Fly Back, Agnes

Fly Back, Agnes — page 7 — be perfectly fine living as a caterpillar in a cocoon or a closed bud for the rest of my life Remember it doesn’t usually happen all at once Mo continued You should see spotting first Gross I groaned Can you keep it down The whole restaurant can hear you She scanned the nearly empty patio You mean those two people sitting over in the corner They aren’t listening to us My dad Mo’s ex-husband sometimes calls her a bulldozer because she plows over everything in her path to pave her own wide road I know it isn’t as if she purposely talks too loudly or sits too close or offends strangers with her public comments but I wish there was a library book she could read on becoming a normal mother I really don’t want to talk about it I said through clenched teeth especially not here For crying out loud said Mo after diving into the basket of complementary pita chips and stuffing several into her mouth it’s the most natural thing in the world The thought of blood seeping uncontrollably from my body every month for the next 35 to 40 years sounded like the most unnatural thing in the 5

Fly Back, Agnes — page 8 — world It seemed only fair that I got a choice in all of this or at the very least a few more years to be a kid I had just turned twelve less than a month ago Mo reached over and squeezed my hand I tried to pull away but she held tighter I want you to know Agnes that the conversation conversation is always open You’ll experience a lot of changes and there’s nothing you can’t ask me Got it Agnes That’s what my father allowed my bulldozing bulldozing mother to name me My older sister and I were named after Mo’s grandmothers Nana Vivian and Granny Agnes According to Mo my sister couldn’t say her name Vivian when she was little and called herself Viva which basically means live it up Of course everyone thought that was adorable so Viva stuck And it fits her perfectly Viva has always been wild and brave as if nothing scares her Seven years after my sister’s arrival I was born But I talked early and in full sentences which meant I pronounced my name flawlessly So unfortunately for me Agnes stuck A couple of years ago my best friend Megan tried calling me Aggie but that sounded even worse like something you’d call an old donkey 6

Fly Back, Agnes — page 9 — I wished more than anything I had a pretty name like Isabelle or Sophia or Chloe but I know I’m nothing like those names Got it geez Mo I groaned louder this time Can we please change the subject You’re right she said just as the server reappeared reappeared with our orders Mo attacked her wrap with an extra-large bite Chunks of chicken fell onto her plate The reason I wanted to have this mother daughter day she continued between chomps is to kick off our awesome summer plans I took a sip of my smoothie In case you forgot I already have my own awesome plans For once I wouldn’t be spending endless hours at the boring town-sponsored day camp This summer Megan and I were finally old enough to volunteer at the humane society which was a dream come true especially for me I love animals but Mo is allergic to everything so Viva and I have never been allowed to have pets not even a gerbil Well things are about to get even more awesome awesome said Mo as she wiped her chin with her napkin and grinned So you need to pack up your entire bedroom by Tuesday 7

Fly Back, Agnes — page 10 — Chapter 2 What Why I blurted no longer concerned about the quiet couple in the corner Are we moving Not permanently said Mo as she sucked the dregs of her iced tea through the straw Just through August I’ve already found a renter for the house while we spend a glorious summer in the Sunflower State She swept her arm toward a rose bush as if we’d already arrived The what state Kansas Where the earth is flat and the sky is wide and sunflowers thrive You can practically live on the seeds not to mention the blossoms are spectacular spectacular Nothing like a field filled with sunflowers Why Kansas I asked It just so happens Richard received a significant grant to paint outdoor murals at the Topeka Museum 8

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