Anna woke up early. She couldn’t really sleep, knowing that the tiny quilt she was making was waiting for her. GeePa had made a bed for her doll from a scrap of curly maple he had in the garage. It was quite pretty, but in a very plain kind of way. The wood grain shimmered through the varnish. Chatoyance. Anna had seen that word somewhere. She wished he had used a matte finish instead of glossy, but she would never have said that out loud. Although GeePa was always puttering around in the basement, wood working really wasn’t his thing. Anna knew that the bed was a special gift. She also knew that GeePa knew she wouldn’t be interested in dolls much longer.

But at the moment, the bed was everything to Anna. She was obsessed with making the perfect quilt for it. She had already made a little mattress and pillow stuffed with goose down. GeeMa had frowned when she realized one of the pillows in the guest room was missing. But, as Anna had guessed, she hadn’t said anything. In fact, she was half-smiling when she said, “I would have given you a better pillow if you had asked.”

Anna was like that. Sometimes she just did things without asking when she probably should have. She was a lot like GeeMa that way.

The quilt was coming along nicely. Anna had known how to use a sewing machine practically her whole life, but had never had one of her own until her birthday two months ago. She knew that it was a big deal, so she kept it clean. Very clean. And put heart stickers on it.

When GeeMa saw the tiny quilt pieces, she almost frowned. But instead, she casually asked, “What size is your seam allowance?” Anna was really bad at math, but really good at almost everything else, so she had reluctantly asked Andrew for help. After analyzing the situation to death, he had given her the triangle and seam allowance sizes. Of course, he had been right.

Anna knew she should put down the little quilt and start straightening up the fabric. But sewing was so much more interesting. She was reluctantly putting her project away when the old clock on the high shelf chimed four times.

Anna peered over her glasses at GeeMa. “The 'Twixt?” she asked quietly. GeeMa nodded. “I’m going to fix some tea. I’ll be right back,” she said. And while that was technically true, both Anna and GeeMa knew that for GeeMa, those few minutes could be days.

As Anna tidied the fabric bolts, she thought about what it must be like to cross over. GeeMa never said much when she returned, but lately had been casually saying things about it while they were alone. Anna was really curious, but also really terrified. She knew enough to know that crossing could be dangerous, but that one day, GeeMa was going to teach her how. 

She knew GeeMa did it, her mother Nanny had done it, and her mother, and her mother, and all their mothers far back into time. Nobody knew why they could cross more easily than other people, but they knew that it was their duty. 

Anna thought about that for a bit. Just because they could cross, why did they feel like they had to? She knew that they found lost people, but why did they feel like they had to? Was it a feeling like when you need to go to the bathroom, or was it more like a feeling that you need to clean your room? 

It was already 9:45. Anna secretly hoped she would have to open the shop by herself. She liked being in charge. She knew how to cut the fabric, ring up customers, and even knew which needles to recommend for different projects. But she knew that if it got to be 10:00, GeePa would stroll in and act like he was saving the day. 

But, odds were good none of that was going to happen. GeeMa was usually only gone a short time. She would probably be pretty exhausted, though, so Anna would get her wish and take over most of the customer duties for the day. 

The customers loved Anna. Who wouldn't? She was a bright, quirky child. Quiet until you started asking about her projects. Then, it was hard to get her to stop talking. Besides the doll clothes, Anna liked making anything that was small. She used shoeboxes to make dollhouses, and had used a Pringle's can and paper plates to make an alien spaceship. It had a center elevator core (the can) and even a laboratory onboard. She had reluctantly asked Andrew to help with the 3D printed parts. She hadn't quite mastered how to design things like an elevator lift, but she was working on it. She had too many hobbies! It was hard to get really good at any particular one.

The side door opened and GeeMa walked in. Anna studied her face carefully. She could always tell how a person felt if she paid attention. GeeMa looked a little tired but her eyes were smiling, so it must have a been a good rescue.