Cutler 03 - Twilight's Child

assistant," she said, smiling. Fern's smile was more of a smirk, I thought. She resembled a child who knew there was no such person as Santa Claus and resented being told children's stories.
    "Okay, then," I said, "I'll leave you here with Mrs. Bradly, who will explain what you do, okay?"
    Fern nodded. Without going into any detail, I took Mrs. Bradly aside and told her that Fern had been going through a very difficult time and needed a great deal of tender loving care.
    "You just leave her with me, Dawn," she said. "I don't get a chance to practice being a grandmother enough."
    "Thank you, Mrs. Bradly," I said, and I went back to work myself.
    Fern amazed me again. She was very outgoing and made sure everyone knew she was Jimmy's sister. She was beside him every opportunity she had, even going outside to be with him for hours and hours when he was supervising ground maintenance. She loved eating dinner in the hotel dining room and sat proudly—almost arrogantly, I thought—at Jimmy's side. It didn't take her long to get to know all the waiters and busboys. In fact, she took so quickly to the routine at the hotel and settled in so easily and comfortably at the house, it was as if she had been there for years and years. When I mentioned it to Jimmy after dinner one night a little over a week later, he nodded.
    "I see that myself," he said, and then he shrugged. "I suppose that comes from her being on her own so much. You know, not being able to depend on Leslie Osborne to do the things anyone would expect a mother to do, and . . . living with that pervert. She must have searched for opportunities to be alone and away from him."
    "I suppose," I said. Then I laughed.
    "What?"
    "I was just recalling Fern as a baby. Remember how demanding she could be, how she would get absolutely hysterical until I took her in my arms and sang to her, or how she would cry the moment Daddy came into a room if he didn't come right to her? She wasn't born shy," I concluded. "There's no reason for her to be shy now."
    Jimmy smiled.
    "Daddy's working out his trip," he said. "When I told him we had Fern I could hear the tears in his voice. He'll call in a few days and tell me exactly when he, Edwina and Gavin can be here.
    "Won't it be wonderful?" he added. "All of us together again."
    "All but Momma," I said sadly. I didn't want to throw a pail of cold water on his warm smile, but I couldn't help thinking about her and wishing that somehow she could have been there, too.
    Jimmy's eyes filled with tears, but he held them in and swallowed. Sorrow, like sour milk, always wanted to come back up.
     
    *          *          *
     
    In the evening, when we would all return from the hotel, Christie would immediately beg Fern to come to her room to play, but I wanted to be sure that Fern got herself off to a good start at the Cutler's Cove School.
    "You have to let Fern do her schoolwork," I advised. "When she's finished she can go to see you."
    Christie screwed her face into a tiny pout and went off to wait. Usually Fern would go to her and they would sit and do coloring books or play with some of Christie's dolls and toys. One evening when I was walking by Christie's room I heard Fern firmly instruct her to refer to her as "Aunt Fern." I paused at the doorway to listen.
    "I'm Jimmy's real sister, which makes me your aunt, so you have to call me Aunt from now on, or pretend I don't hear you. Do you understand?"
    "Uh-huh," Christie said obediently.
    "I'm really much older than you are, but I don't mind playing with you to teach you things," Fern continued in a very grown-up-sounding voice. The tone of it surprised even me. In fact, I thought she was doing a rather good imitation of Clayton Osborne.
    "Now," she continued, "you can ask me any questions you want, questions about anything. Even," she said, lowering her voice a bit, "questions about boys. You know why boys are different, don't you?
    "No, you don't," Fern added quickly. "You're nodding, but I can see in your face that you don't. Well, I will tell you," she said.
    I entered the room and cleared my throat to get her attention, but when Fern looked up at me I saw the oddest glint in her eyes. They were bright with frustration and anger. She looked just like an adult who was furious she had been interrupted. After a moment, though, the ire left her eyes, and her face softened into a smile.
    "Hi, Dawn," she said.
    "Fern, dear, may I speak with you a moment?" I said. I took her