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How’s it going back home?
A minute passed. Then another. Rather than waiting for an answer that might never come, she tucked her phone away and turned back to Laura.
“Want to help me go through all my childhood toys? Maybe it’ll dredge up some embarrassing memories, and you’ll get to make fun of me.”
Laura’s eyes brightened. “Deal.”
12
Cassie leaned Mr. Brownie up against the closet door so he could watch them go through the remaining two boxes. The musty smell from earlier still hung in the air, but it was less potent now, and her nose didn’t tingle quite so much.
“Do you have a preference?” Cassie asked, pointing between the boxes.
“Dealer’s choice.”
Cassie pushed one box toward Laura and pulled the other one closer to her. When she opened the flaps, a layer of cassette tapes from her favorite artists greeted her. “Oh my God. Spice Girls. N*SYNC. New Kids on the Block.”
“Do you still have that Eminem CD we used to hide from Mom?”
Cassie saw the edge of it against the side of the box. She pulled it out with a flourish. “I used to be so scared of getting caught with this.”
“And it was the explicit version.”
“We thought we were so badass.” Cassie kept digging. The next layer was made up of knickknacks wrapped in newspaper. “What’s in your box?”
“A couple of McDonald’s happy meal toys. A couple of t-shirts from choir.” She held them up with a grin. “You were so bad at decorating these.”
“Yeah, yeah. Have your fun now. Next, we go through your boxes.”
“Oh, no. I did that a couple years ago. Got rid of three of them.” She pointed to the ones remaining in the closet. “There was a lot I couldn’t get rid of.”
“Yeah, I think I’m going to be the same way.” She felt better knowing their mom had forced Laura to throw away her old toys, too. “I’ll probably never touch any of these things again, but I can’t just give them away.”
“I want to look back through them when I’m eighty.”
“Pass them along to my kids.”
Laura frowned. “I’ll never have kids.”
Cassie was halfway through unwrapping the figurine in her hand. “Why would you say that?”
Laura shrugged. “Just a feeling.”
“I’m the only one around here allowed to have feelings, and my feelings say you’ll have kids. Just wait.”
Laura laughed. “I guess. I just feel like I’m getting old.”
“Okay, now I’m offended.” Cassie huffed at her sister. “I’m five years older than you, and I’m still single. And I’ve got a lot more problems than you do. You’ll have a much easier time finding a husband.”
“Maybe I don’t want a husband.”
Cassie tossed the newspaper to the side and looked over one of her Precious Moments collectible figurines. It was a woman dressed like a nurse. She cast Laura a sideways glance. “A wife?”
Now it was Laura’s turn to huff. “Maybe I don’t want a wife either. I don’t know. I want a person. Someone who’s nice and smart and funny and super hot.”
Cassie picked up another newspaper-swaddled item. “You’re a beautiful woman. You’re a psychologist. You live in California. It’s only a matter of time.”
“Oh, look! Beanie Babies.”
