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As luck would have it, she just about ran head-on into a unifors A unifors who used to date one of my friends It was Pippin, Trix’s ex (?) boyfriend This was supposed to be a big city, so as I running into more people I knew in Central Park than I’d expect to in the town’s only grocery store back home?

Mom took one look at his, and screamed bloody murder He looked almost as shocked, then closed his eyes like he wasspell I ducked behind Dad toI needed was for hiin to explain how I knew a guy ings orked in the park

Dad grabbed Moain "Sorry about that, sir," he said with a nod toward Pippin "She’s heard too ers in the park"

Pippin looked vastly relieved "No probleed a lot in the past twenty years In daylight, you’re as safe here as you are anywhere else in the city" Then he went on about his business, and I let out h

"I didn’t think he was a s Was he another one of those alternative lifestyle people, Katie?"

I didn’t kno to answer that No matter what I said, one of my parents would think I was either crazy or a liar How had I ical immune in this city before I had to face the truth, when Mo so close in only one day? I supposed it was because she wasn’t even trying to be cool or fit in

"You knohat, Mouring out every little weird thing in this city It’s the only way to stay sane"

Moet the turkey in the oven I was her trusty lieutenant for the cooking Gemma and Marcia, eren’t so adept in the kitchen, served as foot soldiers, helping clean up so we could keep cooking Dad, who kneas good for him, stayed out of the way

Once the Macy’s parade was under way, Mo rooe distance "Frank, can you believe ere just there yesterday?" she kept saying

"Yes, Lois, ere there," he always replied, with infinite patience

After one of those bouts, she returned to the kitchen and said to Gemma, "Did Katie tell youin Tiuitar?"

"Well, yes, we did see that But have you seen the people ings?"

Ges?"

"I think Times Square was a weirdness overdose," I said "It can be overwhele people in this city," Moreed "You wouldn’t believe half the weird things I see on a daily basis And New Yorkers don’t even look twice"

The downstairs buzzer sounded and Marcia answered it She returned to the kitchen and said, "Jeff’s here He’s on his way up"

Speaking of weird things, I thought Jeff was h Marcia didn’t know it, and he had a tendency to get ical pranks pulled on hied to be nearest the front door when he got up to our apartreeted him loudly, then whispered, "My mom’s an immune, so play it safe, okay?" His eyes widened, but he nodded I brought him further into the apartment "Dad, this is Jeff, Marcia’s boyfriend Jeff, this is Frank Chandler, my dad"

Dad stood to shake hands very properly, which took Jeff aback "Oh, uood to meet you," he said

"And it’s nice to oes way back with us She’s like part of the fa his friendly words Jeff wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he nodded like he got the idea

Philip ca next, and he was the one I wasAs a result, he was very old-fashioned and had an unhealthy fascination with flies

I shouldn’t have worried, though His archaic ht in with my parents, and there were no flies to be seen He arrived with an armful of flowers--a bouquet each for Geraces He handed her the bouquet with a courtly bow "Ime," he said, then kissed her hand