Be Careful What You Wish For

"Beep Beep Beep…"

As soon as the alarm went off, Pookie was scratching at the door.

"Why can't he wait for twenty minutes or so?" Jenna mumbled as she dragged herself out of bed.

Jenna's sister, Maggie, giggled. "Because he loves you," she replied. "He can't wait to see you."

"I'm flattered," Jenna said, then added under her breath, "I hope he steps on a snail."

"Cheer up, Jen! It's the last day of school," Maggie reminded. "We're six hours away from three months of freedom, not to mention Grandma's lakeside cottage."

The mere thought warmed Jenna's heart. She and Maggie had been spending summers together there since Maggie was nine and Jenna was seven. This time would be extra special. Jenna was going to be thirteen, an official teenager! She smiled and carried her clothes into their bathroom.

After the girls were ready, they went down to eat breakfast together. Their mother smiled when they walked into the kitchen. "Honestly, you two," she sighed, "I'd think that after ten years of eating together, you'd be sick to death of watching each other chew."

Maggie, her head in the pantry, replied, "It's a habit, Mom. We go together like Chip and Dale, like hot dogs and sauerkraut…" "Like peanut butter and mayonnaise," Jenna interrupted.

Both girls looked at each other, smiled, and yelled "NOT!!!" But they did go together. Neither one knew what they would do without the other one. But that's the furthest thing from your mind on the last day of school.

For Jenna, the day couldn't go fast enough. Every test, every period seemed to drag on. Then, the final bell rang. Summer was here, and Jenna and her sister were only three hours away from three months of complete goofing off.

Maggie was especially excited. This was the summer her grandmother would start teaching her the secrets of fashion designing. Maggie could finally start following her dream -- just two months earlier, her teacher has submitted some of Maggie's designs to a top fashion institute. Yesterday, the institute informed Maggie that they would accept her the next year, tuition paid, and let her complete her high school requirements there. Yes, this summer would be special.

The smell of blueberry muffins and freshly baked oatmeal cookies greeted them while they were still a mile from the house. Both girls smiled and inhaled the aroma. They listened to the familiar crunch of gravel under the tires as their mother pulled the car into the driveway and up to the front porch. Jenna and Maggie jumped out the second the car stopped. Grandma was waiting just inside the door, as always. They ran in and threw their arms around her.

"My, how you two have grown!" Grandma exclaimed as she stepped back. "You certainly don't need muffins or cookies. I'll just feed them to Otto."

The old schnauzer raised his head when he heard his name, but, realizing he wasn't being called, went back to sleep. The girls made a mad dash for the kitchen, and each one grabbed a muffin and a cookie. Their mouths were already full by the time their mother got in the house.

As she hugged Grandma, she said, "You really spoil them, Mama. One of these days, they're not going to eat my cooking when they get back."

"Cindy," Grandma countered, "all growing girls need their fresh baked goods. Who knows how you and your sister would have turned out without my muffins?"

"You two sound like a Brady Bunch episode," Jenna piped up. As if in agreement, Otto gave a tired 'woof'.

Cindy stayed long enough to get the girls settled in. Every year they tried to make her stay, and every year they got the same answer: "I have to get back to work." Since Jenna and Maggie's father died, their mother had been the sole source of income for the family. In fact, Cindy had never spent a summer at the cottage. "Maybe next year," she said as she walked out the door. Grandma and the girls watched as Cindy pulled out of the drive and down the road. Jenna just knew that all of them would spend next summer together.

The summer months passed quickly. Too quickly for the girls. But they made every second count, filling their days with swimming, boating, biking, roller-blading, and taking walks -- always together. Grandma watched them with the same look Cindy had given them in the kitchen on the day they left. She also knew either girl would be lost without the other.

Suddenly, they only had another two weeks at the cottage. Grandma had finished teaching Maggie the secrets of fashion designing. Maggie started making dresses for everybody. The first one she completed was for her mother. She ran out to show it to Grandma and Jenna, who were drinking lemonade on the front porch.

"Isn't it great?" she asked. "It's the kind Mom's always wanted, with the high lace collar and frilly cuffs."

Jenna praised her sister. "She'll love it! Mag, let's take a celebration swim. Get your suit on."

Maggie changed and ran out the door yelling, "Last one in gives Otto a bath!"

At the thought of a bath, Otto yelped and ran back in the house. The girls raced to the lake and dove in at the same time. For one hour they splashed each other and chased each other around the lake. As Maggie grabbed for her towel, she shrieked. Jenna noticed a big bug on the pier.

"Really, Mag, you need to toughen up. It's only a little bug," Jenna teased. Then she noticed Maggie holding one hand in the other and crying. Looking at the pier, Jenna noticed a scorpion scurrying away. Wide eyed, she put her arm around Maggie's shoulders and led her to Grandma, who was coming down to the lake. Grandma took Maggie inside, saying over her shoulder, "Go get Dr. Maison, Jen."

Jenna ran as fast as she could, not even noticing the gravel and hot pavement under her bare feet. If only Maggie had grabbed her towel five seconds later. "If only I hadn't been showing off," thought Jenna, "she would've looked at her towel. She'd have seen that scorpion. If only…"

No matter now. What's done is done. Then, she was on the front step of Dr. Maison's office. She banged on the door. Dr. Maison answered and listened as Jenna hastily explained the situation. He gave Jenna a hug and a ride back to the cottage.

"The next few hours will be critical," he said gravely, answering Jenna's unasked question. "If she starts running a fever, send for me." He walked out.

Jenna watched, stunned, as he left. He didn't say anything indicating that Maggie would be all right. He didn't even smile. Now Jenna knew her sister's condition was bad. She feared that she would be leaving without Maggie this year.

All night, Jenna stayed by Maggie's bedside. Maggie looked so quiet and peaceful. 'Is this what everyone's sister looks like when she dies?' Jenna thought. She was sure it wasn't, but then, Maggie had always been different.

The next morning, Jenna woke up on the window bench by Maggie's bed. She yawned and turned towards the bed to see Maggie sitting up, bright blue eyes shining. Through a mouthful of Corn Pops, Maggie said, "Mornin', Kiddo. Did I miss anything while I was gone?"

Jenna perked up and squealed, "Mag! You're all right!" She ran over and hugged Maggie as hard as she could.

"Sure I am," Maggie replied. "You don't think I'd give up now that I finally have a chance to be a world-famous designer?"

Grandma walked in with a plate of buttermilk biscuits and a dish of butter. The girls dug in like they hadn't eaten for weeks.

Maggie was up and around in just two days, and she was practically well in one week. That left three days to enjoy the lakeside cottage.

On the last evening, the three of them were out with Otto on the front porch, watching the sunset. Otto was batting at insects, and Jenna, Maggie, & Grandma were taking turns telling jokes. Maggie suddenly sighed and looked out over the lake. "I wish summer weren't over. Times like this should last forever," she said.

Jenna concurred, "Yeah. I wish we could stay here forever."

The next day, Jenna got her wish.

Jenna looked at the clock. 4:00 am. She heard Grandma on the phone with someone. What kind of idiot would call so early? She listened carefully to her grandmother's side of the conversation. "Are you sure? [pause] Of course we'll come down. [pause] Thank you for calling. Good-bye."

Maggie had joined Jenna, and they walked down to Grandma's room. Maggie asked who called.

"That was Officer Coleman at the station," Grandma answered, taking their hands. "Two of his men found the remains of a car that collided with an oil rig just outside of town. The driver wasn't recognizable, but the license plate number was 562-GDH."

The girls just started crying. Who else would be driving their mother's car? All of them hugged as Otto nuzzled in between them. Jenna hadn't realized the price she'd pay to stay at the lakeside cottage.

Jenna slowly opened her eyes as the sun finished its descent beyond the horizon. Maggie was behind her now, asking her to come in. Jenna gave her sister a quick hug and beckoned to Otto. As the three of them made their way back to the cottage, Jenna went over the two most important things she'd learned that summer. First, no matter how bad things are, no matter what happens, life goes on. Grandma would continue baking her muffins, and Maggie would go to the fashion institute.

The second thing she'd learned was simple: Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.