7: Emily Has Her Say
Emily woke around seven o'clock. She hated getting up early, but there was too much work to be done just to lie in bed all day. She swung her legs over the mattress. Standing up, she yawned and started to go to the bathroom. That's when she stepped on something.
"Ow! Hey!" She bent down and picked up the doll that lay a few feet from the semi-circle. "Maxie," She said, turning to the brown haired girl that was rubbing her eyes. "Is this yours?"
"Uh-uh."
"How about you, Fauna?"
The teen cracked her eyes open a little. "Please, I don't play with dolls!" She pulled the covers over her head.
Emily smiled fondly. "Then she must've belonged to the people who lived here before." She showed Maxie the doll. "I haven't seen one of these in twenty years."
Max took the toy and looked at it with interest. "What is it?"
"It's a Cowgirl Jessie doll! I had one when I was little! I used to watch her on 'Woody's Roundup!'"
"What's that?" Maxie rubbed some dust from her face.
"It was an old TV show. It had puppets and music…"
"They had TV during the Stone Age?" Cracked Fauna from underneath the blanket.
Emily frowned. "Hardy har har, Miss Vegan! Don't make me serve meatloaf for dinner!"
"Yuck."
"Anyway," Emily took the doll and hugged her. "She was my favorite toy." Inside, Jessie thought she would melt from happiness.
I knew I made the right decision! She thought.
"So," Said Maxie. "Where's yours?"
"I gave her away."
"What?" Cried Maxie. Even Fauna sat up.
"You did what?"
"I can't believe you'd do that!" Said Maxie. She hugged her white bear to her chest. "I'd never give away my Nanook!"
"And I couldn't ever give away my Raggedy Andy-I mean…" Fauna hastily revised herself. "That seems like a cruddy thing to do. You know, for something you were so close to. Not I'd know."
Emily smiled at the felt black shoe and red-and-white striped stocking sticking out from under Fauna's quilt. "Uh-huh. Well girls," She held Jessie's head in her hand, stroking her red hair. "As you get older, things change. I didn't play with my toys anymore, so instead of being selfish and keeping them all to myself, I donated them to boys and girls who really needed them."
"I get it!" Said Fauna. "You wanted to share your Jessie with other people!"
Emily nodded. "Sometimes, you know, every once in awhile, I think about my Jessie doll and whether or not I did the right thing by giving her away."
Maxie latched onto her mother's arm. "Did you?"
"You know," Said Emily pensively. "I think I did. Sure, it would be nice to have her around, but I know wherever mine is, she's being loved by a boy or girl who'll cherish her as much as I did."
Jessie felt like she'd been socked.
Emily set Jessie down on the windowsill. "Come girls," She put a hand on each of her daughter's backs. "Let's get showered and dressed, and then we'll go out to IHOP for breakfast!"
After the door closed, Jessie sat up. "You really are grownup now, Emily."
