The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg

Author:Elizabeth Berg
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2017-11-21T05:00:00+00:00

“The chili smells good,” Maddy says.

“Hormel.”

“There you go.”

“Are you almost ready to eat?” he asks.

“Sure. And remember: from now on, I cook.”

Arthur smiles.

The doorbell rings and he says, “Oh, I forgot to tell you, I invited my neighbor Lucille over for lunch. She’s bringing dessert. She’s quite the baker.”

“Yes, you gave me some of her orange blossom cookies.”

“Oh. That’s right. I remember.”

Maddy thinks he does not, but so what.

She goes back to her room and hangs up her few clothes in the closet. Way in the back is something…Oh. A crib. A really old, folded-up crib, with a lamb resting on pink and blue clouds painted on the headboard. So this would have been the baby’s room. She touches the crib gently, then rests her empty duffel in front of it.

Maddy takes the beat-up photo of her mother from her purse and props it up on the wall behind her desk, then goes downstairs.

Before they are even introduced, Lucille says, “Well, look at you! Talk about the glow of pregnancy!”

So Lucille knows. It’s a relief, in a way. “I’m Maddy Harris,” she says, and offers her hand. Lucille shakes it with a vigor Maddy would not have predicted.

“I’m so pleased to meet you,” Lucille says breathlessly. “I’m Lucille Howard, your next-door neighbor.” She points to her house. “That one. Right there.”

“Yes, Arthur has told me about you.”

Lucille looks quickly over at Arthur.

“He told me you’re a really good baker. I had some of your orange blossom cookies, and they were amazing.”

“Oh. Well. Thank you. But wait till you taste that!” She points to a cake in the center of the table, frosted a vibrant orange color, frosting flowers ringing the edges. Marigolds, Maddy thinks they’re supposed to be.

“Let’s eat before anything gets cold,” Lucille says. And then, spying the water that Arthur has set out for all of them, she turns to him and says, “Don’t you have milk? She needs milk. She’s carrying a child. She needs calcium! The little bones!”

Arthur looks a bit flustered. “Well, let me look.”

He starts to get up, and Maddy puts her hand over Arthur’s. “It’s okay. I’ll drink water for now. I like water with chili dogs.”

“Well, exactly,” Arthur says. “And beer.”

“She can’t have beer!” Lucille practically screeches, and Maddy says, “I know that, Lucille.”

Old bat. And yet how wonderful to be paid attention to. How wonderful to be cared for, even if it’s by a couple of goofy old people. She adores Arthur. Arthur and his things, like Mr. and Mrs. Hamburger. Who are in her backpack. Later tonight, she’ll confess. Here’s what she knows: he’ll forgive her.

—

Lucille lowers the shade in her bedroom and flops down on the bed. Oh, the sheets smell sweet. Maddy washed the sheets and ironed the pillowcases, now where are you ever going to find someone to do that.

She also took out all the trash and dusted and vacuumed and swept like Cinderella. She did all the dirty dishes and wiped them and put them away. She watered the garden and the houseplants.

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