Don’t forget your jacket Victoria It’s colder some refreshment Granville thought Mr Houston looks like the perfect place to stop and have lunch The children roused from sleep by their mother were rubbing their eyes stretching wearily and getting ready to get out of the car than you think said Mrs Houston You too Darren where’s your jacket Mrs Houston busied herself getting the children ready while her husband leaned against the outside of the car enjoying the fresh air Nice place This really is picturesque he said to no one in particular I can’t believe we’ve never noticed it before His thoughts were interrupted by his family spilling noisily out onto the pavement Darren’s hair as it typically did stuck up in all different directions while he could see his practically-a teenager daughter check her reflection in the car’s side mirror 10
Dad Mom can we go to the toy store Can Listen young man he told his six year old son and smooth down her hair before making sure her metallic blue nail polish wasn’t chipped we please please Darren bounced up and down looking eagerly from one parent to the other as he waited for his parents to answer Mr Houston shook his head sternly we have enough new toys packed in the trunk of the car without buying anymore I’m surprised the car was able to move at all with all that weight in the back Darren looked momentarily crestfallen then brightening took his dad’s hand and asked Can I buy some candy then Dad can I please I have five dollars left in my pocket please Grabbing his son’s small sticky hand what has that child been eating now he thought to himself Mr Houston turned left onto a small side street before muttering absentmindedly Depends on 11
whether or not you eat your lunch son Mrs Houston and Victoria walked behind more leisurely Mrs Houston admiring the pretty flower boxes adorning the fronts of the small white houses Victoria looking hopefully for a beauty store As they turned onto the side street they found Mr Houston and Darren noses pressed hard against a shop window Looking up Mrs Houston noticed the sign above the store Larkspur Music She and her daughter joined the others and they too pressed their noses against the window to see the instruments stored inside Though everything looked pretty dusty the family was thrilled to see a range of musical instruments a cello some violins guitars a huge drum kit that took up most of the left side of the window and much more Let’s go in Mrs Houston said glancing at the open sign on the front of the door Though neither she nor her husband had any musical skills to speak of Mrs Houston had always wanted to be able to 12
