Prejudice Meets Pride Read Online Free PDF Page A

version of herself. An easy smile appeared on both faces, and the older of the two held out a pizza box with a plate of cookies on top.
    “Welcome to the neighborhood,” the woman said. “I’m sorry we’re here so late. We planned to come earlier, but I burned the homemade dinner I was going to bring you, and the pizza delivery guy was late.” She eyed Kajsa and Adelynn with rueful eyes. “You’ve probably already eaten, haven’t you?”
    “Not dessert,” said Kajsa, eyeing the cookies.
    “Can we have a cookie?” Adelynn said in her less-than-subtle way.
    The woman lifted the plate of cookies and handed them to Adelynn. “You need to ask your mom first.”
    “She’s not our mom. She’s our aunt,” Kajsa said as she reached for a cookie, then frowned when Emma took the plate and lifted it above their heads.
    “You may each have one after you get your PJs on,” said Emma.
    Once again, footsteps pounded as the girls ran off to their room to change.
    Emma turned back to the woman with an apologetic look. “Sorry about the welcoming committee. They love visitors, and cookies are their favorite. Thank you so much.” She took a step back and gestured inside. “Would you like to come in? I’m Emma, by the way. And the two girls you just met were Kajsa and Adelynn. Kajsa’s the older, blue-eyed one.”
    “I’m sorry, did you say Kyga?”
    “No, Ky-suh,” Emma said slowly, pronouncing the unusual name.
    “Oh, I like it,” said the woman as she followed Emma inside. “I’m Becky, and this is my daughter, Samantha, but we just call her Sam. We live across the street, so you’ll probably see a lot of us.” She set the pizza box on the counter and smiled at the girls as they came racing back down the hall.
    Emma gave them each a cookie and a glass of milk before turning back to Becky. “Can I get you anything? A drink? One of your cookies?” She didn’t have much else to offer.
    Becky laughed and waved her off. “No, of course not. We just wanted to meet you and make sure you’re settling in okay.” She paused. “Are you new to town, or are you already familiar with The Springs?”
    Emma assumed The Springs was another name for Colorado Springs. “New. I came from Connecticut, and these little trouble-makers are from Ohio.”
    “Oh,” said Becky, looking as though she was trying to put two and two together.
    Her daughter plopped down on a chair and rested her chin on her hand. “How does that work?”
    “Sam,” Becky admonished under her breath. “I’m sorry,” she said to Emma. “We don’t mean to pry.”
    Emma smiled. “It’s okay. Our situation must sound pretty strange to you. Like Kajsa said, I’m their aunt. My brother—their dad—is working on a construction crew in Michigan, and I’m just looking after them while he gets back on his feet. And we’re here because Maude was my great aunt and left the house to my mother, who has since deeded it over to me.”
    “Oh,” Becky said again, still not looking like she understood. She was probably wondering where the girls’ mother was, but that answer would have to wait until the girls weren’t around to hear it.
    “I’m actually really glad you dropped by,” Emma said, changing the subject. “Do you happen to know which elementary school is in our boundaries? I assume school will be starting up soon.”
    Becky nodded. “It’s called Oakridge Elementary, and it’s about two miles down the road. There’s a bus stop at the end of the street.” She paused. “I take it you’re planning to stay a while?”
    “For a year.” Or, at least Emma hoped it would only be a year. She had dreams and goals that she didn’t want to put on hold for too long.
    “What grades will they be in?” Becky asked.
    Emma placed her hand on Kajsa’s head. “Kajsa will be in first, and Adelynn in kindergarten. They’re both very excited.”
    “That’s great news,” said Becky. “I hear that all of the kindergarten and first grade