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traffic, the crowds and just the size of the buildings

made what I had planned to do look as foolish as

Clarence had made it sound.

"What do we do first?" Clarence asked, even

more impressed with the task himself now.

"Find a parking garage as close to Daddy's

building as possible," I said. I tried to look and sound

like I knew what I was doing, like I was in the city

often, but of course I wasn't. Mommy didn't like going

to the city. except to shows. I saw my first Broadway

show with her and Daddy when I was only seven. It

was a musical. The Phantom of the Opera, and I

remember being so mesmerized and excited. I could

hardly speak.

"That's where you'll belong someday.

Cinnamon," Mommy whispered in my ear and nodded

at the stage.

I wondered. Did I? Could 17

I saw a few shows a year after that, but most of

the time recently, it was just Mommy and me. Daddy

was either working or meeting clients.

Parking was the easiest part of my skimpy plan

today. It just meant spending money, which we did,

and then we walked to Daddy's building.

"Have you ever been here before?" Clarence

asked.

"Once, a long time ago. We had a day off but

the market was open and Daddy decided to take me to

see his offices and all the activity. I was in the fifth

grade. Mommy came along and afterward, she and I