Radiant - By Christina Daley Page 0,61

'sir' or 'ma'am.'"

"He's actually good to Eva," Carter's dad said. "For years, he hardly acknowledged her existence. But now he hugs her when he sees her and talks to her kindly. It's like…like having a real family again."

"And he speaks so well of Mary," said Mrs. Maxwell. "He never used to talk about any of his girlfriends before. But since they started dating, he's asked me things like when would be a good time for him to ask her to hold his hand or if he should wear a suit and tie when taking her to dinner. She's such a sweet girl. You must be very proud of her."

Mary could hear the smile in her mother's voice. "I am. Thank you."

Mary smiled as well.

"Has anyone seen Carter?" they heard Raj call from the main party area. "We're ready for him to blow out his candles."

"I guess we should get back down there," Phos said. He translated them to his room, where he closed the window before going downstairs with Mary. They found that the buffet trays had been cleared and replaced with a giant cake and sparkling candles.

Mr. Maxwell smiled and put his hand on Phos' shoulder. "Make a wish, son."

Phos looked at him. Then at each person there, lastly fixing his eyes on Mary. He smiled. "I don't need to. I've gotten it already." And he blew out the candles.

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- 24 -

Bad Day

"Where would you like to go this afternoon?" Phos asked after school the next day.

Mary thought for a moment. "Actually, I'd like to go see Ba. I told her that I'd take her shopping."

"That sounds like a good idea," he said. "May I come along?"

She laughed. "Of course."

When they arrived at Agape, they didn't find Ba in the courtyard. She wasn't in the reading room, the dining room, or in the lounge. Emma was reading her Bible at a table, and Julia sat next to her playing Solitaire.

"Have either of you seen my grandmother today?" Mary asked.

They shook their heads. "We didn't see her at breakfast or lunch," Emma said. "I think she's been in her room all day."

"That's weird," Mary said.

She and Phos took the elevator up. Mary squeezed his hand.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I really hope not," she said. But dark thoughts plagued at her, and some of them were her greatest fears. She knew one of them would come some day. Ba wasn't young. Mary hoped that she would live into her 90s, like Mr. and Mrs. Penny. Maybe even her hundreds, since she was physically very healthy. But people even younger than Ba passed away all the time.

Mary's second fear was not as awful as the first, but it was still bad. If Ba hadn't come to meet them, and she hadn't passed away, then it meant she was having a bad day.

The elevator doors opened, and they walked to Ba's suite. The door was open, and they heard her yelling. "I don't like pills! I feel fine. I don't need them."

Inside, they found Ba sitting on the edge of her bed with her back to them. Her long hair dangled freely past her waist in tangled strands. Two nurses, including Ms. Nancy, tried to coax her to take some medication.

"Please, Mrs. Phan," Ms. Nancy said. "Calm down."

"Why am I here?" Ba asked. "Where's my husband? Where's Jean-Marc?"

"Ba?" Mary asked.

Ba turned around and stared at her for a moment. Her brow wrinkled. "Who are you?"

Mary gulped. "It's me. Mary. Your granddaughter."

"Don't be silly," Ba said. "You're not my Mary. You're too old. Mary's a little girl."

Ms. Nancy came to meet Mary and Phos at the door. "I'm so sorry, Mary, but can you and Carter please wait out in the hall?"

"What's wrong?" Mary asked. "Was she given her medication on time?"

"Who is she?" Ba asked frantically. "Why is she calling me Ba? She's not my granddaughter. She's too old! Mary's only seven years old."

"Please, Mary," Ms. Nancy said and shut the door.

Mary could hear Ba screaming on the other side. "Ba!" Mary started to open the door again.

Phos put his hands on hers. "Wait."

"What do you mean wait?" she cried. "They're hurting her!"

He shook his head. "They're trying to help her. Let's do as she said and wait."

She stared at him like he was speaking a foreign language to her.

Phos took her hands from the doorknob. "We can wait right here. Okay?"

Mary said nothing. Finally, she nodded.

They sat on the floor in the hall. Mary hated to see Ba