Keith and Laurie leisurely walked homeward after school. Chris, Tracy and Danny had run ahead, eager to scrounge an after-school snack. Keith and Laurie were chatting as they walked, engaging in the easy banter of siblings. It was Keith who noticed that the tan stucco Spanish-style house a block below their home had a new owner. A moving truck was pulled up into the driveway, and movers were unloading furniture from the truck and carrying it into the house.
"We should tell Mom that we have new neighbors," Laurie said. "They've come a long way. The license plate on the car in front of the house is from New Jersey."
"They've come a long way," Keith said. A block away, he could see Danny playing on his skateboard in the driveway. "We don't need Danny telling them all about how they bought the neighborhood haunted house."
Laurie laughed. "Most of the kids insisted that the house stood empty so long because it was haunted. I checked the real estate listing , and the house was a lot more expensive than the other houses around here. I'm not sure why the Kellermans's family insisted on such a high price."
Keith watched as one of the mover carried in a wheel chair. "Well, one thing is fore sure--one of the people who just moved in is not well."
As they reached the yellow house, Keith pushed the front door open. "Hi, Mom!" he called out to Shirley, who was in the living room keeping an eye on Chris and Tracy as they watched the television. "Someone is moving into the old Kellerman house."
"The haunted house?" Tracy asked.
"If you hadn't raced home so fast to watch the television, you would have noticed the movers," Laurie put in. "Besides, the house isn't actually haunted. You know better than to believe in those silly stories that the other kids tell."
"But it is haunted!" Chris insisted. "Trent Smith saw a headless specter in the arched window on the second floor!"
Shirley shook her head. "We should go say hello to our new neighbors. I baked some cookies this afternoon, we can take those over to them after dinner."
Chris pouted. "I wanted some of those, and I have some homework to do tonight."
Shirley gave Chris a glare. "Maybe you should go get that homework done now."
Chris nodded sullenly and grabbed his books before heading upstairs to work on his homework. Keith sat down on the couch next to his mother.
"Mom, we saw the movers bringing in a wheelchair. One of the people who moved in must be pretty sick," Keith said. "I wonder why they moved all they way out here from New Jersey with a member of the family sick enough or hurt enough to need a wheelchair."
Shirley looked thoughtful. "Maybe one of them grew up here and wanted to come back."
"Could be," Keith said.
In the evening, Shirley and her brood walked down the street toward the Spanish stucco house. Keith ended up carrying the tray of cookies after Chris complained about the weight of the tray. Laurie walked ahead, holding Tracy's hand. Danny and Chris trailed along behind complaining about not being able to watch their evening television programs.
The six Partridges collected on the front porch of the house as Shirley pressed the doorbell. The heavy oak and iron door swung open, revealing a middle-aged man with graying temples.
"Hello," Shirley said. "We're your neighbors down the street at the yellow house. We thought we'd bring you some cookies and say hello."
"Why don't you come in?" he asked, pulling the door further open and gesturing for them to enter. "I'm Joseph Hamill and this is my wife Megan and my daughter Kimberly." He gestured toward a middle-aged woman and teenage girl sitting in the living room.
In an instant, Keith and the rest of the Partridges knew that it was Kimberly who was ill. She was pretty, but also clearly unwell. Her face was small, delicate and heart-sheaped. She looked up at Keith as he walked over to the large armchair where she was resting, Her blue eyes were wide and dramatic against her pale skin, which was so pale as to be almost translucent. Keith tried not to stare as he moved to sit on the hassock near her chair. The combination of her pale skin, black hair and vibrant blue eyes was quite striking.
Keith looked shyly at Kimberly. "Hi," He said. "I'm Keith Partridge." Distantly, he was aware of his mother introducing herself and her siblings to Kimberly's parents.
Kimberly smiled. "I'm Kim. I see your mother dragged your out to meet the new neighbors," she said.
Keith nodded. Shirley was sitting down on a couch on the other side of the room. His siblings headed outside to play in the front yard. The room had the look of a house recently moved into; the walls were bare, the paintings and knickknacks still in boxes piled among the furniture.
"What brings you to San Pueblo?" Shirley asked.
Joseph looked at the floor, and Megan's voice trembled as she spoke. "Kimberly developed a growth in her abdomen. The biopsy revealed that it was cancer. We moved out her so that Kim could go into Los Angeles for treatment easily. A doctor at one of the medical schools is working on an experimental treatment for this kind of cancer. It's not a guarantee, but she has a better chance than with conventional treatment."
"Stop it!" Kim exploded. Her blue eyes flashed sparks and she pounded her fists on the arms of her chair. "You make it sound like I'm going to die, and I'm not! I'm not!" It's only a small tumor and we came out here so I could get that treatment!" Kim slumped back in her chair, tears welling up in her eyes.
Keith gently reached out and touched her hand, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. He remained silent, but tried to communicate his sympathy with the gentle touch of his hand. The room was deadly quiet. The Partridges remained silent, unsure of what to say. Kim's outburst had shocked her parents into silence.
"Kim, you have to face reality. It's possible that you may not be able to recover. You have to face that fact," Megan finally said, her tone sad.
"No! Mom, you've practically already written me off," Kim said. "You won't even let me enroll in school here. I could be going to school with Keith!"
Keith reached back over and gave Kim's hand another squeeze. "They only have your best interest at heart," he said softly. "Parents are like that. Besides, if you aren't well, perhaps you're best off here at home." He gave Kim an impish grin. "I'll come see you when I can."
"I was just lucky that the architecture firm that I work for has a branch near San Pueblo and this town is so close to Los Angeles. I was able to transfer out here easily so we could get Kim the treatment that she needs."
"We would have come out here for Kim no matter what," Megan put in softly. "Having our income unaffected just makes things easier."
"Actually," Joseph said, "they were glad that I transferred out here. They're shorthanded at the office."
Megan snorted softly at her husband's comment. "Your husband isn't home yet, Shirley. He doesn't work for Gates Architects by any chance, does he? That place just pulls men in and doesn't let them go."
Shirley began to tear up, and Megan realized the she'd made a mistake. Megan slowly stammered out an apology.
"I'm sorry -- I didn't realize...." Megan said as she realized that Shirley was a widow.
Shirley wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. "I'll be fine. He's been gone for several years now. The kids formed a band after he died. I sing with them, and the music has been paying the bills ever since."
"You're that Partridge family?" Kim asked, looking excited. "I didn't recognize you!"
Keith blushed. "Yes. I sing lead and play guitar in the band."
Kim smiled a bit. "I should have paid more attention to the teen magazines. I would have recognized you if I had."
Keith's flush deepened. From Laurie's direction he heard a badly stifled snicker. Kim was clearly checking him out, eyeing up his long, lean body. Keith had worn a pair of form-fitting jeans with a loose, white tunic-style shirt. The loosely-laced neckline of the shirt revealed a bit of his sleek chest.
Shirley turned to the elder Hamills. "If you ever need our help, don't hesitate to ask. I know that you will need all the help you can get, with Kimberly being so sick."
"THank you," Megan said. "It isn't easy what with Kim's doctor appointments and Joe being at work all the time. He usually isn't even home with us in the evening."
Kim's head slumped sleepily against the back of the chair.
"Kim, maybe you should go upstairs to bed," Megan said, looking worriedly at her daughter. "All of this excitement has you exhausted, and you shouldn't risk draining your reserves."
Kim looked imploringly at her mother. "I've left all of my friends behind in Somers Point. I want to get to know Keith and Laurie."
Megan glared. "Do you want to risk picking up a cold and making yourself worse?"
Kim silently gave up on her battle to get to know the Partridges better and slowly walked over to the staircase. It became painfully obvious that Megan had been right about Kim's exhaustion. The girl leaned heavily on the handrail as she made her way up the stairs, and stumbled twice.
Tears welled in Keith's eyes as he watched. Seeing Kim's devastating weakness for the first time was painful. Kim was obviously so obstinate in the fight against the malignancy in her abdomen, and it was plain that the cancer and drugs were draining her strength.
Shirley forced a smile. "Perhaps we should be leaving," she said. "It has been a long day for all of you. We just wanted to stop in and say hello. We really don't want to be a burden to you."
"Thank you," Megan said. "If we ever need your help, we'll give you a call."