Sometimes it’s too exciting. The reason I drove off this morning was to get away from all that excitement.” Madison forced a laugh. “As I drove past all those sweet little farming communities, I felt envious.”
“Envious?” Anna looked skeptical. “Of farms?”
“Of that whole lifestyle. I’ve always wished I could go back in time. The idea of a simple life . . . well, it’s very appealing. All that peace and quiet, the slow pace.”
Anna’s expression grew thoughtful. “Yes, it is all that. Just this morning I told myself to enjoy the sun on my back as I pegged clothes to the line. I wanted to go to the pond and pick some daffodils, and today is pie-making day and—”
“See!” Madison exclaimed. “I think that sounds perfectly lovely. Hanging out the laundry to dry in the sun, picking daffodils, making pies.”
Anna laughed. “Here I am thinking I would like your exciting and colorful life. I imagine it’s like the books I love to read. So many are in New York City—all the talk of pretty clothes, going to the theater . . . shoes! ”
Madison smiled as she stuck out a Louboutin short boot. “Yes, we Manhattan girls do enjoy our shoes.”
“Jacob used to talk about New York. It made me want to see it too. I think that is why I love to read those books.”
“You should come visit New York,” Madison suggested.
Anna looked as if Madison had just suggested she should fly to the moon and sample the green cheese there.
“I know,” Madison declared. “You could come home with me.”
“No, ” Anna said slowly. “Not possible. My aunt needs me.”
“Oh, right.” Suddenly Madison started to giggle. She couldn’t believe what she was considering. Really, it was insane.
“What is it?” Anna asked. “What is funny?”
“It’s just that—” She burst into laughter. “I just got this crazy idea, Anna.”
“What sort of idea?” Anna leaned forward.
“We could switch lives.”
Anna’s pale brows shot up. “What?”
“Like that old children’s story— The Country Mouse and the City Mouse . Did you ever hear it when you were little?”
Anna shook her head, so Madison began to explain the concept of trading lives. She even told Anna about some of the reality TV shows that did this very thing, although that just seemed to muddy the waters.
“I would become you,” Madison said slowly, “and you would become me. We already look alike—maybe it’s fate.”
“It is not possible.” Anna sighed wistfully. “But I wish it could be.”
“It can be,” Madison insisted. She told Anna about how she would mostly be home alone in the comfortable Manhattan penthouse. “Nadya, our housekeeper, is so new, she probably wouldn’t even figure out that you’re not me. You could wear my clothes and do whatever you liked—see the sights, go to the theater, just have a good time.”
Anna’s eyes grew big. “Oh no, I could not do that.”
“You might find Jacob.” Madison grinned. “You can use our phones and computers and whatever to look for him.”
Anna’s blue eyes looked almost hopeful now.
“What if you found him, Anna?”
Anna took in a quick breath and seemed close to tears.
“And while you’re in New York being me,” Madison continued, “I would be helping your aunt with her children.”
Suddenly she imagined herself living the simple life—taking some cherub-faced children to pick daffodils, hanging the laundry in the sun, or making a big cherry pie. It was like a scene from Little House on the Prairie —the kind of “comfort TV” that she often watched in secret to avoid being teased by her friends. But if this trading places plan worked, she could be living the simple life for real!
“Oh, please, Anna, just think about it. What if we did it—just for one week?”
“But how?” Anna looked down at herself. “How can I be like you? You are sophisticated, a city girl . . . and I am simple, a farm girl.”
Madison pulled out her Blackberry.
“Envious?” Anna looked skeptical. “Of farms?”
“Of that whole lifestyle. I’ve always wished I could go back in time. The idea of a simple life . . . well, it’s very appealing. All that peace and quiet, the slow pace.”
Anna’s expression grew thoughtful. “Yes, it is all that. Just this morning I told myself to enjoy the sun on my back as I pegged clothes to the line. I wanted to go to the pond and pick some daffodils, and today is pie-making day and—”
“See!” Madison exclaimed. “I think that sounds perfectly lovely. Hanging out the laundry to dry in the sun, picking daffodils, making pies.”
Anna laughed. “Here I am thinking I would like your exciting and colorful life. I imagine it’s like the books I love to read. So many are in New York City—all the talk of pretty clothes, going to the theater . . . shoes! ”
Madison smiled as she stuck out a Louboutin short boot. “Yes, we Manhattan girls do enjoy our shoes.”
“Jacob used to talk about New York. It made me want to see it too. I think that is why I love to read those books.”
“You should come visit New York,” Madison suggested.
Anna looked as if Madison had just suggested she should fly to the moon and sample the green cheese there.
“I know,” Madison declared. “You could come home with me.”
“No, ” Anna said slowly. “Not possible. My aunt needs me.”
“Oh, right.” Suddenly Madison started to giggle. She couldn’t believe what she was considering. Really, it was insane.
“What is it?” Anna asked. “What is funny?”
“It’s just that—” She burst into laughter. “I just got this crazy idea, Anna.”
“What sort of idea?” Anna leaned forward.
“We could switch lives.”
Anna’s pale brows shot up. “What?”
“Like that old children’s story— The Country Mouse and the City Mouse . Did you ever hear it when you were little?”
Anna shook her head, so Madison began to explain the concept of trading lives. She even told Anna about some of the reality TV shows that did this very thing, although that just seemed to muddy the waters.
“I would become you,” Madison said slowly, “and you would become me. We already look alike—maybe it’s fate.”
“It is not possible.” Anna sighed wistfully. “But I wish it could be.”
“It can be,” Madison insisted. She told Anna about how she would mostly be home alone in the comfortable Manhattan penthouse. “Nadya, our housekeeper, is so new, she probably wouldn’t even figure out that you’re not me. You could wear my clothes and do whatever you liked—see the sights, go to the theater, just have a good time.”
Anna’s eyes grew big. “Oh no, I could not do that.”
“You might find Jacob.” Madison grinned. “You can use our phones and computers and whatever to look for him.”
Anna’s blue eyes looked almost hopeful now.
“What if you found him, Anna?”
Anna took in a quick breath and seemed close to tears.
“And while you’re in New York being me,” Madison continued, “I would be helping your aunt with her children.”
Suddenly she imagined herself living the simple life—taking some cherub-faced children to pick daffodils, hanging the laundry in the sun, or making a big cherry pie. It was like a scene from Little House on the Prairie —the kind of “comfort TV” that she often watched in secret to avoid being teased by her friends. But if this trading places plan worked, she could be living the simple life for real!
“Oh, please, Anna, just think about it. What if we did it—just for one week?”
“But how?” Anna looked down at herself. “How can I be like you? You are sophisticated, a city girl . . . and I am simple, a farm girl.”
Madison pulled out her Blackberry.
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