Nathan and Megan were washing the dishes when their dad came into the kitchen.
“I have some bad news,” he said. “Joey fell while riding his bike today, and he has a broken leg.” Joey was a friend of theirs who lived down the street.
“Oh, no!” Megan cried. “Can we do anything to help?”
“You could take some of these muffins you made to Joey and his grandmother,” Dad said. Nathan and Megan exchanged a fast look. Dad did not seem to notice.
“Can we do anything else instead?” Nathan asked.
“Don’t be silly. Here, I’ve made up a plate,” Dad said, handing them a covered plate. Nathan and Megan took the plate and began to walk slowly to Joey’s house.
“Maybe his grandmother won’t be home,” Nathan said hopefully.
“Of course she’ll be home. He has a broken leg,” Megan said with a sigh. “But Joey says she’s nice.”
“She always looks so mean and grumpy,” Nathan said. They approached the door shyly, and Megan knocked. After a moment, the door swung open. An older woman stood in the doorway, her face downturned in a frown. Nathan gulped.
“I’m Nathan, and this is my sister Megan,” Nathan said in a rush.
“Here, we brought muffins,” Megan added, holding up the plate with a trembling hand.
“Why, how nice! I’ve been wanting to meet Joey’s friends! He’s talked so much about you,” the woman said. As she spoke, her frown disappeared, and she smiled widely. All the meanness disappeared, and Nathan and Megan realized that they had been wrong about her all along. They relaxed and knew it would be a fun visit.