Come Fly With Me (85 page)

"Allison!"
Michael's
voice
rang
out
cheerfully
against
the
marble
floors
and
was
absorbed
easily
by
the
thick
Persian
rug
she
stood
on.
She
smiled
while
clutching
the
oversized
painting
that
she
had
wrapped
earlier
that
morning
in
plain
brown
wrap
topped
with
a
large
red
bow.
"Can
I
offer
you
something
to
drink?
Some
coffee?
Pamela,
bring
Ms.
Ross
a
diet
soda."

"No,
please,
I'm
fine.
You
said
on
the
phone
earlier
that
it
was
okay
if
I
brought
Kaitlin's
present
over."

"Yes,
please
sit
down,"
Michael
gestured
to
a
tailored,
cream-colored
horsehair
sofa
that
was
surprisingly
comfortable.
"I
told
the
designer
she
had
carte
blanche,
but
I
insisted
that
everything
be
livable."

"Well,
it's...amazing,"
Allison
agreed.

He
sighed,
"It
can
all
be
a
bit
much.
Kaitlin
refers
to
it
as
her
prison.
And
apparently,"
he
pointed
to
himself.
"I'm
the
warden."

"What
brought
this
on?"

"She's
thirteen
just
one
day,
and
she's
already
locked
herself
in
her
room
and
is
threatening
never
to
come
out.
Maybe
she'll
talk
to
you."

"I
don't
want
to
push
myself
where
I
don't
belong.
I
mean,
only
if
you're
sure."

"Oh,
I'm
sure.
Please,"
he
gestured
with
his
hand
toward
the
back
of
the
apartment.
"It's
the
second
door
on
your
right."

Allison
lumbered
down
the
hall
half-carrying,
half-dragging
the
unwieldy
canvas
and
knocked
on
the
door.

"Go
away,"
was
the
muffled
response.

"Kaitlin,
its
Allison."

A
minute
later
a
puffy-eyed
thirteen-year
old
opened
the
door
and
then
flung
herself
dramatically
back
onto
the
bed.
Allison
stood
awkwardly
in
the
room.

"Can
I
move
in
with
you?"
Kaitlin
asked.

"Ahh...I
hardly
think
that
would
be
solving
anything.
What's
up?"

"What's
up?
What's
up!
My
father
is
an
over-protective
megalomaniac!"

"Hey,
careful
you
have
some
respect,"
she
paused.
"A
new
vocabulary
word?"

Kaitlin
nodded.

"You
still
haven't
told
me
what
happened."

"Well,
I
fell
down
on
the
ice
last
night
and
Kyle
helped
me
up."

"Cute
Kyle?
I
saw
that."

"Well,
so
did
my
Dad,
and
the
next
thing
I
know
he's
telling
Kyle
to
keep
his
hands
off
of
me!"

Allison
started
to
smile
but
quickly
recovered
herself.

"And
then,"
she
continued,"
my
friend
Rachel
overheard
their
conversation
and
told
some
of
the
other
kids
and
they
were
all
laughing
that
my
father
is
never
going
to
let
me
on
a
date
unless
he
comes
along
and
the
craziest
thing
is...they're
right!"
Her
eyes
sparked
as
she
spoke.

Allison
sat
down
on
the
bed
next
to
Kaitlin
and
stroked
her
hair.
"Sweetie,
he's
scared
and
nervous
and
you're
so
lovely.
He's
so
out
of
his
realm.
Go
easy
on
him.
I'll
give
you
a
little
pointer.
When
kids
start
to
make
fun
of
you—play
along.
If
you
join
in
and
poke
fun
at
yourself
or
your
situation,
it
takes
the
sting
out
of
it
and
the
fun
goes
with
it."

"That
sounds
like
a
good
idea,"
she
sniffled.
"But
it
doesn't
make
a
difference
because
I'm
never
leaving
this
room."

"I
think
you
might
need
to
use
the
bathroom,"

Kaitlin
pointed
to
a
door.

"Oh,
I
missed
that
before.
How
about
food?"

"Pamela
will
bring
it
to
me."

Allison
tabled
the
conversation,
"I
brought
you
your
present."

Kaitlin
jumped
off
the
bed
and
stood
in
front
of
the
gift.
"I'm
nervous."

"I
think
you'll
like
it;
I
hope
you'll
like
it."

Kaitlin
unwrapped
it
slowly,
and
amid
much
paper
crinkling,
let
out
a
shriek.
Her
father
came
running
down
the
hall.
They
stood
together
wordlessly.

Allison
felt
uneasy,
"I
know
it
isn't
exactly
what
you
had
in
mind."

"It
isn't,"
Michael
said.
"But
I
think
it's
the
exact
perfect
thing.
What
do
you
think,
Kaitlin?"

"I
think
it's
the
one
of
the
most
amazing
presents
I
ever
got,
besides
for
Jefferson."
She
noticed
Allison's
quizzical
look,
"That's
my
horse."

"Well,
of
course,
I
can't
compete
with
a
horse."

Kaitlin
hugged
Allison,
almost
throwing
her
off
balance.
"You're
the
best.
I
have
to
call
all
my
friends."