Skye Penderwick said goodbye to her husband, Jeffrey, as he left in the morning, and at her lunch break she telephoned her elder sister Rosalind at her house. When Rosalind picked up the phone, she blurted out,

"Rosalind—I need to call a MOPS."

"Call a MOPS?" said Rosalind, surprised. "An Emergency MOPS?"

"Yes. Like we used to. Jane's just come home and Batty's still in high-school so I can, right? Are you busy? It's really important. Tonight at six, okay?"

"Sure, Skye. I'll tell the other two."

Skye waited impatiently for six o'clock. She opened the door of the house, five minutes late, and found her three sisters Rosalind, Jane, and Batty sitting on the floor.
Rosalind was twenty-four, and had moved out of the house last year when she married Tommy Geiger. Jane was just home from college; she was twenty-two. Batty was sixteen and in high-school.

"All right," Skye took a deep breath. "MOPS come to order."

"Second the motion."

"Third it."

"Fourth it."

Skye took a deep breath and said, "All swear to keep secret what I say here, no matter what." Her sisters stared at this.

"Why?"

Skye shook her head, and they swore by the Penderwick Family Honor.

"All right," said Rosalind, "What's all this about?"

Skye took a deep breath again. How was she going to say this? "Rosalind… yesterday… oh, darn it all, I'll just say it." She said something under her breath.

Batty had been silent all this time. "Skye? You're not playing a joke?"

Skye turned on her. "Batty Penderwick! I called an emergency MOPS and you think it's a joke?"

"Sorry," said Batty.

Rosalind took charge. "Okay, Skye. I understand your problem. When will Daddy and Jeffrey know and when?"

"I'll tell Jeffrey tonight," said Skye. "That's my job. Can you tell Daddy, Jane?"

"Sure," said Jane. Rosalind dismissed the MOPS, and Skye got into her car and headed home, to find Jeffrey making dinner.

"Hello Skye," he said, giving her a kiss. "How was work today?"

"Awful," said Skye, pulling plates out from a cupboard.

"Why, what happened?"

"I spent the whole day waiting for six o'clock, that's what." Jeffrey sensed the disturbance in her usual voice.

"Are you okay, Skye?"

"Physically, kind of. Mentally, no." And to her shame, Skye was crying, because she did not know what to say or do.

Jeffrey put a lid on the heating pot, and then came to comfort her. "You know you can always tell me what happens, right? And I'll try to make it better for you."

"Jeffrey—if I say what I'm going to, you'll be astonished," said Skye, wiping her face with the tissue he offered her.

The next day, Skye felt a great deal of relief now that Rosalind, Mr. Penderwick, and Jeffrey knew. After work, she did as she had the day before and shot off to the Penderwick house, calling Jeffrey first in case he'd worry. Iantha opened the door, and hugged Skye. "Congratulations, Skye," said Iantha warmly. "I wish you all the best."

Skye hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Iantha. Is Rosalind here?"

"Yes, she and Tommy are eating here tonight, but Tommy's not home yet. She's upstairs in Jane's room."

Jane's room, which used to be Skye and Jane's. Batty was in Rosalind's old room now, and Ben in Batty's old room.

She went upstairs to find Jane and Batty sitting on Batty's bed. They presented her with a wrapped box, and Skye opened it to find several tiny garments, faded but well-cared for, which all of the sisters had worn. Skye looked at one that had always been her favorite; a black spangled one.

"Thank you so much, you two. That's one less worry." Both her younger sisters hugged her.

"Are you going to be like Rosalind now, Skye?" asked Batty.

"Am I—what, Batty?"

"Are you going to be like Rosalind?"

Seven months later, Mr. Penderwick, Tommy, Rosalind, Jane, Jeffrey, Iantha, and Batty were all sitting in a hospital waiting room. Jeffrey looked anxious, and the others did, as well. A nurse came into the room and said,

"You can go in now." They got up quickly and almost flattened the nurse as they dashed down the corridor.

Skye's room was at the end. She was lying in the bed, paler than anyone had ever seen her. Jeffrey was on his knees beside her in an instant.

"Are you all right?"

Skye nodded. She sat up a little straighter and from her left side lifted a tiny, sleeping bundle. Visible were a gay festoon of golden curls exactly like hers.

"You got your wish, Skye," said Jane, holding the baby, whose eyes fluttered open and came to rest on Jane's face. "She is exactly like Jeffrey, except the hair."

"What color are her eyes?" asked Jeffrey. Rosalind took the baby into her arms and smiled at her. The baby smiled back; everyone gasped.

"She smiled, Skye!" said Batty.

"She did?" asked Skye. Then she held out her arms and Rosalind gently placed the baby into them. The baby's eyes, just like Jeffrey's, looked solemnly back at her.
Then Skye held the baby close and kissed the damp curls on her head. "What should we name her, Jeffrey?"

"Do you want to name her something like Emerald?"

"Yes," said Skye, her old manner returning She put the baby in her lap, sitting up against her chest. "We'll name her Emerald, and we'll call her Emmy."

So Emmy the baby was until the end of the chapter.
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