work.
Several minutes later, Hannah was dressed in clean clothes. She opened the bedroom door, stepped out into the carpeted hallway, and realized that there was a delicious smell in the air.
Pineapple, she thought, beginning to smile. And then she led the way to the kitchen with Moishe following at her heels. Michelle was baking something with pineapple.
When woman and cat entered the kitchen, they parted ways. Moishe’s feeder, the one Norman had given him that never ran out of dry kitty crunchies, sat against the far wall. Moishe made a beeline for the rug Michelle had placed under the feeder. He took a bite, crunched loudly, and moved to his water bowl to drink.
“Good morning, Hannah,” Michelle greeted her. “Sit down and I’ll get you a cup of coffee.”
Smart sister, Hannah thought as she slid into the cushioned booth her mother and Doc had installed in a corner of their kitchen, and accepted the mug of coffee that Michelle handed to her. I’m really glad Michelle didn’t ask how I was feeling. The word I might have chosen is not the right word to utter before one’s first sip of coffee.
“Thanks, Michelle,” Hannah said, taking a big sip of coffee and swallowing. “This should help. I don’t know why, but I’m a little groggy this morning.”
“I know why,” Michelle said, pouring a cup of coffee for herself and setting it down across from Hannah. “Doc said he gave you something to help you sleep last night.”
“He did?” Hannah thought back to the previous evening, but she didn’t remember taking any pills except a couple of aspirins for the headache she’d felt coming on.
“He put it in the paper cup with your aspirin,” Michelle explained. “He told us that it was a very light tranquilizer that would keep you sleeping without nightmares.”
Just then the stove timer sounded and Michelle grabbed oven mitts, opened the oven door, and took out two muffin tins. She hurried to the wire cooling racks sitting on the counter and set the pans on them.
“Remind me to get Mother new oven mitts,” she said to Hannah. “Hers are wearing out and they’re thin.”
Hannah began to smile. “That’s okay. Mother doesn’t bake anyway.”
“True,” Michelle agreed, coming over to sit in the booth.
“Are those pineapple cupcakes?” Hannah guessed.
“Close, but no cigar. They’re Pineapple and Walnut Muffins. Mother had crushed pineapple in the pantry and I found a package of walnuts. I made up the recipe as I went along. I hope they’re good enough to eat for breakfast.”
“I’ll be happy to make that decision,” Hannah offered. “I’m as hungry as a bear this morning.”
“That’s probably because you didn’t eat any dinner last night.”
“No wonder my stomach’s growling.”
Michelle took a sip of her coffee and then she looked up at Hannah. “What are you going to do, Hannah?”
“I’m going to work. Thanks for the notes and the clothes, Michelle, but I can’t just sit here in Mother’s penthouse and think about things.”
“Okay. But does that mean that you’re planning to . . .” Michelle’s voice trailed off. “Never mind. I’ll ask you when you really wake up. You still look like you could drop off to sleep any second.”
“You’re right,” Hannah admitted. The cobwebs in her head were beginning to dissipate, and she wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing. “Is Norman still here?”
Michelle shook her head. “He went home after you went to bed last night, but he should be back any minute with Cuddles. Mother thought Moishe would like to have a play date with Cuddles in the penthouse garden and she invited Norman for breakfast.”
The doorbell rang and Hannah began to slide out of the booth, but Michelle held up a hand to stop her. “Stay here, Hannah. You still look a little unfocused. I’ll go let Norman and Cuddles in. And don’t try to get those muffins out of the pan while I’m gone. They’re too hot to eat.”
When Michelle left to open the door for Norman and Cuddles, Hannah was sorely tempted to see if she could extricate one muffin from its cup. Somehow she managed to control herself despite the mouth watering scent, and she waited impatiently for Michelle to come back.
“Rrooww!”
There was a plaintive cry from the living room and Hannah heard a soft thud as Norman set the cat carrier down on the living room rug.
“Rrroooooow!” Moishe gave the yowl he usually used to greet Cuddles and abandoned Hannah without a backward glance, streaking out of the kitchen