Domestic Arrangements by Norma Klein

Author:Norma Klein [Klein, Norma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781939601223
Publisher: IG Publishing

Chapter Fourteen

Joshua isn’t sentimental about things, so I didn’t even know if he was going to get me a valentine. But I got him one. It’s cute. It’s a Snoopy one of Lucy saying, “You’re everything I want . . . and I want a lot.” When I got home Valentine’s Day, there was a letter addressed to me: T. Engelberg. I ripped it open. It showed a little creature balancing on a ball. Inside it said: “Be my Valentine. I’m difficult but adorable.”

I called him up right away. “Josh? Listen, thanks for the valentine.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Rust. I didn’t even think of it.”

“I thought it was cute.”

“What was cute?”

“Your valentine.”

“What valentine?”

“The one you sent me.”

“I didn’t send you a valentine.”

“You didn’t?”

“Uh uh . . . I forgot.”

“I wonder who it was from, then.”

“Woody Allen?”

“Sure.”

“I feel bad, Rust . . . I’m going to get you something. Can I bring it over later?”

“Okay.”

“Yours was nice . . . I liked it.”

When Deel came home, I showed her the valentine. “Joshua says he didn’t send it. I don’t know who did.”

“Someone at school?”

“Maybe. I don’t know.” I looked at the envelope again. “Does this look like a T to you?”

Deel squinted. “I think it’s an L.”

“But it has that tail on top.”

“Some people do their L’s like that. It’s an L. Definitely.”

“So maybe it’s for Daddy.”

“Daddy?”

“Well, he’s an L.”

“Yeah. But who’d want to send him a valentine?”

“I don’t know.”

Mom came in around six. She’s started rehearsing for TWWAN again and she’s been pretty busy. “Hi, hon.”

I showed her the valentine.

“Cute . . . did Josh send it?”

“No . . . that’s what we can’t figure out . . .” I showed her the envelope. “Does that look like a T or an L to you?”

Mom looked at it. “Well, an L . . . Where do you get T?”

“That line on top.”

“Yeah, but a T would go straight across. It’s an L all right.”

I made a face. “I guess I shouldn’t have opened it then. It must have been for Daddy.”

“For Lionel?”

“Well, he’s L. Engelberg.”

Mom looked thoughtful. “Goodness . . . I wonder who sent it to him.” When Daddy came home, she said, “You have a secret admirer?”

Daddy looked at it, blushed, and said, “What’s this?”

“It came in the mail, addressed to you . . . Tat opened it by mistake.”

“I thought it was a T, Daddy, I’m sorry.”

“Let’s see the envelope,” Daddy said. He looked at it. “It is a T,” he said. “No doubt about it.”

“It’s an L,” Mom said. “Where do you see T?”

“I’ve never seen an L that looked like that,” Daddy said.

“I have,” Mom said. “Many times.”

“Joshua didn’t send it,” I said.

“Well, but I’m sure you have many other boys who—”

“I thought you’d be pleased, sweetie, to have a secret admirer,” Mom said.

“I’d be pleased if I did,” Daddy said. “But I don’t.”

She hugged him. “I’m sure you do.”

He just smiled sheepishly. “Well, it’s news to me.”

“Don’t you know anyone who’s difficult, but adorable?” Mom said.

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