Margaret & Taylor (4 page)

“Tell her to show me her purple shoes,” said Taylor. “Please?”

“Lillian says she'll show her purple shoes if you make my bed for me,” said Margaret.

So Taylor made Margaret's bed.

“I still don't see the purple shoes,” said Taylor.

“Lillian says she'll show you her purple shoes if you promise to help Daddy with the dishes tonight, instead of me,” said Margaret.

“I promise,” he said, crossing his heart.

“I
still
don't see the purple shoes,” said Taylor.

“Lillian says she'll show you her purple shoes if you sit in here alone and talk to her awhile,” said Margaret.

“Okay,” said Taylor.

So Margaret went outside to play and left Taylor with Lillian.

“I'm four,” said Taylor. “How old are you?”

There was no answer.

“I like baseball and rockets and bottlecaps,” said Taylor. “What do you like?”

There was still no answer.

Suddenly the hat fell down. And Taylor saw the string and the gum just lying there. Lillian was gone.

So Taylor took the hat and the string, and the gum he was chewing, and climbed up his dresser. He stuck the string to the ceiling in his room.

Then he went outside to look for his friend Phil.

“Phil!” he said. “Come over to my house and see my invisible friend.”

M
argaret and Taylor were drawing pictures. Margaret's picture was of a sunflower. Taylor's was of Grandpa at his party.

“Your picture is nice,” said Taylor.

“Of course,” said Margaret. “It's a sunflower. What is yours supposed to be?”

“It's Grandpa at his party,” said Taylor.

“It doesn't look like Grandpa,” said Margaret.

“Yes, it does,” said Taylor.

Margaret turned Taylor's picture upside down.

“It still doesn't look like Grandpa,” she said.

Margaret turned Taylor's picture sideways.

“It
still
doesn't look like Grandpa,” said Margaret. “But I can fix it.”

“No!” said Taylor. “It's mine and I like it the way it is. Grandpa would like it too.”

“Grandpa wouldn't even know it was him,” said Margaret.

Margaret tried to take the drawing away from Taylor. But he wouldn't let go. Just when it was about to rip, there was a knock on the window.

“What was that?” asked Taylor.

“Maybe,” said Margaret, “it's a giant sunflower coming to fix your picture.” She was laughing.

They ran out to the porch. It was Grandpa.

“Grandpa!” said Taylor.

“Grandpa!” said Margaret.

“I came to thank my two favorites for coming to my party and surprising me,” said Grandpa. “And now, I have a Grandpa surprise for you.”

Margaret and Taylor knew what it was. It was a game they always played with Grandpa.

Grandpa took his hands from his pockets. His fists were closed.

“One is for Margaret,” said Grandpa, “and one is for Taylor.”

Margaret grabbed his right fist and opened it up.

“There's nothing here,” she said, smiling.

Taylor grabbed his left fist and opened it up.

“There's nothing here, either,” he said, giggling.

“I know,” said Grandpa, “and that's so I can hug you both at the very same time.”

Grandpa loved Margaret's picture of the sunflower.

And he knew right away Taylor's picture was of him.