Going over to her, Rico told her. "It's all over now but the paperwork." He hugged her, and she wouldn't let him go for quite a while. When she pulled back, she took his face in her hands and just stared at him.
The whole time she hadn't said a word, and Rico realized that she couldn't speak. He had only seen her like that one time before—when his grandfather had just died.
"We're OK, Grandma. Really," he assured her. Then he turned to Sammy who was looking up at them. "Hey, Sammy, Grandma needs a hug."
"Me too!" Sammy wailed and ran into her arms.
Grandma embraced both Sammy and Rico and rested her cheek on top of Sammy's little, blond head. "Everyone is all right," Grandma said softly. Then she noticed something about Sammy. "And you're a little bit sticky there." She pointed to the front of Sammy's shirt.
"That's right you didn't change after you had that peach," Rico said. To him, that seemed like it was a million years ago.
Sammy looked down at herself. "Oh, no. I'm messy."
"You can't go to the festival like that, but I heard you have a pretty dress to change into," Rico told her.
"The Peach Festival!" Sammy said like she had forgotten all about it. "We have to go."
"We will," Mitch said from behind them and Rico was glad to hear that.
Grandma went to give Mitch a hug too then she told him. "Tonight, I think a change of venue would be good for Sammy. Right now this place is a crime scene. I'll hear no argument. You're staying over at my place."
"I second that," Rico told Mitch.
"OK," Mitch said then he confirmed it to Sammy. "We're going to stay over at Mrs. Del Rio's tonight."
"With Rico?" Sammy said.
"Yes. I'm going to be there," Rico told her.
"And Daddy?" she asked and looked up at Mitch.
"Yes, me too," Mitch said.
"Good," she said then she tattled on him to Grandma. "Daddy went away, but Rico was there. And Daddy pushed us. Why did you push us, Daddy?"
"He was trying to protect us, honey," Rico told her.
"Sorry about that," Mitch told her and kissed the top of her head.
She regarded Mitch gravely. "OK. But no more pushing, Daddy. It's not nice."
"OK. Now lets go get ready for the festival," Mitch said.
"Yay. And I need my special sleepover pajamas. We're going to Rico's grandma's house for a slumber party," she said. "And we have to take Miss Lulu and Natalie and Veronica."
"They're welcome to come along," Grandma said to Mitch.
He told Sammy, "We'll come back for the kittens after the festival."
Mitch went up with Sammy to help her get ready, and Rico took his turn giving a statement then he hung out with his grandmother. She was pacing the hallway. He knew how she must feel. He was wound up too. Stopping her, Rico put an arm around her shoulders.
"I guess you know it was the same guy who came by the yard sale asking about silver pieces," Rico said to her.
Grandma nodded. "The one who wanted to see the house. He had to be the one who broke in too. I should have seen through that no good..." His grandmother looked up toward the stairs and stopped herself from saying anything more. "I'm losing my edge."
Rico hated that she felt bad about it. "Not you, Grandma. You knew he was shady."
"But I didn't know he was dangerous. I'm so sorry, sweetheart," she said.
