"Patricia A. McKillip - Naming Day" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKillip Patricia A)

тАЬStay,тАЭ Griffith said to Averil, making a spell with his caramel eyes so
that AverilтАЩs feet stuck to the threshold.

тАЬWellтАФтАЭ

тАЬStay for supper. My parents are going out. IтАЩll cook something.тАЭ

тАЬI should callтАФтАЭ

тАЬCall your mother. Tell her weтАЩre working on a project.тАЭ

тАЬBut weтАЩre not,тАЭ Averil objected; true wizards did not need to lie.

тАЬWe are,тАЭ he said, with his bewitching smile. тАЬYour name.тАЭ

Averil got home later than even she considered marginal for
excusable behavior. Fortunately, her father was already being taken to task
for his own lateness, and Averil only got added to the general list of
complaints. Still enchanted, she barely listened.

тАЬYou donтАЩt realizeтАФтАЭ her mother said, and, тАЬNo considerationтАФтАЭ

тАЬSorry, dear,тАЭ her father said soothingly. тАЬI should have called, but I
kept thinking weтАЩd get the work finished earlier.тАЭ

тАЬStone-cold dinnerтАФтАЭ

тАЬSorry, Mom,тАЭ Averil echoed dutifully.

тАЬIf I donтАЩt get a moment to myself, IтАЩm going toтАФтАЭ

тАЬAfter Naming Day, I promise.тАЭ

тАЬNow, dear, heтАЩs barely four. HeтАЩll settle down soon enough. Take him
to the park or something.тАЭ

Her mother made a noise like cloth ripping, the beginning of tears.
Her father opened his arms. Averil let her book bag fall to the floor and
drifted away, thinking of GriffithтАЩs farewell kiss.

She escaped out the door without breakfast the next morning after
allowing her mother, who was on the phone pleading with a babysitting
service, a brief glimpse of her face. At the table, Felix was upending a
cereal box over his bowl.

тАЬBye, Mom.тАЭ

тАЬAverilтАФтАЭ

тАЬSee you, but donтАЩt know when. There might be a celebration later. ItтАЩs