his question, he did scare me. Just not for the reasons he was thinking.
My phone pinged again, and I looked down to see the same text from earlier.
Mom: Honor, call as soon as you get this! It’s an EMERGENCY!!!
I sighed, wondering what it could be this time, debating whether I should even respond. Mom hadn’t contacted me in over a month, and she only ever called when she needed something. But what if this was a real emergency?
Hitting the call back button, I waited for her to pick up.
“Oh, I’m so glad you called,” she said, sounding out of breath. “I need help.”
“Hi Mom,” I said. “How are you? Is everything okay?”
“No, Honor. No, it’s not. I’m overwhelmed, and I don’t know what to do.”
I sat up straighter. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“I can’t find it,” she sniffed, sounding like she was close to tears. “I’ve looked everywhere, but it’s just not here.”
“What’s not there?”
“My favorite sweater,” she said as if it should be obvious. “You know, the baby blue wrap one with the deep V? Dave really likes it on me, and we have a big dinner to go to with his colleagues. I need to look my best.”
I shook my head, lifting my eyes to the ceiling. “That’s the emergency? This is why you called, a sweater?”
“Well, yes! And you don’t have to be so rude about it. That’s not how I raised you.”
“Sorry,” I said. “Have you checked your closet?”
Her voice was all sarcasm. “Of course, I checked the closet.”
“What about your drawers? Did you look there?”
“Yes.”
“How about—”
“Do you have it?” she said.
I felt my lips pull into a frown. “What? Why would I have your sweater?”
“Oh, I don’t know. It’s just sometimes you like to borrow my things without asking. Remember the time you took my lipstick.”
“I was six, Mom,” I said deadpan.
She didn’t even pause. “And then there was the time you took my best robe to school.”
“That was for a project. I told you. I had to dress like Julius Caesar.”
Her patience had obviously run out. “Still, it just proves you’ve never respected my things. If you took the sweater to college, it’s not okay. I need it back now. Dave has been staying late at the office a lot more. He’s not engaging with me as much as he used to. It’s really important that I show him what he’s missing.”
Taking a deep breath, I said, “How about underneath your bed?”
“Why would my sweater be there?” she asked.
“You keep some of your winter clothes there during the summer to give you more space.”
I heard her moving things, presumably looking for the missing sweater, until finally, I heard a gasp.
“Oh my God,” she said, coming back on the phone. “I found it! Thanks, Honor, you’re a lifesaver!”
“You’re welcome,” I said. “I’m glad—”
“Me, too! But I need to go get ready. The dinner’s only a few hours away. Talk to you soon, baby girl!”
The next sound I heard was nothing but dial tone.
“Love you, too,” I said, even though she was already gone. Incredible, I thought. Throughout the span of that short conversation, I’d gone from an accused thief to a lifesaver all because of a stupid sweater. Nice to know Mom thought so highly of me.
I was still stewing when another text came through.
Walter: URGENT, contact me ASAP. It’s a newsroom emergency!
Seemed there were a lot of “emergencies” today. As I was reading it again, a second text joined the first.
Walter: Honor? Did you get my text? I have news. It concerns you, and it’s important. Please call me immediately!
I hit the call button, and Walter picked up on the first ring.
“Did you see?” he said, his voice full of barely repressed excitement. “Have you been on The Howler site yet?”
“No,” I said, already reaching for my computer, “I haven’t had a chance. Was something wrong with the article? I triple-checked to make sure I had all of my facts correct.”
Walter laughed. “Something wrong? Goodness no! Your article is a revelation, a Godsend to this tiny paper. Everyone’s raving about it!”
“Walter,” I laughed, “be serious. It was just a small 500-word piece. And who’s everyone? Our 10 loyal readers don’t usually rave—unless it’s about the crappy campus parking situation.”
He sighed. “It really is a travesty how much you kids pay in tuition only to never find a decent parking space.”
“Hey, preaching to choir.”
“But Honor, focus please. Have you seen the page yet?”
The Howler site was finally done loading. “I’m on there now, but I