Light Up New York

by Natalie Grant

  Mia noticed the racks of fancy papers in all different prints. “I wonder if the paper is anything special.”

  “For the snowflakes?” Maddie asked.

  Lulu held up a sheet of white paper covered with fine glitter. “This paper would be perfect for snowflakes!” It sparkled under the art store lights, and Mia had to agree.

  “We should make some snowflakes!” Maddie said. “Just for fun. Could we, Miss Julia?”

  “You can each choose two fancy pieces of paper,” Miss Julia said. “And we’ll buy three pairs of scissors too, since I didn’t bring any with me on the plane.”

  After they made their purchases, they met Mom and Dad in the coffee shop. Miss Julia read the girls the first chapters of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler as Mom and Dad finished their cappuccinos.

  “So, Claudia is running away with her little brother?” Lulu asked as Miss Julia closed the book.

  “Yes, but remember, this is fiction,” Miss Julia reminded them. “Just because kids in a story do something, that doesn’t mean you should try it too, right?”

  “It doesn’t turn out all that great for Claudia and Jamie,” Mia said. “Running away, I mean.”

  Maddie held up her hand. “Don’t tell us what happens. I’ve never read this story.”

  Mia watched Mom and Dad take their final sips of cappuccino. “Is this one better?” She hoped so, because she didn’t really want to traipse all over New York City visiting coffee shops.

  “I’d say an 8.5,” Dad said. “Good enough to give up the hunt for today.”

  The Glimmers and Miss Julia headed out of the coffee shop and onto the chilly sidewalk. Standing still for just a moment, Mom and Dad got their bearings, deciding which way to go and what to do.

  “Tomorrow’s a big day,” Mom said. “We should grab a quick dinner and then go back to the hotel so you girls can get to sleep early.”

  “What about the map?” Lulu asked.

  “We’ll see if we have time,” Mom said.

  Dad stepped back into the shop and asked the barista about restaurants. As he steamed milk, the barista rattled off a few local places that were popular. Everyone agreed the noodle shop sounded delicious. As a result, they set out into the cold and walked the three blocks to the restaurant. Everyone ordered what sounded good to them, and they dove into their food. Mia especially liked the little tray of extras she could add to her noodles—crushed peanuts, fresh basil leaves, lime juice, and sweet and sour sauce.

  After one last walk in the cold, they made their way back to the hotel. It was only six thirty, so Mom and Dad said they could do their Snow Angel research before going to sleep. Mia spread the map out on the bed.

  Lulu uncapped the red pen. “Where should I mark?”

  “Hold it!” Mia caught Lulu’s hand. “We have to be sure before we mark anything.”

  “I know!” Lulu yanked her wrist away.

  “We should call Ruby,” Maddie reminded Mia, interrupting before a full-blown argument could erupt. “Before it gets too late.”

  “It’s an hour earlier in Nashville,” Miss Julia said. “But you’re right, we should do it now while we’re thinking about it.”

  Miss Julia dialed and handed her phone over to Maddie.

  “It’s ringing,” Maddie said, and then shook her head. “Voice mail.”

  “Leave her a message,” Mia said. “Maybe she’ll want to watch tomorrow morning.” As she said the words, her heart beat a little faster. Tomorrow morning, they’d be on television, and anyone could tune in and watch them live.

  “Hey, Ruby,” Maddie said. “Good news! Mia and I are going to be on the Rise and Shine show tomorrow with Mom—we get to talk about the Sparkle and Shine album! We wish you could be there with us, but we’ll tell everyone about you and your idea. You should watch if you can. What time, Mom?” she called through to Mom and Dad’s room.

  “Nine a.m.” Mom appeared in the doorway. “I’m not sure what segment of the show we’ll be in, but Rise and Shine runs from nine to ten tomorrow morning.”

  “So does that mean it’s at eight for Ruby?” Mia asked.

  “Oh, that’s right,” Mom said. “Yes, the show is live.”

  “Sorry, Ruby,” Maddie said, realizing she’d forgotten the voice mail was still recording. “Eight a.m. tomorrow morning on channel . . .?”

  “Four,” Mom said.

  “Four,” Maddie told the phone. “Okay, well, talk to you later. Bye!”

  She hung up and passed the phone back to Miss Julia.

  “Okay, let’s see where the Snow Angel has struck,” Miss Julia said.

  They’d just finished marking the last gift on the map when Mom said, “Lulu, it’s time for you to go to bed.”

  “Don’t Mia and Maddie need to go to bed too?” Lulu complained.

  “They will soon,” Mom said. “But I’d like to talk with them about tomorrow’s interview, and I want you to get enough sleep so you’re able to enjoy the show.”

  “I always have to go to bed first,” Lulu complained. “I don’t get to do anything.”

  Mia felt like pointing out that Lulu was actually getting her way, once again—sleeping on the rollaway. Or at least Mia was pretty sure that was the plan. Still, she’d rather stay up and talk with Mom and Dad about the interview than sleep on the rollaway.

  “You got to go skating today,” Mom reminded Lulu, kissing her on the top of her head. “And you did a double twirl, which I can’t even do.”

  Lulu held tight to Mom’s arm and dragged her into the girls’ room. On her way out, Mom turned back. “Jack, maybe you can talk through possible questions with the girls. In case . . .”

  She didn’t need to explain in case of what. Lulu would obviously take forever going to bed. If Mia and Maddie were ever going to sleep tonight, they couldn’t wait for Mom to talk them through the interview.

  “Ready, girls?” Dad asked.

  “Ready,” they said, even though Maddie looked a little green. Now that Rise and Shine was just hours away, Mia had to admit that even she was feeling a little bit nervous. What if she froze and had no idea what to say?

  NINE

  All right, girls,” Dad said. “Why don’t you both sit there on the window seat and pretend it’s a couch? You’ll walk onstage with Mom and sit down. The host, Jennifer Jensen, will greet you.”

  “And we’ll say hello,” Mia said.

  “Right. You okay, Maddie?” Dad asked.

  Maddie was still a little green, but she nodded. “Yeah, I guess so. I was just picturing walking across the stage, and thinking about all the people in the audience and the cameras and everything. What if I trip?”

  “You won’t trip,” Mia said.

  “Plus, when you look out in the audience, you’ll see me, Lulu, and Miss Julia. And if you don’t look happy, we’ll make faces at you until you smile,” Dad teased.

  “Oh, don’t!” Maddie shook her head.

  Dad’s face lit up with a reassuring smile. “I promise, we won’t do anything to distract you.”

  “And think of how fun it will be, Maddie,” Mia said.

  “I am excited to tell people about why we made the album,” Maddie said.

  “Right?” Mia nodded. “Think of how much more money we can raise with all those people hearing about it. How many people watch Rise and Shine, Dad?”

  Maddie clapped her hands over her ears. “Don’t answer that!”

  Dad shook his head. “Won’t say a word.”

  “So what questions do you think Jennifer will ask us?” Mia asked.

  He ran them through a couple possible questions, letting them practice a few different answers. By the time they’d finished, Mom still hadn’t returned, but Mia was starting to yawn. They had already picked out their outfits for the morning, so the girls slipped into their room and climbed under the covers. Mia was careful to lay her hair smoothly on her pillow so she wouldn’t make any strange kinks in it while she slept. Mom stood up from wher
e she’d been sitting beside Lulu’s bed and kissed each of them good night. She left the door open when she went back to Dad.

  “‘Night, Lulu,” Maddie said.

  “‘Night, Lulu,” Mia echoed.

  Lulu mumbled a half-hearted answer. Mia wished her sister could just be happy for them, rather than ruining the fun by being so upset. But, when she was honest with herself, she knew she wouldn’t like it one bit if her sisters got to be on television and she didn’t. Mia thought about how she felt watching Lulu on the ice with Mom and Dad. In school, kids talked about things being fair all the time. She and her sisters did too. But the truth was, in real life, it seemed like a lot of things weren’t fair. No one said that sisters got to have the exact same experiences, she realized. But knowing that didn’t make it any easier to be a sister.

  She closed her eyes and waited to fall asleep. Her mind bounced from thought to thought, picturing tomorrow in a thousand different ways. She tried falling asleep in every way she could think to try. Finally, she realized the problem might be that she was trying to do this on her own. She took a deep breath, blew it out, and then began to silently pray. God, I want to do a good job tomorrow. Maddie does too. Help us know what to say, so people understand why we made the album in the first place. And help all the teens who the album is for. Keep them safe tonight, wherever they are sleeping, which I’m sure isn’t as warm and safe as where I’m sleeping. Thank you for all the gifts you give me and my family. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

  After she prayed, she felt herself drifting off to sleep.

  * * *

  “Wha . . . who?”

  Mia felt Maddie thrashing around next to her. For a moment, she froze with fear, imagining all the things that might have gone wrong. Then she heard footsteps scurrying away, and Dad was there beside the bed and Mom was switching on the light.

  “What’s wro—” Mom’s voice broke off, and she turned to look toward Lulu’s rollaway.

  Mia stared first at Maddie, then across at Lulu’s empty bed, and then slowly reached up to finger her hair. Sure enough, her hands came away sticky and stained—pink and blue and green. Maddie’s hair was a mess of color too, as though someone had dumped a whole makeup box on her head—lipstick and blush and eye shadow. The lipstick was the worst because it made her hair clump and tangle. Mia was sure her head had to look just as bad. Her eyes filled with tears, as she pictured the way her hair had looked this afternoon, in Rhea’s mirror. How could this have happened?

  “Lulu!” Mom called, looking toward the bathroom, where a little patch of light spilled out from under the slightly ajar door.

  Silence.

  “Lulu, I know you’re in there,” Mom said. “Come on out.”

  Lulu did, finally, her hands stained with the same pink, blue, and green as Mia and Maddie’s hair. Mia thought she didn’t look nearly sorry enough.

  “Lulu, why did you do this?” Maddie demanded, not waiting for Mom or Dad to ask.

  “I . . .” Lulu looked around the room as though she might find the answer somewhere, and then burst into tears.

  “She’s only crying because she doesn’t want to get in trouble,” Mia said.

  “Girls,” Mom said, and the one word was enough to stop Mia in her tracks.

  “Lulu, come with me.” Dad held out his hand, and his serious face was worse than if he’d yelled. Lulu cried even harder as he carried her into the other room and closed the door.

  Mia looked at her reflection and wailed, “What are we supposed to do about our hair? How could she do this?”

  Mom held her arms out and pulled them both close, messy hair and all. “Let’s wash out your hair, and then we can dry it again.”

  “But it won’t be the same,” Mia said.

  “No,” Mom said. “But we’ll do our best. And after we all calm down a little, we can talk.”

  Mom brought in her special shampoo and conditioner and helped the girls scrub the mess out of their hair, while Dad talked with Lulu. Rather than drying their hair right away, Mom wrapped their heads in towels and they went to sit on the bed. Dad moved the rollaway into their room for the rest of the night, and then left Lulu so he could talk with Mia and Maddie.

  “What did we ever do to her?” Mia demanded. Her anger felt like a cold, hard stone inside her chest.

  “What Lulu did was very wrong,” Mom said, making room on the bed for Dad. “Your hair is one thing, but what I’m even more concerned about are your hearts.”

  “It’s absolutely understandable that you girls are angry, but if you let your anger turn into bitterness, it can take root and grow,” Dad said. “And we don’t want that, not for any of you.”

  Maddie stared down at her fingers, twisting and untwisting them. Mia could see the quiet storm brewing inside her and knew Maddie was stuffing her feelings down, trying to get control over them. Was that what they were supposed to do? Pretend they weren’t angry?

  “How are we supposed to forgive her?” Mia asked. “She ruins everything.”

  Dad shook his head sadly. “That’s what I mean, Mia. If you tell yourself those kinds of things, you’ll start believing them. And then you’ll be on the watch for proof that you’re right, that Lulu does ruin everything. Your bitterness will grow and grow, and it will eventually poison you.”

  “I don’t feel like forgiving her,” Maddie said, finally speaking up.

  Mom took Maddie’s hand in both of hers. “I’m sure you both need some time. But eventually, forgiveness will be a choice you can make.”

  “What about Lulu?” Mia asked, her anger flaring hot again. “Will she have to . . . I don’t know . . . pay?”

  “Absolutely, there will be consequences for her actions,” Mom said.

  “She won’t be going to Rise and Shine tomorrow, to be in the studio audience,” Dad said. “She’ll stay here in the hotel with Miss Julia. Also, when we get back home, she’ll have to do some extra chores to earn enough to replace Mom’s makeup.”

  “Is that enough?” Mia grumbled.

  “Is there any real way to pay for hurting you and Maddie like this?” Mom asked gently. “That’s why our faith in Jesus is so important. We all do wrong things, and if we were required to pay for them on our own—fully—we’d never be able to do it.”

  “I still don’t understand why she’d do this,” Maddie said.

  “Lulu isn’t naughty just to be naughty,” Mom said. “What she wants more than anything is to be big like you. Especially when you get special opportunities, like being invited to be on television.”

  “Tomorrow, we can discuss this more,” Dad said. “It’s important for you girls to talk about your frustrations. It’s also important to try to see the situation from Lulu’s perspective. I think we can all do that better after a good night’s sleep.”

  “Will she have to see the situation from our perspective?” Mia asked.

  “No one can force a person to be sorry, or to forgive,” Mom said. “But both of those things are important, even if they are very, very difficult.”

  “I’ve asked Lulu to think about how it must feel to wake up and discover that your sister has done something like this. It will be important for you to talk with her about your feelings too, when you see her after your interview tomorrow,” Dad said.

  “I agree with Dad,” Mom said. “We’re all tired. How about you sleep with your hair wrapped in those towels? In the morning, Miss Julia and I will do our best to recreate your fancy hairdos. Okay?”

  “Okay,” Maddie said, her voice small and sad.

  “Okay,” Mia echoed.

  “Good night,” Mom said, tucking the covers under their chins.

  “Sleep tight,” Dad said, and kissed both girls on their foreheads.

  It was a long time before Mia fell back asleep.

  TEN

  The morning was a flurry of hair-drying and getting dressed and bundling into the taxi to make it to the studio on time. Mia managed to entirely avoid Lulu, which was a relief. With all h
er nervous energy and her frustration over her hair not looking nearly as nice as it had yesterday, Mia was pretty sure she’d only make things worse by snapping at her sister.

  “Girls, I’m so proud of you and your project,” Mom said, as they sat in the studio’s greenroom and waited for their cue. “You’ll do wonderfully today, I know.”

  Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long. Soon they were swept backstage, and before Mia felt fully ready, it was time for their entrance. Dad was out in the studio audience, so even though Miss Julia and Lulu weren’t there, the girls had a friendly face in the crowd. When they sat on the couch, Mia took Maddie’s hand and squeezed it. Maddie didn’t look as scared as Mia had expected her to look. The path to the couch had been completely clear, so neither she nor Maddie had tripped.

  “Welcome,” Jennifer Jensen said, beaming at Mia, Maddie, and Mom.

  “Hello,” Mom said.

  Jennifer Jensen smiled out at the cameras. Next to the cameras, Mia saw text scrolling across a screen. Jennifer managed to read the text, while also glancing at them and around at the audience. Mia tried to see if Jennifer said every word as written. It seemed as though Jennifer read the important parts but put some of the more casual conversation into her own words.

  “Many of you know Gloria Glimmer,” Jennifer was saying. “And these are two of her beautiful daughters, Mia and Maddie, who are here with news of their own. Let’s start with you, though, Gloria. You’re singing at the Light Up New York concert this Friday in Times Square.”

  “Yes,” Mom said. “It’s a joy to be part of the event, particularly this year when the city is dedicating the whole week to giving back to others.”

  “Yes, it is our first year to hold a citywide Light Up New York Week. Already, organizations and individuals across the city have launched projects aimed at giving back to the community.” At this, Jennifer checked the screen for details. “We’ve had park clean-up crews, renovations of shelters across the city, and a Warm Hands, Warm Feet gloves and socks drive. A public art competition began yesterday, and artists in every corner of the city are exploring the theme of light in their chosen medium. Ceramic, paint, graffiti—the approved kind—fabric, music, and more. Street performance artists are even in on the fun. And, of course, our very own New York Snow Angel has upped the gift-giving campaign. It seems everywhere you turn, another mysterious gift has been left on a doorstep or park bench.”