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It’s Just Lynn. I Hate Her.

Chelsea wandered into the kitchen, dragging her coat behind her.

“What’s the matter, sweetie?” Ivy looked over the back of the couch.

“Nothing.” Chelsea whipped her coat up over her head and slapped it onto the kitchen floor.

Ivy got up from the couch to find her little niece jumping up and down on her coat. “It doesn’t look like nothing is wrong, Chelsea.”

“It’s just Lynn. I hate her.”

“You do? What happened? You guys were the best of friends yesterday.”

“Well, I hate her today. She’s a meanie.” Chelsea stomped all over her coat.

“Honey, that’s not Lynn. Don’t wreck up your coat. Okay? Come sit with me and tell me what happened.”

Chelsea rolled her coat into a ball and kicked it over the couch. “That’s her! I hate her!”

“I get that, but why?” Ivy held out her hands to invite Chelsea into a hug.

“Because she’s a meanie!” Chelsea clenched her fists at her sides, her face red as a cranberry.

Ivy winced at the screeching. “Chelsea, please take a breath. Come sit with me. Okay?”

Her niece ran over, threw herself face down on the couch and began crying piteously.

Ivy sat down beside her and waited for the child to calm down. “Here, sit up and tell me what happened.”

“She’s so mean.” Chelsea whimpered.

Ivy pulled the child onto her lap. “Take a breath and slow down.”

Chelsea wrapped her little arms around herself and leaned into Ivy.

“There, there. Tell me what happened.”

“She said you’re crazy.”

“Why would she say that?”

Chelsea sniffled. “That’s what her uncle said.”

“Well, that’s not very nice.”

“That’s what I said.”

“Why would she tell you that?”

“Because she’s a meanie.” Chelsea moaned.

“I thought you had a nice time with her this weekend. Why would she turn on you like that?”

“We were…” Chelsea’s words caught in her throat.

“What were you doing?” Ivy caressed her cheek.

“Playing hopscotch.”

“And she just blurted out that her uncle thinks I’m crazy? That’s a strange thing to say.”

“That’s what she did.”

“What were you talking about that it even came up?”

Chelsea heaved and cried in her aunt’s lap.

“I think somebody needs a nap. Want me to carry you to your room?”

Chelsea bolted from her aunt’s lap and ran up the stairs, wailing the entire way.

“What was that?” Holly asked.

Ivy glared at her sister. “That was Chelsea hating Lynn. Did she wake you up?”

“Hating Lynn? What happened?”

“You slept through your daughter getting home from kindergarten.” Ivy’s expression hardened.

“Just wait until you have a baby.” Holly rubbed her eyes and yawned.

“Going to be a long wait until never.” Ivy grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.

Holly gawked at her sister. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Who knows? I guess I’m just crazy.”

Holly stretched and yawned loudly.

“Some of us don’t have the luxury of napping all day.” Ivy snapped as she searched the channels.

Holly trudged over to the fridge. “Be my guest. Seems like you could use a nap.”

“Maybe I will!” Ivy turned off the TV and stormed off to the guest room.

“Can I come in?” Kendra’s voice called through the door.

“Go away.” Chelsea moaned.

The door opened anyway and her sister came in.

“I said, go away.”

“Be nice. Santa’s watching.” Kendra closed the door behind her.

“What do you want?”

“What did you say to Aunt Ivy?”

“Why?”

“Because she’s hiding in her room and you’re hiding in your room and Mom wants to know why.”

“I said I hate Lynn. She’s a meanie and her uncle’s a meanie. They’re all meanies and I hate them.”

Kendra rolled her eyes and sat down next to her sister on the bed. “And?”

“And what?”

“Yeah, that’s what I want to know. I can see why you’re upset, but why is Aunt Ivy hiding in her room?”

“I don’t know. She was on the couch when I came up for my nap.”

“Chelsea, I know there’s more to it than that. What did you do?”

“Nothing.”

“I repeat. Santa’s watching. We’re awfully close to Christmas for you to be messing around. Do you want him to bring you fruitcake or coal?”

Chelsea’s eyes welled up and her lip trembled. “I didn’t do anything! I just told Aunt Ivy that Lynn said her uncle called her crazy and I was mad at Lynn.”

“Why did he say that?” Kendra’s brows knitted behind the frames of her glasses. “Why would Lynn tell you that? What were you talking about that it even came up?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

Kendra fixed a stern look at her. “I’m pretty sure you did and so is Santa. What were you talking about with Lynn that it even came up?”

“We were playing hopscotch.”

“And?”

“We were talking about Aunt Ivy and her uncle.”

“What about them?”

Chelsea clamped her mouth shut, tears flowing down her reddened cheeks.

“Do I have to get Mom to call Santa on you?”

Chelsea shook her head defiantly.

“So, what really happened? You and Lynn were gossiping while you played hopscotch, and she told you her uncle said Aunt Ivy is crazy. That’s not very nice, but I don’t see why everybody is so upset.”

“I didn’t like it. Lynn’s a meanie.”

“Did she say Aunt Ivy is crazy or did she just tell you what her uncle said?”

“Well, she said it.”

“Lynn said that Aunt Ivy is crazy? Why?”

“Because she’s mean!”

“She didn’t seem mean. You guys have been best friends all this time, and she’s always drawing you pictures to cheer you up. What aren’t you telling me?” Kendra glared at her.

“Nothing. I didn’t do anything. Lynn’s the mean one. Her and her meanie uncle.”

“He didn’t seem mean, either.” Kendra crossed her arms. “You’re covering something up and I want to know what it is. Now. Or Santa’s getting a call from Mom.”

Chelsea’s crying intensified. “We were trying to get them together!”

“Who?”

“Aunt Ivy and Lynn’s uncle.”

“She doesn’t want a boyfriend. She even said so.”

“But if they got married, then we’d be cousins and we could stay best friends forever.”

Kendra winced at her sister’s caterwauling. “And how did that turn out?”

Chelsea drove her face into her pillow and kicked her feet as she cried.

“I guess that will teach you to meddle in peoples’ personal lives, Chelsea.”

“I just wanted everybody to be happy.”

“Epic fail.” Kendra said as she headed for the door. “Dinner’s ready. Try to calm down so you can come down and eat.”

“Are you mad at me?” Chelsea peeked at her from her pillow.

“No, but you’re probably going to have to fix things with Aunt Ivy. I think she’s even more upset than you are.”