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"And get urges to eat pickles and peanut butter sandwiches."

"And then have contractions."

We both roared and then hugged.

Daddy, coming up the stairs, heard us and knocked on the door. "Exactly what are you two females giggling about now?" he asked.

"Pregnant men," Mammy said.

"Huh?"

We laughed again.

"Women are not just another sex; they're a different species altogether," Daddy declared. That only made us laugh harder.

After I had my hair the way I wanted it to look, I picked up the dress I would wear under my graduation gown. Then I opened the box that contained my cap and gown and screamed.

"What is it, Pearl?" Mommy gasped.

"My mortarboard's gone, Mommy."

"What? That can't be." She looked herself and then she lifted her eyes. "Your brothers," she declared and marched out. I followed her in my graduation gown as we descended the stairs, Mommy shouting for Pierre and Jean. They came running down the hallway, Pierre right behind Jean.

"Did you take your sister's graduation cap?" she demanded, her hands on her hips.

Pierre looked guiltily at Jean, who shook his head. "Jean? Are you telling a fib?"

"What's happening?" Daddy demanded, hurrying up behind us.

"Pearl's graduation cap is missing, and I think these two imps have an idea where we can find it," Mommy said, her eyes still on the twins. Pierre's gaze dropped quickly.

"Boys," Daddy said in a stern voice.

"I saw a hat on the statue of Adonis in the garden," Jean confessed.

"What?" Daddy and Mommy looked at each other, and then we all traipsed out to the garden.

There was my graduation cap on the statue. People had been going past it all day and no one had noticed it or commented on it. Daddy's lips curled into a quick smile and then became taut and thin after he looked at Mommy's face. He got the cap for me and then turned to the twins, who looked terrified.

"How could you pull such a prank on your sister? You both know how nervous she is.",

"It was all my idea," Pierre said.

"No it wasn't; it was mine," Jean insisted.

Daddy looked at the statue and then at them. "My guess is that Jean boosted Pierre up so he could put that cap on the statue's head. Am I right, boys?" Pierre nodded.

"I think tonight you two will go directly to your rooms and miss the party."

"Oh, no!" Jean exclaimed. "We just meant to tease Pearl. We were going to tell her where it was."

"Nevertheless . . ."

"It's all right, Daddy," I said. "They'll be little angels from now on, won't you, little brothers?" I said. They both nodded vigorously, grateful for my forgiveness.

"Well, if your sister can forgive you, you're lucky. You should do everything you can to see that this is the happiest night of her life," Daddy warned them.

"We will," Pierre promised.