Her Obsession (by Sheridan Hartin) novel Chapter 155

Her Obsession

Operation: Secret Mission

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Diego

Today is a very, very big day. I know because when I woke up, everyone was already awake, and that never happens. This morning. Ma was moving around fast, like she was late for something important. Connor was already dressed, and Pa was outside talking about fairy lights, and there was a ladder. People don’t use ladders unless something big is happening. I sat at the top of the stairs for a while, watching everyone whisper and hurry. When I came down, Connor saw me and crouched so we were eye to eye. His hair was messy, and he smelled

like coffee and soap and something smoky.

“Morning, buddy,” he said, smiling.

“Morning.” I said back. “Why is everyone whispering?”

He looked around like someone might be listening. Then he leaned close, his voice low and secret–y. “Because we’re planning a surprise

for Sissy.”

My eyes went huge. “A surprise?”

He nodded. “But it’s top secret, okay? You can’t tell her. It’s going to make her really happy, but only if we keep it quiet.”

I put my hand over my heart like they do in movies. “I promise. I won’t tell anyone. Not even my dinosaur.”

He laughed and squeezed my shoulder. “Good man. You’re my second–in–command.”

I felt ten feet tall.

My first job was “taste testing.” Ma said it was very important work. She gave me a spoon and a bowl and said, “Tell me if this pie filling

is sweet enough.”

I tasted it. “It’s perfect.”

She smiled and said, “You’re a good liar.”

I wasn’t lying, though. It was perfect.

After that, I helped Liam with the lights, except I mostly handed him nails and said, “You’re doing it wrong,” which made him roll his eyes and laugh. Liam let me hold a hammer once, but Ma yelled from the kitchen, “Don’t you dare!” and took it away.

Pa was talking to someone on the phone, saying something about “flight times” and “clear skies.” When I asked him what it meant, he winked and said, “It means we’re on schedule, kid.”

I didn’t know what schedule meant exactly, but it sounded important.

18:08 Thu, Nov 6

Operation: Secret Mission

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Around breakfast time, Sissy came into the kitchen, and everyone froze. I tried not to laugh because Connor’s face went all stiff like when

someone’s caught doing something naughty but is pretending not to be. Ma gave her a plate of bread so fast it almost flew, and when Sissy asked, “What’s going on?” Connor said, “Bad weather.”

I looked outside. The sky was bright blue.

Sissy looked at him the same way she looks at me when she knows I’ve eaten cookies before dinner. I bit my tongue so I wouldn’t giggle.

When she walked away, Ma let out a huge sigh and said, “We’re doomed.”

After that, things got busier. Everyone moved faster, whispering louder, trying not to look guilty when Sissy walked by. She kept trying to

peek outside, but Naomi always appeared right in front of her, talking about random things like tea and socks and the weather. It was

funny at first. Then it got hard. Do you know how hard it is not to tell someone a secret when it’s the best secret in the world? Especially

when that someone is Sissy, and she looks at you with those eyes that make you tell the truth even when you don’t want to?

I almost slipped. Twice. The first time, she asked me what we were doing outside, and I said, “Nothing! Definitely not lights!”

The second time, I said, “Ma said we’re making a surprise-” and Connor swooped in and said, “Buddy! Want to help with the generator?”

The generator isn’t even fun. But I went because I didn’t want to ruin it.

Afterwards, Connor said, “Good save, soldier.”

He calls me a lot of things, but that one made me proud. The day got warmer, and everyone looked happy but tired. Ma was making lists,

Naomi was hiding pies, and Liam kept saying, “This is going too smoothly,” which made everyone yell at him for jinxing it.

Then Sissy sat by the window with her book, looking like she was pretending not to notice all of us sneaking around. I watched her from

the porch. She looked so calm, but I know Sissy, she’s thinking about everything all the time. She caught me staring once. I froze. She

smiled and waved.

I waved back and ran straight to Ma. “She’s suspicious!” I whispered.

Ma wiped her hands on her apron. “Of course she is. That woman could smell a secret through a brick wall.”

“What do we do?”

Ma leaned down, whispering like we were spies. “We improvise.”

I didn’t know what that meant either, but it sounded smart. By afternoon, the secret was buzzing. Everyone was tired and happy and nervous all at once. The backyard looked like a dream with flowers everywhere, tables lined up, and fairy lights hanging from the trees.

Pa said I’d have an important job later. He whispered it while we were fixing ribbons. “You’ll be the one to bring her to the spot, alright, champ?”

I gasped. “Like a guide?”

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18:08 Thu, Nov 6

…

Operation: Secret Mission

“Exactly,” he said. “You’ll tell her there’s a picnic.”

A real mission. My chest puffed up so much it hurt. When it was almost dinner time, I ran into the house and saw Sissy still reading. That’s when I came up with my brilliant idea.

“Sissy!” I shouted, bursting into the room. “Let’s have a picnic!”

She looked up, smiling. “A picnic?”

“Yep! Like a super cool one! You can be the princess, and I’ll be the prince!”

“Is that so?” she said, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes! And Ma said picnics are good for di–ge–stion!” (That one was a really hard word I had to get Ma to tell me like seven times)

She laughed, though. Which tells me I’m doing good.

“Alright, Prince Diego. What should I wear?”

I thought really hard. “Something fancy. Like a princess dress.”

Then I yelled, “Ma! Are there any princess dresses in this house?”

Ma shouted back, “I’ll have a look!” and came in with a pile of dresses just like we planned.

I picked the white one because it looked like clouds and sunlight and good things. “Please, Sissy. Just this one.”

She smiled and said, “Alright, if my prince insists.”

I don’t know what insisting means, but it sounded like a yes.

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When she put it on, everyone went quiet. Even Ma stopped moving for a second. The dress was white and pretty and made Sissy look like she stepped out of a dream.

She looked like… a princess. The one who reads bedtime stories and makes me hot chocolate and calls me “little man.”

“Okay, princess,” I said with my biggest smile and held out my hand to her like a prince would. “It’s picnic time.”