Package Deal (18 page)

Her mother
finish
e
d
h
e
r l
e
ctur
e
and spok
e
to two stud
e
nts who cam
e
up to th
e
podium whil
e
sh
e
e
ras
e
d
th
e
white
board.

Aft
e
r th
e
last of th
e
stud
e
nts fil
e
d
out, C
e
c
e
lia ran down th
e
sid
e
aisl
e
to th
e
front of th
e
room. “W
e
won by on
e
goal,
and I kick
e
d
it in!”

“Good for you!”
Her mother looked toward
Marcus, still s
e
at
e
d
, at th
e
back of th
e
l
e
ctur
e
hall.

As he sauntered to the front of the room
, he said,
“That was a nic
e
point you mad
e
about Lincoln. Who would hav
e
gu
e
ss
e
d
his work c
ould b
e
consid
e
r
e
d
po
e
try
?”
He brushed his hair off his forehead.

“My minor was Am
e
rican History. I lik
e
to link lit
e
ratur
e
and history. It k
ee
ps th
e
stud
e
nts int
e
r
e
st
e
d
,
and so many famous p
e
opl
e
w
e
r
e
gr
e
at writ
e
rs, don’t you think?”

Marcus
nodd
e
d
. “
E
v
e
n
we
journ
e
yman
n
e
wshounds
can r
e
cogniz
e
a w
e
ll-mad
e
s
e
nt
e
nc
e
now and again.” H
e
glanc
e
d
down at C
e
c
e
lia. “Your daught
e
r plays a m
e
an gam
e
of socc
e
r.”

Her mother
’s arm r
e
st
e
d
on C
e
c
e
lia’s should
e
r. “Som
e
thing sh
e
l
e
arn
e
d
b
e
for
e
w
e
mov
e
d
h
e
r
e
. Thank
s
for walking h
e
r ov
e
r.”

Both
adults w
e
r
e
looking at on
e
anoth
e
r.
I wish
Marcus would look
at
me
like that
. “Ar
e
w
e
going hom
e
now, Mom?”

Her mother
smiled
at her
. “Y
e
s. I just n
ee
d
to grab my coat
and purs
e
from
th
e
offic
e
and w
e
’ll b
e
on our way.”

“Can I drop you off?
It’s starting to rain
again
,
and
I hav
e
my car,
”
Marcus offered.

“Y
e
s, Mom! L
e
t’s do that! I’m tir
e
d
. L
e
t’s go in Marcus’
s
car.”

“
Professor
Dunbar
, missy,”
her mother
corr
e
ct
e
d
her
.
“Or did h
e
giv
e
you p
e
rmission to call him by his first nam
e
?”

Marcus put a hand on
her mother
’s arm. “It’s ok
ay
. C
e
c
e
lia and I ar
e
fri
e
nds. If sh
e
l
e
ts m
e
call h
e
r by h
e
r first nam
e
, sh
e
can call m
e
Marcus
or Marc
.
Right, kid?” H
e
grinn
e
d
at h
e
r
.

She
beam
ed
back
at him
.
H
e
i
s
so
nic
e
.
“Y
e
s.
And y
ou can call m
e
C
e
c
e
lia.
”
She
giggl
e
d
and look
e
d
at her mother
pointedly. “S
o th
e
r
e
.”

“All right. I can s
ee
th
e
two of you
have
gang
e
d
up on m
e
. Wh
e
r
e
ar
e
you park
e
d
?”

“In th
e
faculty lot b
e
hind th
e
earth s
ci
e
nc
e
lab. Shall w
e
m
ee
t you th
e
r
e
?”

Her mother
nodd
e
d
. “
It won’t tak
e
me
long
.”

Wh
e
n
her mother
arriv
e
d
at th
e
car
a short time later
, C
e
c
e
lia
was
buckled into
th
e
front pass
e
ng
e
r s
e
at
.
She
point
ed
to
th
e
backs
e
at, n
e
xt to what look
e
d
lik
e
camping g
e
ar.

“
E
xcus
e
th
e
m
e
ss in th
e
back, but Princ
e
ss C
e
c
e
lia has
ordere
d
m
e
to driv
e
h
e
r chariot hom
e
, and
all oth
e
r pass
e
ng
e
rs ar
e
r
e
quir
e
d
to sit in th
e
back. I hop
e
you don’t mind
,
” Marcus
affected
a sprit
e
ly
E
nglish acc
e
nt
as he bowed
b
e
for
e
closing th
e
door.

Her mother
smiled at Cecelia before addressing Marcus.
“Hom
e
, Jam
e
s.
”

“Mom, his nam
e
is Marcus th
e
Gr
e
at!Hom
e
, Marcus!” S
h
e
giggled
as
th
e
y h
e
ad
e
d
out of th
e
parking lot toward th
e
ir hous
e
.

Upon arrival, C
e
c
e
lia
raced
up
to h
e
r room.

“Marcus! Come here.
I want to show you something.”
She
bounced back down the stairs.

“Cece, i
t’
s not pol
ite to order people around. And
please use your inside voice.”

“Sorry, Mom
.” She paused. “Marcus, I want
to show you my
new
book
, th
e one
I got
from the library.
Sea Star
. The one you told me about. See?” She held
up the book
.

“Have you read it yet?”

“Not
all of it. I think I’m on page fif
ty
.” She fumbled with the book to find where she had placed the bookmark.

“Well, when you are done with it, I’ll ask you some questions.”

“Ok
ay
.” She turned to follow the adults. “I may have it done by the weekend.” She intended to start reading right after dinner.
Then maybe
Marcus
would pay
more
attention to her.

Amanda looked over at Marcus after Cecelia ran
back
up
to her room
.
“Thanks for th
e
rid
e
, and for humoring h
e
r.”