One evening after rehearsal, Rose ran into Hannah Gruen—the Drews' longtime housekeeper—at the River Heights community center. Hannah had taken a crafting class that evening, her tote bag filled with carefully labeled yarn and knitting needles.
"Rose!" Hannah said, smiling warmly. "How is the new theater teacher treating you?"
Rose shrugged. "She's... something else. Eccentric, but brilliant. I've never learned so much in a theater class before."
"Abby Sideris, isn't it?" Hannah mused. "I think I met her once—at that antique store downtown. She bought a very peculiar mirror and spent ten minutes telling me about the 'spirits' she could sense in it." Hannah shook her head with a small laugh. "She has a lot of character."
Rose rolled her eyes but smiled. "You could say that."
Hannah's knowing look was one Rose had seen many times. "Just because someone believes in things you don't doesn't mean they're wrong, dear. People like Abby see the world differently—it doesn't make them any less valuable."
"I know." Rose looked down at the knitting needles poking from Hannah's bag. "She's... growing on me."