush of people making their way to the platform. Anne held onto Victoria's hand; squeezing the life out of it.
"Stay close, Victoria. Don't let go of my hand." Anne uttered. She couldn't let go of her mother's hand, even if she tried. As the mass moved onto the train, they found seats not too far from the door. Victoria sat closest to the window; Amy and Anne between her and the aisle. The train lumbered forward. The views of the Hudson River seemed to matter little to the other commuters, but to Amy and Victoria the views had kept them distracted. To Amy, this was the world she craved to be immersed in. In her eyes, she had reached the right age to go out and explore; even if it was within Anne's sight. Victoria, on the other hand, hadn't been to the city for as long as she could remember. The sights, sounds, and smells would've been enough to make Victoria anxious and fussy and the outing reduced to tatters.
"We're going to get off this train in Marble Hill, and then we have to take another train." Amy whispered to Victoria. This confused her; what did Amy mean they'd have to take another train? Wasn't one train enough? A half hour later, they were standing on the platform at the Marble Hill Subway Station waiting for the 1. Victoria seemed nervous; Anne grabbed her hand. The train making its presence known. Boarding it, they were whisked away to 168th Street.
"One more train, Victoria!" Amy shouted over the din of the neighborhood. Victoria was growing slightly frustrated at the thought of taking another train. She could see Amy was having the time of her life; the way she shifted her weight on both feet. She wished she could be like Amy; able to have a circle of friends and have friends over. Instead, Victoria had to be kept close to Anne, seemingly at all times. Having Kristina as her only friend wasn't enough. Five more minutes had passed when the A Train finally made its appearance. They rushed aboard and minutes later finally disembarked at 190th Street. Like Oz beckoning to Dorothy, Fort Tryon Park beckoned Victoria. She wanted to run across the street, but she knew well enough not to, not here.
The walk was worth it, the cool breeze clearing the air and the sun shining on the erratic boulders that dotted the landscape. To Anne and Amy, this was old territory; to Victoria this was the gateway to a new world. The smell of roasting nuts wafted through the breeze. The Hudson reflected as a silvery blue ribbon in the distance; Amy taking a photo of the vista.
"Victoria, say 'cheese!'" Amy shouted as Victoria turned to look at the river. Smiling, Amy snapped a photo. Victoria and Amy ran ahead towards the museum. Anne struggled to catch up. They'd stopped under an oak tree, waiting for their mother. Victoria giggled as Amy shared some inside joke. Could it have been about their mother? Anne wondered. No need to fret over it now.
"Why didn't you tell me about this park, Amy? It's so huge!" Victoria, a connoisseur of parks and green spaces, observed. Moments later, they were inside the museum. A low murmur had swallowed them whole. Amy took Victoria to see the arms and armor section. Ahead of them, lay a collection of swords.
"There's your sword, Victoria." Amy pointed out. Victoria could feel her cheeks getting red. Victoria wanted to reach out and touch her beloved blade.
"How did all this stuff get here, Amy?" Victoria asked curiously.
"People like Grandpa donated it so that we could see it. It must've been too awesome to keep to themselves." Amy replied. They walked into an area of frescoes and came to a relief of St. Hubert and The Stag. Victoria looked at it in contemplation.
"Saint Hubert must've been very, very important."
"He encountered a stag in the woods when he was hunting that told him to give up his earthly possessions. He'd been a prince before."
"He was a prince that encountered a deer in the forest? Did his parents know that he was talking to a deer?"
"If mom and dad caught us doing that, we'd have to go to Broadacres!" Amy exclaimed, letting out a giggle. A few yards away, Anne was studying her children; the way Amy was personally showing Victoria around the museum made Anne happy. The way she remembered being Amy's age and going to these same places with her nanny or her mother. The arts and culture were one area that the Honorable Isaac Vandeventer hadn't restricted his daughter from visiting. He believed she needed to be cultured.
"Anne, you must always appreciate the arts." Her mother would often say before they would visit. More often than not, Emily would remind Anne that she could open up to her. Much like how she would remind Amy that she could open up at the pier. Anne had gained a new appreciation for her mother during these visits; a reprieve from the turbulence at home. Anne felt that she could see her mother's true nature during these visits. She thought her mother trapped and stifled, and she was only happy in the museums.
Presently, Amy and Victoria had moved further into the museum. Anne followed them from behind. She could tell where they were however, by Victoria's giggles. It certainly was good to see her youngest enjoying herself; had this been a year earlier, Victoria wouldn't have been able to make it this far into the outing. Her antsy behavior would've made Anne too upset, and they would've had to go home. Suddenly, Victoria was running up to her mother.
"Mommy, we're going outside to see the Cuxa Cloister! It looks like a place in Wonder Cats." Amy and Victoria stepped outside.
"Amy, this looks like one of the headquarters for the Wonder Cats. They keep Mistress Cleo locked away"
"It's based off of this type of place, Victoria. France is full of these." The garden foliage, dead due to winter's chill reminded them how things were in sunnier times.
"Amy, my school has archways like that!" Victoria exclaimed, pointing to the edges of the cloister.
Two hours had passed before they'd seen nearly everything. Amy was satisfied with her visit, and Victoria was nearly overstimulated. The train ride home was spent in quiet contemplation by the three of them. Victoria had experienced a new aspect of the world that she was ready for; Amy got to spend the day with her sister, her time to do so running out. Anne was happy that her children were able to behave in public.
The clouds that had obscured the sunrise on December 29th had cleared by the time the Country Squire rolled into the parking lot at Clifford Island. The last time the kids had been here was just before they moved to Blauvelt. Amy, still tired from the events of two days prior, cheered up when they parked in the lot.
"We haven't been here in forever!" Victoria piped up from the back seat. The sight of the beach had taken her back to the time when she was the talk of their neighborhood at the corner of Larchmont and Hideaway. The northwest wind had stirred the harbor up into small ripples with a scattered white cap here and there. Amy and Victoria rushed to open the doors and run to the shoreline. The deserted beach offered a perfect backdrop for photos. Victoria's coat blew up in the wind, exposing her pink overalls. Amy laughed at the scene unfolding before her as she snapped a photo. Victoria was embarrassed.
"You weren't supposed to see my overalls, Amy!" Victoria shouted. Earlier, Amy had made a remark about her overalls that had caused a brief disagreement.
"My eyes! Victoria, those are too pink."
"They are not 'too pink' Amy. You're just jealous that I like them, and you can't take them like you did my purple hair ribbon." She chastised. For years, Amy had been using Victoria's purple ribbon on her braids. This had been a recurring fight between the two.
"And, I'm not jealous about your overalls. I was only joking, take it easy, Victoria."
"I know, but sometimes you talk like it isn't a joke, Amy. Sometimes, you're very, very bossy." Victoria shouted as she got into her sister's face, her voice carrying into the wind.
Amy knew what Victoria was referring to. When Amy entered Nyack Junior High in the 7th grade, her behavior was markedly worse; she always had to be the first in line or the first for anything. This brought her constant sorrow; that was until Mrs. Mellon had stepped into her life, after that Amy's life at Nyack had become somewhat better.
On this cold, yet sunny December day, the three of them were together. Soon, Anne and Tom would have the house to themselves. She wasn't ready to accept that fact they were, indeed, leaving Blauvelt. She'd have to double down on her doting nature, to the point of smothering them if she had to. Anne had always been protective of her children; especially her two youngest. To Anne, her two youngest children were her world; like precious dolls that needed to be kept as neat as possible. Who could blame her? For years, she'd had to endure the nearly daily verbal assaults from members of the public regarding Victoria's behavior. How it hurt her to hear people call Victoria a "doe-eyed retard."
She heard the kids now, Amy teasing Victoria about her overalls, or something slight. She studied Victoria's reaction. Anne expected her youngest to burst into tears and pout, but when she saw Victoria get in Amy's face and raise her voice.
"It's just a sibling squabble. They'll resolve it shortly." Anne thought as she noticed something odd.
What had started as a squabble had turned into a scene from some low-budget after school special. The first shriek had hit Anne like a well-placed sniper's round. She knew that shriek. Victoria would shriek whenever her emotions had become a tsunami. What happened, afterward, made Anne pick up the pace.
For a second, Anne could feel herself floating above the ground as she ran. Her flats holding up to her heavy steps. To her, Victoria was first and foremost. Amy just stood there, a look of confusion on her face.
"Amy, help me take her to the car!" She yelled. Without question, Amy took hold of her sisters left hand and helped her mother walk Victoria to the Country Squire. Opening the back door, they put her on the seat. Amy grabbed the quilt and put it over Victoria's lap; Anne grabbed Grimalkin and handed it to the child. Nothing seemed to help.
"You always boss me around, Amy! Sometimes I don't want to be near you! Get away from me." She screamed. Amy looked dejected.
"This is all my fault!" Amy whined.
"All my damn fault!" She screamed now.
Anne placed her hand on Amy's shoulder. She briefly resisted, but stopped as Anne applied pressure.
"No. This isn't your fault, Amy. Climb into the back seat and put the quilt over your lap."
"But mom, Victoria doesn't want me to sit next to her."
"Just climb in and sit!" Anne ordered.
Amy did as she was told. Victoria barely noticed her sister sitting down beside her. Putting the heavy quilt on her lap, Amy could feel a sense of security falling over her. Victoria had calmed down to the point where she hugged Grimalkin close, rocking as she did so. They sat there in the parking lot for what seemed an eternity, when Victoria mentioned that she was tired and hungry.
They all were. The holiday season had taken a very heavy toll on the household.
"Let's go have lunch, and then go home." Anne cajoled.
An hour later, they were at the diner in Haverstraw. Anne made sure to sit between Amy and Victoria, to prevent further argument. Amy had ordered the cheeseburger and Coke. Victoria surprised her mother when she ordered the patty melt.
"Daddy told me about the patty melt a couple of weeks ago. It's like a hamburger and a grilled cheese had a baby."
Anne smirked. She decided to order one for herself; the diner was quiet on this Thursday afternoon. To see Victoria venturing off of the grilled cheese kick was like a breath of fresh air.
"Why didn't you order the grilled cheese?" Anne asked, thinking something was wrong.
"Honestly, I was getting tired of them. I still like them, but they don't taste the same right now."
Anne knew what this meant for the home front. She could picture it now, Amy frying the hamburgers and toasting the bread at the same time; struggling all the while. Amy ate in silence, feeling bad about herself. She couldn't help it, part of her felt responsible for Victoria's actions today. The other part of her wanted to get away from both of them. Taking a sip of her Coke, she looked to her right and in the corner of her vision; she saw a familiar face sitting in one of the corner booths was Mrs. Mellon and someone who appeared to be her daughter. Anne saw Mirasol, but chose not to react; she'd been too worn down by the past week's events. The only one who truly noticed was Victoria; all she could do was flash them a smile. Mirasol discretely waving back at them.
Amy had been anxious all Friday afternoon. She hoped that tonight's party would go off without a hitch. Her father had ordered three pizzas from Nanuet and had bought two cases of Foxon Park Kola and Dr. Pepper. Anne and Victoria made Rice Krispies Treats; everything had to be perfect. There had almost been a minor flare-up when Victoria entered Amy's room earlier.
"I don't want to interrupt, I want to ask you about what I'm making tonight." Victoria pleaded. Amy let up.
"We'll start with the brownies." Amy began. On a personal level, she knew her sister wasn't coming to cause trouble. "Victoria, I'm sorry about yesterday. Please don't hate me. I didn't mean to cause you to break down like that." Amy apologized, anxiety rising in her voice.
"I know you didn't mean it. I can't hate you; I might not like you sometimes, but I'll never hate you." Victoria articulated.
"Now, after the brownies, we'll make the yellow cake. Ellen loves the yellow cake." Amy concluded.
The clock in the foyer chimed 6 PM. A loud knocking brought Amy's attention to the present. Running over to the door, Amy opened it to reveal Stacy, with Ellen not too far behind. Their laughter filled the foyer.
"Dad went to Nanuet and is bringing us back three pies!"
"You finally get to try Nanuet, Amy. Try it and tell me you don't love it!" Stacy exclaimed.
"Already did. It's my other favorite pie around here. Dad took me there before Christmas while doing some last minute shopping for my little sister."
"I take it you liked it?" Stacy inquired.
"My brother and I go there all the time. We always get the meat lovers pizza."
The slightest mention of Zach Allenby gave Amy goosebumps. She had a sort of crush on the 21-year-old nature photographer and outdoorsman. The way his muscles would catch every ray of sunlight and the way his blond hair shone like gold was enough to make Amy swoon. She never told Zach or the others, but she was intent on having her crush.
Tonight, however, forbidden love was not on the menu. Tom arrived shortly afterward; the three of them helped him bring the food and beverages. The red solo cups stacked neatly. The pizzas placed neatly. Before they could dig in, both Tom and Anne appeared in the kitchen to speak to the four of them.
"As you've probably heard by now, Amy and Victoria are leaving on January 7th for school. As a Christmas gift to all of you, we are throwing a party. Enjoy your pizza and easy bake treats. Don't stay up too late, and Victoria; no scary movies."
They dug in. Bottle caps hissing and drink flowing. They ran upstairs to the TV room and turned on the TV. The episode of Knight Rider, Silent Knight was airing. Normally, Amy wouldn't have been allowed to watch the program; Anne would've thought it too violent. Soon enough, Amy flipped the channel to MTV. The video for A Flock of Seagulls' I Ran (So Far Away) was playing. Stacy began tapping her feet to the rhythm. She began to dance, soon she was followed by Victoria. Ellen mouthed the lyrics to the song.
Amy ran back downstairs to grab another slice of pizza and a bottle of Foxon Park. The anxieties of the day had melted into nothing at this point. Unbeknownst to Amy, Victoria had followed her.
"How are you holding up, Victoria?" She asked.
"I'm okay."
"If it gets too much for you, you can head to my room. Actually, go get your Easy Bake Oven and bring it to my room. This way we won't have to pause everything." Amy whispered. Soon, Ellen and Stacy had joined them in the kitchen.
"Tell your mom and dad we said thank you for the pizza!" Ellen uttered as she reached for another slice of pepperoni and cheese.
"Did you have a good Christmas, Victoria?" Stacy asked.
"It was nice. My cousin Alexander came over on Christmas Eve. He's such a 'pin in the ass.'" Victoria replied.
"What is a pin in the ass? Don't you mean pain?" Stacy asked.
"Worse than a pain in the ass. Pins are sharp like needles." Victoria explained. Stacy liked the idea.
"Why is Alexander a pin?" She asked.
"Because he wouldn't stop kicking me under the table. Worst of all he was making fun of me because of Alison and The Wonder Cats and how it's my favorite show!" Victoria revealed.
For some reason or another this made Stacy angry.
"That's so gross. That he was giving you shit about it. I bet he probably secretly likes Alison and The Wonder Cats, too." Stacy spat. She could remember getting made fun of for her role in Catskill Saddle Club.
"You're probably right, Stacy." Victoria sighed, wondering about the injustice of it all.
"At least our other cousin, Nora was also there. She doesn't talk, but she treated me better than he did."
"Nora and I kept Victoria sequestered in my room while he was being a dick." Amy placated.
Grabbing a box of pizza, the trio headed back upstairs. First, Victoria went to her room and grabbed the Easy Bake Oven and ran into Amy's room to set it up. Victoria was going to shine this evening. She hadn't been in Amy's room very long when she was joined by the others. She began to mix the brownies.
"Chef, we need two order of brownies." Amy uttered in a joking manner.
"Already on it!" Victoria exclaimed. She enjoyed being included and feeling important. Unlike the times she helped her mother in the kitchen, where Anne would pile all the dishes in front of Victoria and make her do it by herself, Amy offered a helping hand.
"What's been going on since I left, Stacy?" Amy inquired.
"Courtney got expelled! Now she has to go to a different school." Stacy replied.
"Nice. Let her be their problem, now. Hopefully she learned her lesson."
"This is Courtney Chase we're talking about. She'll never learn her lesson. She'll probably be dead a week after she graduates." Stacy said with authority.
"You aren't kidding!" Ellen added.
"I saw her in downtown Nyack the other day. She looked like shit, like one typically does after they're done shoving people into the lockers." Stacy added. Hearing of the karmic justice inflicted upon Courtney, Amy smiled.
"Let her walk on broken bottles, barefoot." Amy concurred. Stacy and Ellen thought that was a bit too harsh.
"Too painful and too out there. I prefer that she be tarred and feathered like in the old days." Stacy chided.
"My mom would probably beat her to a bloody pulp anyway." Amy replied.
"I know your mom wants to." Ellen said coolly. She recalled a time when she was out with her brother and they ran into Anne. The furious look on her face hinted at everything.
"You know what happened to Amy?" She asked. Ellen could only shrug her shoulders.
"Courtney Chase beat her up. She'd better watch herself." Anne replied.
The brownies were about to come out of the oven, now. The timer dinged. Victoria pulled them out and let them cool. The others were champing at the bit to get at the brownies. They practically fell over one another to get a place in line.
The brownies were at that point where they were crunchy on the outside, yet chewy and decadent on the inside.
"Victoria, you're the only person I know who can pull off something like this. Do you have a secret method?"
"Patience and a steady hand." Victoria explained. She was proud of her culinary skills, even if it meant drawing Anne's ire.
As they settled in, Victoria began mixing the yellow cake. Soon, the aroma of baking cake filled Amy's room.
"People at school have been asking about you, Amy."
"What do you mean? I'm not dead."
"There was a rumor going around that Courtney beat you so bad, you died at the hospital."
Amy could do nothing but laugh. True, she felt like death that day, but that was because she had the flu. The Nyack Junior High rumor mill could turn all it wanted, but to know that her former enemy had been swiftly dealt with satisfied Amy.
"I just hope there aren't going to be any Courtney types at my new school."
"There will always be people like Courtney. Now, you know how to deal with them." Stacy advised. She was correct, there would always be other Courtney Chase's; no matter where she would go.
The timer dinged again. An order of yellow cake came out of the oven and was cooling.
"I love the way you make the yellow cake." Ellen chatted. She liked the way that the outside of the cake was crisp, yet chewy on the inside. Victoria made another layer and put it in the oven. Victoria was constructing a four layer cake. Amy helped her mix the icing and pour the sprinkles into it.
"This cake is going to be so good!" Amy declared as she pulled the next layer from the oven, and applied the frosting to the bottom layer. Baking things on the floor was not that easy of a task. The third layer went into the oven and things seemed even better.
"I'm glad you guys came over. It gets kind of lonely here." Amy sighed. She was going to miss the company of Stacy and Ellen the most while she was in Massachusetts.
"We wish you didn't have to go to Massachusetts." Stacy complained.
"My mom is making us go. My new school is nice." Amy
"Mine, too!" Victoria beamed.
Ten minutes later, the last layer of the cake was pulled out of the oven. Amy frosted the cake and poured on the extra sprinkles. She cut it into four equal pieces and had Victoria dish them out.
"We're saving the best for last!" Victoria gloated. The others turned to look at her.
"What is it Victoria?" Ellen asked.
"Mom and I made four, yes four pans of Rice Krispies Treats."
"It's true, Mom and Victoria were busy making them all morning."
If there was any snack more popular within the group than Rice Krispies Treats, it had yet to reveal its presence.
"Your mom might be mean sometimes, but she helps make awesome snacks!" Stacy bragged.
They all laughed. For one brief moment, everything that had been troubling Amy melted into a puddle somewhere out of sight. She knew that Stacy would want to know what life was like at Plymouth Rock.
"I have an idea." Amy chirped. She knew what she wanted to do in order to commemorate the event.
"I'm going to set up the tripod and camera in the TV room."
They all ran to the TV room, Amy set everything up, pressed the timer and joined her friends. Seconds later, the camera flashed; freezing the moment forever.
"Let's take another one! This time we should be overdramatic!" Ellen cajoled.
"Okay!" Amy chuckled. Soon enough they were giving it their all. Amy, standing behind the couch; a look of exasperation on her face. Stacy, ever the actress, put on her best fainting pose. Ellen and Victoria hugged one another as though they were both the foulest people in the world.
FLASH!
"One more?" Amy asked.
"Yeah, but let's all look really pissed off."
"Put on your best angry face!" Amy commanded.
The following photo would forever be burned into Amy's memory. There, on the couch the four of them looked into the camera with looks that would make Medusa tremble. Amy and Victoria, bookending the the other two gave cold, hard stares; as though someone had done something. The other two were also pretty convincing.
As Amy put the camera away, Stacy ran downstairs to grab any leftover pizza and to help Victoria acquire the Rice Krispies Treats. They came back moments later bearing gifts.
"We've acquired the pizza and treats!" Ellen announced as Victoria closed the door behind her with her foot. The group settled in for the rest of the evening.
Amy sat in the front seat of the Country Squire; a smile on her face. The remainder of the previous nights events playing back in her mind. Anne ambled her way over to the car; she too, had seemed happy. The four of them had gone to bed around 2:30 that morning as Anne and Tom were coming home. Despite telling them not to stay up too late, Anne wasn't angry that they were still up. If anything, she was happy that the kids were having fun. This time of transition had wreaked havoc on her two youngest children; their routines having disintegrated within a week of being taken out of school. By Christmas, Amy's last nerves were threadbare. Now they were as fragile as they'd ever been. Anne got into the car.
"I'm glad you girls had fun last night. The party was still going when we came home."
"We had an awesome time. The pizza was perfect." Amy praised.
"And the Rice Krispies Treats?" Anne asked.
"They were perfect, too. The food colored ones were a neat touch." Amy continued.
"What did you watch?"
"The usual, then we watched MTV. I took pictures."
"No scary movies at all?"
"There was nothing good on."
Ten minutes later, they were in the village of Piermont, making their way to the pier. This would be their last pier session until the summer. Anne hoped that the therapist at Amy's new school would be able to fill the void. Judging by what she read in the brochure, Gwen Burgess was one of the best therapists in New England. Parking the car, Anne killed the engine. The breeze buffeting the vehicle,
"I guess this is it, for a while, Amy. This is one of my favorite activities that we do together." Anne sighed.
"I'm sorry we've been a bit much. We just want to go to school." Amy replied.
"I know. Amy, do you know how proud I am of you?" Anne asked.
"I didn't think you were proud of us at all, mom. I thought you didn't love us."
"Don't be silly, Amy Vandeventer. Sure, I may raise my voice occasionally, but know that I love you and your sister, very much. You two are my world, as some might say. Both your absences will have a major impact." Amy noticed a tear falling down her mother's cheek, followed shortly by another.
"What's wrong, mom?"
"You two are lucky you get to go away for school." Anne began. Something in Anne's voice betrayed her true emotional state and exposed the raging seas beneath.
"When I was your age, Amy. I wasn't allowed to go to school by order of my father." She sighed, her tears falling faster now.
"What?"
"When I was fourteen, I had an inability to focus on my studies. To compensate, I'd doodle on my papers. My father caught wind of it and pulled me from school. 'I pay to send you to school to learn, not draw pictures!'" Anne couldn't finish her sentence. She sniffled as Amy lent out a comforting hand.
"I'm sorry, mommy." Amy offered. Anne continued to sob as she sat behind the wheel.
"Thank you, Amy. I'm sorry you have to see me like this."
"You're allowed to cry. Jane says it's okay to cry."
"I'm glad you like having Jane as your therapist. I can see she's helped you." Anne sniffled.
"Mom, sometimes I worry about you. I know Victoria is worried about you. She told me yesterday morning. Mommy, how can we help you?" Amy pleaded, she hated hearing Anne cry.
"Why do you worry about me? I'm your mother; I'm the one who's supposed to worry about you."
"You've been really sad lately. I know what would cheer you up."
"You couldn't legally buy anything that I'd want."
"True, I can't legally buy cigarettes or alcohol. But I have something else in mind."
"What is it, Amy?"
"I'm taking you out to Village Pizza for lunch. You and me, sharing a large pepperoni pie sitting inside. I'll also get us a pitcher of Coke. You can't say no, mom. I will not hear that word." Amy demanded. Anne agreed, not used to having her own child paying for her lunch.
"Thanks, Amy." Anne sighed.
"If you need the quilt, it's in the back seat, mom." Amy suggested.
"When I was your age, I had made my own cartoon strip. I filled a few journals with it."
"Really? What was it about?"
"It was about Yonkers. Amy, a lot of the other kids liked it. I still have them stored up in the attic."
"How did you get to save them from destruction?"
"Your uncle, Jack managed to snatch them from your grandfather."
"I think you viewed uncle Jack as a protector when you were my age."
"He was. I still think he is, in a way. I cannot be angry with him."
They sat there for a moment in silence; the radio the only thing on.
"New York's number one radio station, Z-100!"
Anne broke the silence.
"Here is my prediction, Amy: I predict you will do very well and will go very far at Plymouth Rock. You will meet others who are like you, and they will want to be friends with you. You've always had that ability. Sometimes, Amy you seem to turn that off. People love you. You don't hear the compliments people give you." She assured.
"But what about Victoria? People don't seem to like her at all."
"Amy, when we lived in New Rochelle people were horrible around her. I had to shield her from their verbal attacks; their words not only hurt Victoria, I felt responsible for it, as though I had failed. When we moved to Blauvelt, people around us were friendlier, and they talked to Victoria as though she were a normal person. The fact that you treat her like someone her age and include her in plans around the house shows that you are a kind person. Something I have trouble with." Anne concluded.
"I hope she does well. She seemed to like her new school when we visited. I think you can be kind to people." Amy cajoled.
A few more minutes passed. Deciding that they were hungry, Anne started the car. Amy became even more content. Amy had wanted to do this for a while; since early October, when Victoria had been having difficulties. Anne had brushed her off, citing Victoria's needs. Now, in this final week; both mother and daughter would go out for lunch by themselves. Anne turned left onto Piermont Avenue and parked. Village Pizza was dark; a note taped to the door. Amy ran to see what the note said.
"Mom, they're not open until 2 this afternoon. I have a better place." Amy assured.
And with that, they were on the road to Nanuet. They caught the tail end of Duran Duran's Hungry Like the Wolf. The bright, sunny day seemed to get brighter with every mile they drove. Pulling up in front of Nanuet Restaurant, Anne noticed a familiar car parked two cars up.
It was Tom's Cadillac.
"He better not be here with that woman." She thought.
Anne said nothing as they headed for the front door. Walking inside, they seated themselves in a corner. Anne caught a glimpse of her husband with two other men. One man she knew, the other, an unfamiliar face; he looked young and confident. The younger man smiling. She too, would keep an eye on him.
"Mom, the pepperoni pie here is awesome. We had it last night, and it was an immediate hit."
"Unless you want to get something else?"
"I'd like to try it." Anne assured.
Amy flagged the waitress.
"We'd like one large Pepperoni pie and a pitcher of Coke, please."
The waitress left, returning with pitcher moments later. Amy turned her focus towards Anne.
"Mom, dad and I came here just before Christmas. I love their cracker thin crust!" Amy announced. Anne glanced over towards the other corner at her husband; she watched him talk to the two other men. Early on in their marriage, she would love it whenever his business associates would go out with them. She loved watching them talk with their hands; especially Tom Creighton. Tom was the senior partner at Creighton-Thomas, an advertising firm in the city and one of Tom's longest friendships. The firm had long operated under the belief that all of New York would go to them for everything in Public Relations and advertising, so far, they were winning that war.
Anne had had feelings for Tom Creighton since she'd first lay eyes on him in 1963. Tom himself freshly married to Jeanne Perry of Bristol, Rhode Island. She'd always felt that Jeanne was beneath him. She'd come close to telling him once, and only once; She and Tom had been invited into the city for the evening. Tom had just sold the couple their first home in Scarsdale and the Creightons wished to show their gratitude. Something in the way how Jeanne was dressed that night made Anne slightly angry.
"Mom, are you okay?" Amy asked, snapping Anne out of her reverie.
"I'm fine, sweetheart." She replied. She didn't know if her husband had seen her.
"You know, mom, I can't wait to meet new people. I feel like an explorer departing on a journey into the great unknown." Amy said in a newfound confidence that as yet hadn't revealed itself to Anne.
"That's my girl." Anne purred. The pizza had arrived. Anne, used to thicker crust, found the thin far more compatible to her taste.
"You know, Amy, I think you're onto something when you mention the thin crust. I prefer this to the thicker crust. I can eat this with my hands." Anne said, taking a bite.
"When you come into town in March for spring break, we're coming here."
Amy poured herself some Coke and dug in. Taking a bite, she thought about the comic strip that her mother mentioned earlier. She thought that maybe Anne could do a new one.
"I think that comic you mentioned earlier sounds neat. Perhaps you could do another one? The theme would be about a suburban mom raising two oddball teenagers." Amy offered.
Anne liked the idea. Her father had been dead since Victoria had been born; more than enough time had elapsed. She could potentially base it around Amy and Victoria along with their trials and tribulations. The project would keep her sane during the day. She could even work on it while Guiding Light was on.
Grabbing another slice, Anne thought of one last thing that the three of them could do together before life would change in the household.
"When was the last time we went to the Lyndhurst Mansion?"
"Not in a long time, mom. Victoria was still using a stroller the last time we went. I had to carry all the Apple and Eve juice boxes. I nearly spilled the PBJ sandwiches on the blanket. Then Victoria wouldn't eat afterwards because she wanted to walk everywhere."
"That long, huh?" Anne asked. She remembered that summer; Victoria had just learned to walk despite being four and half years old. She hated being in that stroller and whined whenever Anne would buckle her in.
"No fair! Wanna walk." She would whine, Anne remaining firm.
"Victoria likes old houses. Dad likes to take her to Katonah, but that's between them."
"Then we'll go there. She'll love all the old houses on Cape Cod."
"Cool." Amy replied, reaching for her third slice.
"I told you this pizza is amazing, mom."
"Better than Village?" Anne asked. With the amount of money the Morrow's invested into the pizzeria every week, Amy had better still like it.
"Just as good, mom." Amy stood firm. She couldn't besmirch her favorite pizzeria.
"I'm glad you like it. May I pour a glass of Coke?" Anne asked.
"Of course, mom. You don't have to ask." Amy replied. Anne could feel herself smiling in a way that she hadn't since Amy was little. Anne had every right to feel proud of her two youngest; they were leaving home for the first time. She tried with some success to maintain a decent routine for them, despite being out of school. During the mornings, she prohibited them from watching television. Amy used this time to get some drawing done, while Victoria would play in her room. The two would come together by 11:30. Anne would assist in making them lunch and then they'd camper off to the upstairs TV room to watch whatever After School Special was airing.
"Hello, Anne, I didn't expect to see you here. Amy!?" Tom said, coming to greet his wife and child.
"I'm buying mom and I lunch. I'm proud of mom." Amy said. This elicited smiles from Tom and his associates.
"She's a bright kid, that Amy." Tom Creighton complimented.
"Thanks." She replied, blushing.
"Soon she and her sister will be in Massachusetts for school." Tom announced.
"Anne, I'd like to introduce my associate Daniel Mayhew. He's moving to Piermont from Newburgh in a week. His wife is a more familiar face: Claire Reed."
"Nice to meet you, Daniel. I've seen your wife on Channel 2, she's an excellent hostess."
"Thank you." He said graciously.
They left, leaving Amy and Anne to finish their lunch. Amy flagged the waitress.
"Check please!" She announced. She took the money out of her pocket and left decent tip. Tom taught Amy that you should always tip.
They got up and left the restaurant. Both of them were the happiest they'd been since last fall.
The azure skies shone brightly that Monday morning as they crossed the Hudson. Anne looked at Victoria in the rearview mirror.
“Do you remember when we went to Lyndhurst?” Anne asked.
“I was a baby, I think. I remember being in the stroller.”
“You were four and a half. You just learned to walk two months before.” Anne replied.
“And you wanted to walk everywhere.” Amy chimed in. Despite being nearly six at the time, she was able to recall the events clear as day.
“We had a picnic afterward. You wouldn't eat your sandwich until mom took off the crust.” Amy continued. Victoria didn't know whether to be embarrassed or not.
“Now I jump off the swings!” Victoria exclaimed.
“You certainly do, even if it scares me nearly to death.” Anne spoke.
“I can't believe you remember all of that!” Victoria shouted from the back seat.
“To be fair, Victoria, you are one of the most memorable people we know.” Amy replied. Victoria let out a slight giggle. Anne exited the Thruway onto Broadway and headed south. They came to the entrance of the grounds, only to find them closed.
“We'll come back during Spring Break. I hope you're not mad, Victoria.”
“I'm not mad at all. If anything, I'm happy because it's a little too cold outside.” Victoria confidently articulated.
“How about we go see the old house?” Anne suggested. The answer was a resounding yes.
“Do you know how to get there from here?” Victoria inquired. Anne turned and nodded.
“We lived in New Rochelle from 1951 until 1978. I'd say I know my way around here.” Anne smiled.
“Can we go inside?” Amy pleaded, curious as to how the third floor had been holding up.
They cut across Scarsdale and before anyone knew, they were at the corner of Larchmont and Hideaway. Parking the car in the driveway, they exited and ran over to the house. Running up the front walk, Amy could do nothing but think of the last summer they lived here; her 9th birthday party was the final event they'd held.
“Remember my 9th birthday when I fell over, and I didn't spill my juice?”
Anne could vividly recall that day. August 1st, 1978 started like a normal summer day, but finished with an unannounced visit from Genevieve. Anne had hurriedly brought Amy and Victoria inside, protecting them from Genevieve's raging psychiatric symptoms.
“She won't get us, will she, mommy?” Amy had pleaded with Anne.
“Your father and I won't let her touch you or your sister.” Anne soothed.
“Jenny's coming!” Victoria shrieked at the sight of the young woman. Since she couldn't quite pronounce Genevieve's name correctly; Jenny had to suffice.
The Morrow's eldest daughter, Genevieve had been released from Harlem Valley State Hospital in May 1977 after she'd been deemed as “rehabilitated” by the State of New York. Her Oedipus Complex had seemed to be brought under control by the prescription Thorazine. Anne and Tom had tried to welcome her back and allowed her to use the guestroom while she tried to get on her feet. Anne noticed several things missing shortly afterward; including a bracelet Tom had given her in 1952.
“Alright, Genevieve, where did you put that bracelet?” Anne demanded.
“I didn't take your fucking bracelet, mother. Maybe you should go ask Amy.”
“Not a snowball's chance in hell that she took it, Genevieve.”
“I hope you give Amy and that retarded monster lots of hugs and kisses tonight.” Genevieve hissed.
“Or what?”
“I'll kill both of them. Put a gun to their heads and pull the trigger.”
Silence. Anne was stunned. Tears immediately sprang to her eyes.
“No! You will not touch them, you sick, depraved cunt.” Before Anne realized it, she slapped Genevieve across the face. The woman let out an ear-piercing shriek.
“And furthermore, if I find out that you are stalking them, I'll beat you into a bloody pulp. You don't threaten your little siblings! You know that's wrong, Genevieve."
She hemmed and hawed, struggling to find the words to say to Anne. After a few seconds more, Anne spoke.
“Genevieve Lindell Morrow, get out of my house! I don't care what asylum you land yourself in, this door is closed to you. Forever. May your soul be forever damned.” Anne glowered.
Genevieve stalked off into the warm summer night, a look of fright on her face; cast out into the world.
Entering the house, they were greeted by an interesting blend of scents. A musty, yet pungent smell of stale cigarette smoke and dried flowers lingered in the foyer. Amy and Victoria were silent. They climbed the stairs up to the third floor. A sense of dread overtook Victoria.
"What if she's hiding upstairs?" Victoria asked her mother. Anne reassured her youngest child.
"She's not here, sweetheart. The neighbor would've called us."
Their old room was exactly as they'd left it. Their beds were unkempt. Amy's bed, off to the left had still been fitted with pink sheets; the pillows still lying in the place they were left. Amy sat on her old bed.
“We used to have a lot of fun up here. Remember when ?”
“We used to fight a lot, too.”
“Well we did share this room. Look over at your old bed, the purple sheets are still there!” Sure enough the bed still looked as though someone had just woken up. The state of things on the third floor were organized chaos. Toys that hadn't made the move still littered the floor. Amy saw a baby doll; turning it over, she pulled the string.
“Maaama” the toy croaked.
“That's my 'Baby of Mine' doll, Amy! I've been looking for her since we moved. She looks a little dirty, but I'm taking her home to Blauvelt.”
Anne had joined them, now.
“Mommy, look it's my doll. I'm bringing her home.” Victoria stated, holding the doll up for Anne to see.
Anne shot her a look, but Victoria fired a look back.
“Fine, you can take her home, but she needs a bath first.”
“You should apologize for throwing her into the wall that night, mommy.”
“How can you possibly remember that?”
“Well, suddenly having to move because of Genevieve is a memorable experience.” Victoria replied. She had a point there.
“Mom, can we go home now? I'm feeling sad after seeing all this.” Amy sighed, on the verge of tears. She loved this house and Genevieve had to ruin it for everyone. She hugged her mother.
“I'd like to say hello to our old neighbor. She looked like she had some important news.” Anne stated.
Two minutes later, they were back outside. An older woman walked over to Anne.
“She was here a day and a half ago. She sat in the driveway for about three hours. I don't know what it was she was looking for, but she left empty-handed.”
Anne rubbed her eyes.
“Other than that, Anne, how are things? I see Amy and Victoria have grown like weeds.” She said.
“Things are going well. Amy and Victoria are about to embark on a new adventure.”
“Oh?”
“We're going to school in Massachusetts!” Amy and Victoria replied in unison.
The neighbor was impressed. The last time she'd seen Victoria, she was a hyperactive and rambunctious little girl who would sometimes run out into the street unsupervised, or even be found a block over.
“Victoria certainly has grown up.” She said superciliously.
“She's trying her best every day.” Anne replied, remembering that this neighbor was one of those who had incredibly vicious things to say about Victoria.
“Thank you for watching the place. If she comes back, call us.” Anne replied.
Getting back to the car, they piled in and left. As they left the neighborhood, Victoria began to sing:
“Who's that girl that knows all the cats?
It's Alison and The Wonder Cats!
Who defeats the dark one with all the facts?
Alison, Alison, and the Wonder Cats!” By now, Amy had joined in.
