“I know how painful”—his voice became hoarse, like he was going to cry—“it will be for you to leave her,” he said. He touched his eyes briefly.When he spoke again, his voice was steady. “But moving to Europe is something that I have to do. I hope that one day you can forgive me.” He reached into his pocket and held out what looked like a candy cane. “A peace offering,” he said hopefully.
With a small, grateful smile, Olivia accepted his offering. Funnily enough, candy canes were her favorite. He reached his arm around her and gave her a hug. She closed her eyes and buried her face in his shoulder for a moment, trying to savor the feeling.
Then she began peeling the wrapper off the candy cane.
“Bloody canes have always been your favorite,” her father said.
Olivia’s fingers froze. “On second thought, I’ll save it for later,” she gulped, slipping the candy into the pocket of Ivy’s black jeans. “Because it’s such a special treat.”
After they’d hung the Christmas Bites, Olivia and her father squeezed in next to each other on the top rung of the ladder. In his hands, he held a dark gray box. He opened it, and took out a sleek black velvet bat the size of an eagle.
“Our Holiday Bat,” he announced.
The bat’s wings unfurled. Olivia took one wing in her hand, while her father held the other. And, together, they reached out and placed it at the top of the tree.
Chapter 7
“That was delicious, Mom,” Ivy said, as she helped Mrs. Abbott clear the table after dinner. Ivy didn’t usually eat tofu steaks, but Olivia’s mom had made them with a red wine reduction sauce that tasted surprisingly like blood.
“Thanks, honey,” Mrs. Abbott said appreciatively. Just then, the doorbell rang. Mrs. Abbott slipped off her apron and went to answer it.
Maybe that’s Olivia, thought Ivy nervously. What if Dad caught her trying to pass herself off as me?
She heard Mrs. Abbott open the front door, followed by a chorus of high-pitched noises—it sounded like a flock of giant birds from an old horror movie.
Ivy crept down the hall and poked her head around the corner. Two little human girls wearing tutus and tiaras were chasing each other around Mrs. Abbott’s legs, screaming their heads off. In the open door stood a woman who must have been their mother.
Ivy whipped her head back before anyone saw her. She swallowed hard. Baby bunnies! she thought.
“We really appreciate you and Olivia watching the girls,” the woman at the door was saying.
“Of course. Go have a great time with Jeff,” Ivy overheard Mrs. Abbott reply.
The kids are staying!? Ivy realized. She would rather have been buried alive. Nothing could be more dangerous and strange than a tiny human, let alone two of them!
“Olivia!” Audrey called. “Casey and Stacey are here!”
Ivy took a deep breath and forced herself to put one bobby sock-clad foot in front of the other. She made her way down the hall and stood frozen in the living room doorway. In front of the fireplace, Olivia’s father was wound up in a jump rope, one little girl pulling on each end.
“Not so tight,” he said, “or I’ll have to use my li ching on you.” He tried to laugh, but he was clearly helpless.
“Here’s Olivia,” Audrey said when she saw Ivy.
The girls dropped the jump rope handles and started leaping up and down. Their shrieking took on a new intensity. “OLIIIIIVIAAAAAA! OLIIIIIVIAAAAAA!”
Audrey must have noticed the horrified expression on Ivy’s face, because she said, “We promised Carol, remember? We’re taking care of the girls while she and Jeff go to dinner for their anniversary.”
I’m going to kill my sister, thought Ivy.
Casey and Stacey raced up to Ivy. She had no idea which was which, but one was wearing a yellow leotard and tutu, and the other was wearing a pink one. She forced herself not to recoil as they tugged at her hands.
“TEACH US A CHEER! A CHEER! A CHEER!” they shrieked.
“I— I don’t know any cheers,” Ivy stammered.
Olivia’s mother and father both stared at her.
“Just kidding.” Ivy smiled weakly.
“Well then,” said Audrey. “I’ll just leave you to work your magic.” She winked at Ivy and walked out of the room.
Don’t leave me! Ivy wanted to yell. She had zero experience with human kids. This wasn’t going to be like hanging out with Brendan’s little sister. Playing Vampire Hunter was not an option. What am I supposed to do with a pair of hyper baby bunnies for a whole evening? she thought frantically. She didn’t know ballet, and she wasn’t about to have a conversation about ponies.
“OLIVIA, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?” the girl in the yellow tutu screamed.
Human children are like animals, Ivy thought. They can smell fear. She couldn’t let on that she had no idea what to do.
“Look, Olivia,” the girl in the pink tutu said. “We got dressed up for you.”
“You did?” said Ivy, and both little girls beamed up at her angelically. The one in the pink tutu was missing two front teeth. All at once, Ivy realized that these little bunnies were expecting her to be nothing more than the perky, peppy, fun Olivia they knew. All I have to do is give them what they want, she thought.
Ivy clasped her hands together. “Well. Those are the prettiest, sparkliest, most princessy outfits ever!” she said, giving her best Olivia ponytail flip. “I totally love them!”
“I told you she’d be impressed,” the girl in the yellow tutu said, beaming at her sister.
Olivia was sitting at the table in Ivy’s kitchen as her father checked the oven. “What’s for dinner?” she asked, her leg bouncing nervously under the table.
“It is a surprise,” he answered mysteriously.
This afternoon, Olivia and Ivy had agreed that she’d make up some excuse at dinner time so she wouldn’t have to eat anything that would make her puke. “Just say ‘I’m not feeling well’ or ‘I’m trying a new diet,’ ” Ivy had said.
But now the evening had been going so well that Olivia didn’t want to spoil it. Her father had set the table for them really nicely. “Can you give me a hint?” she asked anxiously.
Her father came over and lit a candle in the center of the table. “In honor of our move,” he said proudly, “I have made a European dish that is renowned for its taste, texture, and iron content.”