Chloe’s eyes flashed with hurt so I decided against giving the motherly speech about walking away. “You’re beautiful in your own way, Chloe. Don’t let some girl take that away from you. You know the truth. You know where you come from,” I said, letting my eyes flit toward my mom then back to Chloe.
Chloe nibbled at the end of a fry. “Well, that’s all fine, but she had no business telling me that wasn’t my mother. And cause my mom’s not around. No one has really seen her. Harry and Walter know because they saw her at the beach last summer.”
My heart ached for her. “Your true friends know you’re not making it up,” I said, wiping the sweat from my old-fashioned milkshake glass, my finger fitting perfectly in the fluted edge.
Chloe grunted, “Of course they do. They’re my friends.”
“Exactly, they are your friends. This girl doesn’t sound like a friend. She probably doesn’t have many friends.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “She has plenty. The kids follow her around like a puppy dog. And if you ask me-” She paused taking a deep breath. “She is a dog, a barnyard dog.”
I ignored her snippy comment. “Did you leave a mark when you hit her?” I asked, reaching for another hotdog. “These are so good. I haven’t had a hotdog in ages.” I loaded it up with ketchup and mustard this time. My thoughts drifted back to Tiger Stadium, Ernie Harwell, and time with my dad.
Chloe swallowed. “I punched her hard. She has a black eye.” Remorse rimmed her eyes as she glanced over to Mom. “I’m sorry, but she was just being so mean.”
Mom patted her hand. “It’s all said and done now. Your Dad seemed to be pretty calm when I spoke to him last.”
Chloe let out a sigh and slumped forward.
“Chloe will be home for a day. John said he’d handle it when he got back.”
Part of me admired Chloe’s nerve. I wouldn’t have the guts to punch someone. “So, you’ll be home tomorrow. Did you bring homework to do?”
“Plenty.” Chloe lower lip jutted out as she pouted.
“Sorry, but it’s probably for the best.” I raised my eyebrow as Mom held my gaze.
“Whatever.” Chloe’s chin quivered, and she wiped away a tear at the corner of her eye.
Mom tried to hold her hand, but she pulled away. “It won’t be so bad.”
Chloe wasn’t buying what Mom was selling. Chloe sucked in a breath of air. “You don’t understand. Career day is coming. Almost everyone has someone coming to represent them.”
“What do you mean?” Mom asked.
Chloe sipped at her milkshake. “It’s in the gym. It’s a big deal around here because everyone has a job, apparently. You have to make a poster of your person’s career. And your guy sits by your poster and answers questions as us kids walk around interviewing them. After we ask our questions, we have to write a paper on what we want to be when we grow up. It’s a big deal.”
“Your dad’s a doctor. That’s nothing to snivel at,” Mom said. “You know,” she continued, “it’s nothing to be ashamed of. That’s a very important profession.”
“Whatever,” Chloe said. “Lots of kids have doctor and lawyer parents around here. Of course, Dad could come, but when we started talking about our parents and their jobs, I told the kids what my mom does. I’ve been carrying this picture around for a while just waiting for the chance to tell them.” She sighed. “Whatever.” She folded up the advertisement and jammed it back in her pocket. “Stupid Hilary Barnyard.”
“When’s the career fair?” I asked.
Chloe shoved the last bite of hotdog in her mouth, “May, sometime.”
“It’s May now, a little more than halfway over,” I reminded her. “Does your dad know about it?”
“Yeah,” she mumbled. “I was just really hoping my mom would come.” She looked over to Glad.
“I know,” Mom said.
“I think we did an awesome job cleaning our plates. I think I feel better already,” I said, standing up.
Chloe dug the photo out of her pocket again. She unfolded it. My heart ached for her. Kindred spirits with broken hearts made for a stronger bond between us.
An impossible notion crossed my mind. I warned myself about getting involved, but it was worth a shot. “You done with that?” I asked Chloe as she licked the last bits of salt from her plate.
“I vote for more diner dinners,” she said, batting her eyelashes my mom.
Mom smiled then handed me her plate.
I piled up as many dishes as I could carry. The pile tipped, but I caught it before plates crashed down.
“Whoa, there.” Chloe’s squeal roused Bones from beneath the table.
I smiled. “What’s life without a little excitement? Good thing I’m not a waitress,” I joked. “How long you guys staying?”
“Not too much longer.” Mom paused and winked at Chloe, “She’s got work to do then bed.”
Chloe scowled. “She’s tough, no wonder you’re like you are,” she said, reaching down to pet Bones. Chloe patted her knee. Bones jumped up in her lap and settled in. His pink tongue licked ketchup from the side of the table.
Chloe and Mom chatted while I cleaned up the kitchen. Weighing the consequences, I opened the cake box and broke off another hunk then gobbled it down.
“You gonna share that with me?” Chloe asked, hopping up on a stool at the counter.
“Sure,” I said, scooting the box closer to her.
She took the fork from me. “Aren’t you gonna give me a plate?” she asked.
“Nope. You can eat out of box.”
“Really?”
“Really,” I said, getting another fork for myself. I sat beside her, moved the box so it sat between us, and took another bite.
Chloe smiled, eyed the cake, and took a bite, too.
Mom came in. Bones’ nails clicked against the tile floor. His leash hung from his mouth. I looked at Chloe and Chloe looked at me. Mom snapped the leash on his collar.
“I’ll take him,” she said, groaning. “You two finish off that cake.”
Chloe and I went back to polishing off the last bit of chocolate cake. Mom tied two poop bags on Bones’ leash then she hooked it on his collar. Bones’ nose twitched at the treats in her pocket then licked her shin.
“Did you call your mom, Chloe, and ask her about the career fair?”
“I left her some messages. She hasn’t called back. You know her, she barely ever calls.” Chloe sounded exasperated.
Mom patted Bone’s head then they both strolled out the door. I couldn’t imagine my world without her. Chloe’s expression made me sad.
I put my fork down to stroke her head. “Sorry.” Her hair was soft, soothing, and refined. She was just a girl trying to find her way, just like me. “Your hair is getting long. It’s past your shoulders.”
Chloe’s eyes gleamed with purpose. “I want it to be like my mom’s.”
Chloe mumbled so I leaned closer. “What did you say?”
Chloe’s eyes were wet with tears. She pursed her lips then sucked in a deep breath. “I said, maybe if I’m more like my mom, she’ll pay more attention to me.” She put her fork down. “I think I’m full.”
Wetness trickled down Chloe’s cheek. I wiped it away and put my finger under her chin so I could look her in the eyes. “I’m sure she loves you very much,” I said, despite my feelings for Brook. “Not all mommas stay home and bake cookies, but they have love in their hearts even if it doesn’t seem like it.” An image of Bradley popped into my head. “When Bradley was about your age, he got super mad at me. Said I needed to stay home like his other friends’ mommas’, said I didn’t care, but you see, I did care very much.” I took a deep breath to push through my speech without crying. “I wanted Bradley to see that you can follow your dreams. I wanted him to know that hard work was necessary to support a family.”
Chloe’s eyes softened. “You miss him, don’t you?”
I nodded. “Very much.” I paused. “But children need
to grow up and do their own thing.”
“Maybe Mom does miss me.” Chloe’s eyes lightened.
Tucking her hair behind her ears, I couldn’t imagine Chloe being anything different than what she was, a sassy youngster with spunk, more like her dad than her mother in many ways. “I’m sure she does.” I hoped like hell she did because if she didn’t, that just wouldn’t be right. “I’ve had enough cake too,” I said, taking our forks to the sink.
“Yeah, probably shouldn’t eat stuff like cake if I want to be more like my mom,” she said, patting her belly.
“I think you’re perfect just the way you are.” I threw the box of cake crumbs into the trash.
“Thanks, Maggie. I can always count on you,” Chloe said.
John was right. There was no way getting around loving his daughter.
Chapter 8
Hope streamed through the library windows in the midday sun. Longer days helped me fight through year-end stress. Coloring photographs diluted the constant reminders of what needed to be accomplished. My painted cows were spread out before me with an entire set of holiday scenes. My New Year’s cow sported a diaper in the moonlight while the other heifers mooed to the heavens. Submitting them to a publisher would require research and a new level of courage. More rejection would come I reminded myself. Breaking free of old habits seemed formidable. Fear was crippling, but I couldn’t escape it. The notion of not following through with my cow whimsy frightened me more.
Thoughts of Chloe drifted by. A thin grin passed over my lips as I imagined the girl with the black eye. I checked my phone knowing it was a gamble. Hesitantly, I picked it up, leaned back in my chair, and ran my finger down the scroll. Brook’s name popped out. It seemed darker and bolder than the rest. I held the phone to my chest and said a little prayer as I dialed her number. The anticipation of actually speaking to her made my hands sweaty.
“Hello?” Brook answered. “Is everything okay with Chloe?”
I took a deep breath to calm my jitters. Brook is just a person like you. Leaning forward with my elbows on my desk, I mustered up my teacher assertiveness and spoke. “Yeah. Everything is okay.” I knew it wasn’t, but the words slipped out. “I just wanted to touch base since you texted after our talk earlier. Did you get a hold of John?” I asked, killing two birds with one stone. Clever. My confidence blossomed.
“Yes. He reminded me that Glad was watching Chloe and that he’d only be gone a few days.”
“Good. I’m glad you two talked. I’m just calling with a question. Has anyone mentioned the career fair coming up at Chloe’s school?”
“Yeah, Chloe left me a few messages. I figured John would cover that.”
Like he covers everything else. I rubbed my temple sending her subliminal messages to cooperate. “Well, it came up at dinner tonight and I was wondering if you could find time in your schedule to fly back to Michigan to be Chloe’s special guest.” I waited, leaned back, and closed my eyes as silence grew between us.
“Did Chloe ask you to call?” Brook asked.
“No,” I answered truthfully. “She doesn’t know I’m calling you.” I paused knowing intervention might prevent Chloe’s heart from shattering completely. “I just thought—”
“You thought what?”
Her bristly tone surprised me. “Maybe I shouldn’t have called,” I said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother—”
“When is it?” Brook’s vibrant irritation resonated in her clear, sharp tone.
“I have the flyer right here in front of me. It’s the Friday before Memorial Day, May twenty-third,” I answered.
“I don’t think I can. I have a shoot in Chicago around that time. Big campaign.”
“I understand. I know it’s short notice. I won’t tell Chloe that we spoke.”
“Okay,” Brook muttered.
“Well, I hope everything goes well. Talk to you—”
Brook interrupted again, I thought she had a change of heart. Frowning, I silently scorned her as I listened to her excuses. A nasty lecture flashed through my brain. “Are you going to call Chloe and talk to her about this?” My voice had an unusual edge.
“I will. And Maggie …?”
“Yes, Brook?”
“Chloe looks up to you. Maybe you could be her special guest.”
My blood boiled. Chloe’s third-grade class didn’t want to interview a teacher. They had that opportunity day-in and day-out. That was the last straw, Brook totally missed the fact that her daughter wanted her, not to mention, needed her. “Like you said, John can be her special person.” I emphasized the words special person. “But, I think her classmates would be more interested in you.” I picked at my thumbnail. My eyes scanned the cow photographs. The day’s last light brought promises of fairy dust and daydreams. “I’m sure that she’ll figure it out.”
“I’m sure she will. And Maggie …?” Brook said.
“Yes?”
“I love the photographs of Chloe that you sent me last summer. Thanks.”
I rolled my eyes. That was just like Brook. Just when I thought I couldn’t like her, she threw a shred of decency into the game making me feel guilty. “You’re welcome. Please call Chloe.”
“Okay. Bye.”
“Bye.” I ended the call.
I blew a strand of hair from my face. “Oh my God.”
Bones exhaled with a grunt as he settled in his dog bed. His furrowed brow and wise eyes were telling me, I told you so.
I set the phone on the desk thinking about my life, thinking about Brook’s life, and I wondered if the stars really decided a person’s destiny.
The computer screen caught my attention. When it opened from sleep by itself, I thought it was my dad sending me a message. It was my opportunity to take a few minutes to converse with him even though he wasn’t in the physical world anymore. Searching picture book publishers, I jotted down a list of contacts as I scrolled. Curiosity led to reading articles about getting published. Intrigue spurred me on into the wee hours of the night.
My phone buzzed. The time read midnight, but I didn’t care. John’s name flashed across my screen. I opened his text. Brook called. She’s thinking about coming to Chloe’s career fair. This has your name all over it.
I tapped out a response. How mad are you? I waited for a response. Nothing came. I went back to reading. My gaze flitted between the monitor and my phone screen. I forced myself to shut off the computer, pick up my phone, and switch off the light. Bones’ tags jingled behind me.
“Come on, boy, let’s go outside one more time.”
Bones snorted as we headed for the back door then he ran out.
The glow on the patio caught my eye. As much as I wanted to believe it was a fairy watching over my house, it wasn’t. “Chloe, what are you doing over here?”
She flashed the light in my eyes. “Reading.” She shined the light on her Stuart Little book. “I’m really good at reading now.”
“That’s swell,” I said, sounding like my grandmother, “but does Glad know you’re over here?”
“No, she’s asleep.” Chloe giggled. “This mouse is a crack up. I bet he and Junie B. Jones would have fun together.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah, that would be a hoot. Seriously, what are you doing out here?” I sat on the end of the chaise lounge. Bones trotted under the dogwood tree then joined us. His tail whipped my shins before he jumped into Chloe’s lap to lick her face. He was always so happy to see her. I understood.
“I saw your light on in the library. You were up, so I decided to stay up since I don’t have school tomorrow on account of punching Barnyard. She really did deserve it.” Chloe turned the page. “I can see right into your library with my binoculars. I like your cow pictures.”
My eyebrow arched at the thought of Chloe with a pair of binoculars. “You really shouldn’t use binoculars to spy on somebody, let alone look into their homes.”
“I know. Dad caught me once and took the binoculars,
but I found them and snuck them back into my room. I’m really not spying on you, Maggie.”
I drew my sweater shut as the cool breeze kicked up. “Then what are you doing?”
“Truth?” she asked with a wrinkled nose.
I scooted closer to see her better. She held the light below her chin. Although it cast a creepy shadow across her face, I couldn’t help but grin at her silly behavior. “Yeah, truth.”
“I just check to see if you’re home. It makes me feel better when you’re around.”
I rubbed Chloe’s knee. “Want to know something?”
“Yeah, what?” she questioned, switching off the flashlight.
“I’m used to you spying on me.” Dad had probably sent her on his behalf.
Chloe giggled. The flashlight fell to the ground as Bones licked her face. “I better get back so Glad doesn’t worry.”
“That’s very thoughtful. I’ll walk you home,” I said, reaching for Chloe’s hand. Bones jumped down and followed us to the gate. “You stay here,” I said. He sat. I waited for him to try to escape. “Stay. Down,” I commanded. Bones went down with a grunt.
“Hey, you’re getting better,” Chloe said. “Night, Bones. See you tomorrow.”
“Chloe, you really shouldn’t leave the house without asking.”
“I know,” she replied. “Please don’t rat me out.”
“I won’t this time, but I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you because I didn’t say something. This is serious. It’s fine that you want to come over, but not in the middle of the night. Got it?” Her brow wrinkled as I politely scolded her. I waited for a rebuff, but none came.
“Okay.”
I escorted Chloe home and waited for her to go back inside. I didn’t leave until I heard the bolt on the door lock. She was going to be a real handful in her teenage years. Shaking my head, I headed home to get Bones from the backyard. My phone buzzed as I locked my own doors. John’s name flashed across my screen. I opened his text. Why do you always think I am mad at you?
I shut off the kitchen light, checked the front door, then headed up to bed. I responded to John’s text after I brushed my teeth. Bones curled up at the end of the bed while I settled in. Because I’m not so sure I’d like an outsider butting into my personal life, my child’s life if it were me, I texted back.
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