LANA COLLAPSED THE second her face met Emily’s pillow. Her cousin wouldn’t let go of her, so they slept side-by-side in their housecoats on a coverless bed, since they’d forgotten Emily’s big bag-o-bedding in the forest.
Morning came later than usual, or at least later than it had the past few days. When they trundled downstairs the whole family was up and at ‘em, eating breakfast in the kitchen.
“Good morning!” Auntie Hazel called as they entered the sunny space. “Get ready for pancakes with maple butter and blueberry jam!”
Emily smiled sleepily at her mother’s enthusiasm, and asked, “What’s the occasion?”
“It’s a new day,” Auntie Hazel said, dancing around the table with a pancake flipper in one hand and a kiss for the boys.
“You’re in a good mood,” Lana said.
She didn’t want to
