Cat acted interested, but he was actually much more interested in having Carolyn get his breakfast for him.  He gave his "I'm hungry" "MEOW".  "Ok, ok, ok," Carolyn replied, as she picked up Cat's empty bowl and went into the kitchen to fix his breakfast.

When she had returned and Cat was eating his breakfast, she continued, "But I'm scared too.  I've never seen those people who live in Memphis.  And I've never been away from both Mommy and Daddy at the same time."  Cat looked away from his breakfast, looked up at Carolyn, and rubbed his sides against her legs.  He then gave a short "Meow" and went back to eating.  "And, Cat, I'll miss you.  These people don't have a cat."  Cat had finished breakfast, and rubbed against Carolyn and purred.

"Will you be OK while I'm gone?  Robert promised to feed you.."  (Cat was to suffer some irregular mealtimes at Robert's tender mercies.)  What had happened was that Nana and her sister, Aunt Kitty, each had a three-year old granddaughter.  Nana and Aunt Kitty thought that Carolyn and Kitty's granddaughter, Emma, were the two best little girls who had ever existed.  Emma's mother was going on a trip with Emma's little brother, Emma was going to stay with Aunt Kitty, so Nana and Kitty thought this would be a good time for the two "best little girls" to meet.

               Nana and Aunt Kitty thought everyone would have a wonderful time.  Nana came to the breezeway door and called, "Time to get dressed for our trip, Carolyn."  Carolyn patted Cat again and went into the house to change her clothes.  Usually, Carolyn liked to have Nana help her get dressed, but today she said, "No, no, Nana.  I want my mama to help me."    When Kathleen came in with Carolyn's new travel clothes, Carolyn started to cry, "No, no, no!  I want my velvet dress.  And my pink leggings."

It was summertime in Cincinnati, and it would be even warmer in Memphis.  Carolyn's maroon velvet dress was very warm, and her leggings would make her even hotter. "Mommy, I have to have my dress, or I can't go."  Mommy looked at Nana, who shrugged her shoulders.  "We can make adjustments on the way."

Soon Nana and Carolyn had their suitcases and Carolyn's back pack ready and packed in the red minivan.  Mommy was going to drive them to the airport.  Carolyn had already said goodbye to Robert and Daddy earlier before they left for Robert's baseball game.  When she went to the back yard to say goodbye to Cat, Cat had already left on an adventure of his own, so she didn't have to feel bad about leaving him.

Getting to the big airport, checking their suitcases (wouldn't they get lost?), and finding the right place to get on the plane was exciting.  Mommy stayed with them until it was time to go down the tunnel.  She hugged Carolyn and Nana as they said goodbye.  She looked sad, but she smiled when Carolyn happily ran down the tunnel with Nana hurrying after her. 

The two-hour trip to Memphis went quickly, and Carolyn was too busy talking to the people seated nearby as well as the stewardesses as they came by to give her all the pop, peanuts, and pretzels she could eat.  Luckily, Carolyn had a very good digestive system.  However, after drinking all the pop, she did need to go to the bathroom.  After looking at the toilet on the plane, Carolyn changed her mind, "I can't, I know I can't use that.  I'll fall in." 

Luckily, they soon landed in Memphis, and there were lots of "regular" toilets at the airport.  Carolyn and Nana rode down an escalator to where lots of suitcases were going round and round on a big platform.  To Carolyn's relief, their two suitcases came around and weren't hurt at all.

They walked out the big glass doors into a very hot Memphis afternoon.  In a very short time, Carolyn's velvet dress was sticking to her, and her tights felt very hot.  At the curb, in the line of cars, was a little red car with a lady and a little girl in it.  Carolyn recognized Aunt Kitty from her pictures.  Aunt Kitty and the little girl got out of the car and came towards Carolyn and Nana.  Aunt Kitty and Nana hugged each other, and then Aunt Kitty said, "You must be Carolyn.  I'm so glad to see you.  And Carolyn, this is Emma."

Emma and Carolyn just stared at each other.   Emma was wearing an old dress with holes that she thought made her look like Cinderella.  Carolyn's hot clothes looked wilted, and the heat made her cheeks very red.  Nana and Kitty still thought they were beautiful little girls.  (Strangers might have thought otherwise.)

Carolyn moved so she was standing behind Nana.  Then Emma went to stand behind Aunt Kitty.  Aunt Kitty said, "They're just the same size, aren't they?  They'd look a lot alike except that Emma is so blonde and Carolyn has that black hair."  "They're a lot like Snow White and Rose Red."

 "You're right, Pat.  Two girls from a fairy tale."  Carolyn and Emma were not impressed.  They didn't know who Snow White and Rose Red were. . . and they didn't care.

"Let's get going," said Aunt Kitty, and she and Nana picked up the suitcases.  While the suitcases were being put in the trunk, Emma climbed into the front seat, and Carolyn got in the back.  "Wouldn't you girls like to sit together in the back?" asked Aunt Kitty.  Both girls shook their heads.

The drive to Aunt Kitty's house didn't take long, and Nana and Aunt Kitty did most of the talking.  If they asked either of the little girls a question, the reply would be a short "Yes", "No", or "I don't know."  (Nana started thinking that it would have been more fun if she had come alone and she and Kitty could drive down to a nearby casino and play nickel video poker.)

At Aunt Kitty's house, Kitty showed them where to put their suitcases.  "This is Nana's room," said Aunt Kitty, "And this room just down the hall is for you two girls."  Carolyn looked into the pretty pink room and saw the twin beds with ruffled bedspreads.  It was a very nice room, and pink was her favorite color, but when Nana put Carolyn's suitcase on one of the beds, Carolyn went over to Nana and held on to Nana's hand.

Back downstairs, Aunt Kitty put out some juice and cookies.  That morning, Emma had helped Aunt Kitty make the cookies, and she had decorated some with frosting and pink sprinkles.  The pink ones looked very good to Carolyn, but she said "No, thank you."  Nana and Aunt Kitty exchanged looks, and then Aunt Kitty suggested, "Emma, why don't you show Carolyn some of the videos you brought over to share while she's here."

The girls went into the family room to look at the videos.  To every video Emma showed Carolyn, Carolyn would say, "I have that one at home."  After while, they just sat, looking around.

"Hi!  Is anyone home?"  It was Emma's mother, stopping over to say goodbye before she and Emma's little brother left for their trip.  The little girls looked up as Emma's mother came in the room carrying Justin, Emma's baby brother.  Now Emma wasn't sure that little brothers were a good idea.  In fact, she often told her mother and dad that it was "time to take Justin back to the hospital."  Everyone paid a lot of attention to Justin, and Emma sometimes felt lonesome and left out.

So she wasn't very happy to see Justin.  She wondered if Mommy might come back from the trip without him.  Carolyn only had a big brother, and there were no other babies in her uncle's and aunt's families.  When Emma's mother said, "Hello, Carolyn.  Would you like to come over to meet Justin?"  Carolyn got up and ran right over.

"Oooh!" said Carolyn.  Justin smiled up at her.  "Oh, baby, you are so cute" Carolyn told him.  And Justin reached up and took hold of Carolyn's finger.  "Oh, Nana, look at his little hands and little feet.  And his tiny ears and pretty hair.  We don't have one of these at home.  Could we take him back home with us?"

Justin smiled and gurgled while the three grownup ladies smiled.  Emma's eyes opened wide, and she ran over to where Carolyn was standing by Justin.  "You get away!  That's my brother, and you can't have him!"The three grownup ladies looked at each other and smiled again, but Carolyn ran over to Nana, saying, "Nana, Emma won't share." 

Emma's mommy and Carolyn's mommy had been friends all their lives.  Emma's mommy said, "Carolyn, when you go home, ask your mommy if she will get a baby brother for you."  The three grownup ladies smiled again, and laughed, although Nana said, "It sounds like a good idea to me."

Carolyn crawled up to sit on Nana's lap.  She turned her head away from everyone so they couldn't see her suck her two middle fingers.  "Well," said Emma's mother, "it's time for me to be one my way.  Bye, Emma."  Now that Carolyn had left Justin, Emma wasn't so worried, so she just said "Bye Mommy."  But she didn't suggest that mommy forget to bring Justin back home when she came.

They heard the car leave the driveway, and the little girls just stared at each other.  Emma wanted to put her thumb in her mouth, but she didn't.  Aunt Kitty decided to take over.  "Girls, I'm going to bring you your supper here in the family room.  We'll put on my favorite video, and you can watch it while you eat."

Aunt Kitty's "favorite" was Barney in New York, and the girls both liked it a lot.  They also liked the sandwiches and carrot and celery sticks that Aunt Kitty had ready for them.  Nana and Aunt Kitty went into the kitchen and sat at the table there to eat their supper and catch up on each other's news.  Carolyn thought she heard Nana say, "I'm afraid this great idea of mine isn't so great after all."  Then Aunt Kitty said, "Let's just wait a while.  Say, what do you think of Snow White and Rose Red in their gorgeous dresses?"  Nana grinned.

A few minutes after supper was over, Nana and Aunt Kitty looked into the family room.  Both girls were asleep.  "Let's just undress them and put them to bed," suggested Nana.  "I'm not up to baths, and I'm really not up to having them awake again."  "Deal," said Aunt Kitty.  Neither girl even opened her eyes as she was undressed and put into a twin bed.

Late that night, way after it got dark, Emma woke up.  She heard someone crying.  Then she remembered she was staying with Grammy (her name for Aunt Kitty) and that Carolyn was staying there too.  Carolyn must be crying.  "Carolyn, what's the matter," Emma called softly from her bed.  "Nothing."  But Carolyn kept on crying. It made Emma feel sad too.  She got out of her bed and went to sit on the edge of Carolyn's.

"Can't you tell me?  I won't tell anyone," promised Emma.  Between sobs, Carolyn said, "I miss my mama.  And my daddy.  And my Cat.  I even miss my brother."  Then she cried harder.  Emma felt sadder.  She started to cry a little too.  Then Emma said, "Who are Snow White and Rose Red?"

"I think they are girls in a story."

"In a video?"

"No.  A book.  Nana reads lots of books."

"So does Grammy," Emma told her.

"Maybe they are princesses," guessed Carolyn.

"Grammy calls me her little princess."

"That's what Nana calls me."

"Will you tell if I suck my thumb?"

"No.  Will you tell if I suck my fingers?"

"No."