It’s funny. A lot of people like to read at night, but I like to write at night. Anyway, dinner was chicken potpie, and Pip was as quiet as in the olden days. The rest of us started talking about pen names or pseudonyms. Like Mark Twain’s real name was Samuel Clemens. And Lewis Carroll’s real name was Charles Dodgson. And Lemony Snicket’s is Daniel Handler. Mom also talked about a cat with kidney failure that Dr. Gross had to “put down.” She said their office always sends out a condolence note after a pet dies, but today’s made her sad because the lady was eighty-six and the cat’s name was Valentine. Dad changed the subject away from dead pets and asked Maybelle about soccer and Mathletes. Maybelle answered, then said she’d brought us each a box of “conversation hearts”—and me a bag of gummy bears. Next thing you know, Mom and Dad both found a heart that said “MARRY ME,”
