Mom turns to me. “You couldn’t convince them?”
Again, my mouth opens, but nothing comes out.
“Shouldn’t your suggestion be enough to get a handful of yeses?” Mom presses.
I look away, unable to respond because she won’t like the answer.
I didn’t force the issue because I don’t want girls from school swarming the hospital floor. Three weeks ago, when I approached the nurses about helping, my goal was to reform. To make up for every time I used my influence for personal gain, and in turn, negatively affected others.
I encouraged my friends to volunteer only because my mother saw it as an opportunity. How do I tell her the truth? She wants to know why I didn’t use my position to coerce my friends.
Mom looks back at the table. “The gala will be here before we know it. I need you all clocking at least fifteen volunteer hours before then. Is that clear?”
A fearful unison of yeses responds back to her.
Mom smiles with satisfaction, and everyone returns to eating their tiramisu in eerie silence.
After everyone approves Chef Renaldo’s menu, the meeting concludes with idle small talk. The women mingle about my mother, asking her to delight them in cozy stories from her time away.
I make my way to Sylvie and grab onto her arms. “You've gotta get me out of here. Can you drive me to Logan’s Point?”
“Yeah, but will your mother let you out of her sight?”
I look over my shoulder at Mom deep in conversation with Mrs. Saxon. I turn back to Sylvie and nod. “We’ll say we’re going so I can introduce you to the nurses. She’ll buy that.”
Sylvie groans. “Yuck.”
I nudge her. “They’re good people.”
“I believe you. I just don’t want to set foot in the hospital. Even a good one freaks me out.”
“When you volunteer, all you do is sit and read.”
“When my English teacher can’t get me to do that, how do you think a nurse will make me?”
“Because it’s neither,” I reply. “It’s my mother making you.”
Sylvie’s eyes widen. “Yikes, you’re right. Let’s get going.”
We approach my mother. “Sorry to interrupt, Mrs. Saxon. Uh, Mother, we have to get going.”
Mom shakes her head. “Not yet.”
“I’m taking Sylvie to St. Mark’s and introducing her to the nursing staff.”
Mom brushes me off. “You can do that another time.”
“I guess I could stay and we could share stories from our time in Switzerland,” I reply. “Did you continue that little entanglement you started before I left?”
Mom’s expression tightens. “It’s nothing we need to discuss here. You’re free to leave, and we’ll talk about it back at the manor.”
I keep my smile small to hide how big a victory I just won.
I link arms with Sylvie. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Sylvie leans into me. “What was that about?”
I let a giggle of happiness escape me. “Never mind. Let’s just go before she changes her mind.”
