Foster

It rains for a week, which is one among many heralds of autumn, and a letter from the narrator’s mother arrives. Kinsella has waited longer than usual to send the girl out to get the mail, and though he times her as usual, he doesn’t discuss the letters this time. The narrator asks if the one from her “mammy” means that she must return home, but Kinsella says that it is addressed to his wife, who is inside reading a knitting book. He brings it to Edna, who reads it twice before announcing that the narrator has a new brother and that she must go home this weekend. The girl holds back tears, and Kinsella leaves the room. Edna tells the narrator not to make herself sad and brings her over to pick out a pattern for a knitted sweater. The upset girl points to a random one, which the woman says must be the most challenging pattern in the book, so she’ll have to get knitting in order to have it done before the girl grows into a larger size.