Happy, which was most times.
Frustrated, usually when she was with him.
Scared, not often around him, which made him wonder if she took much seriously, but he’d seen the other side too.
Upset, talking about this student. Her voice low, a sappy quality to it.
“Yeah. This little girl, Macy. I’ve brought her up before. Not the best home life, but the last time I talked to the grandmother about things, they improved.”
“This is the kid that stunk and was hungry?”
“You remembered,” she said. “Sometimes I think half my words go in one ear and out the other when we talk.”
They might have early on.
“What happened to her?”
He listened while Meredith talked about the bruises on Macy’s backside and that she wanted to go home with her favorite teacher.
“It’s sad,” she said. “I know she feels comfortable with me but not enough to tell me what happened. The counselor got it out of her. I’ll find out more tomorrow, if I can. They don’t always tell me everything.”
“Someone should take a belt to that dick,” he said. “Beating on a child.”
“Yeah, well, he was probably drunk by the sounds of it. Who knows? As much as I’d like to have more say or control over things, it’s just not possible. And I don’t want to ruin our time together.”
“Do you care where we go to eat?” he asked.
“Nope. Your choice.”
He parked on Main Street. There were more restaurants in walking distance than he could count.
They walked toward one on the water. It was too cool to sit outside, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have a nice view from inside.
“What stories do you have to share?” he asked. Maybe he was looking forward to her antics more than he’d admit.
“Nothing too drastic. Just that I’m losing my mind.”
He closed one eye at her. She was laughing so he wouldn’t worry too much. “How so?”
“I keep doing things around the house without even realizing I’m doing them.”
He frowned. “Like what? Eating in your sleep?”
“No,” she said. His voice was cautious as if he wasn’t judging, but she still felt like an idiot bringing this up. “But that wouldn’t be good. Could you imagine if I was gaining weight and didn’t know, then realized every night I’d come down and have a bowl of ice cream? I guess finding the bowl in the sink the next morning would freak me out, but it’d have to be me.”
“Then what, if it’s not that?”
“Just thinking I had to do something and then must have done it. Like the dishwasher being empty when we came back to my place. I went to fill up my paper products that I do every few weeks and they were already done. Even my towels were folded this afternoon and I thought I still had to do them.”
“You don’t remember doing any of it?” he asked, his head angled.
“It’s not a big deal. I talk to my mother or clients or even friends at night. I’m always walking around doing things while I am. I probably folded them last night while I was prepping lunches for the week talking to my mom. Like I know I did that last night but then thinking back I don’t remember cleaning up the dishes but I had to because I turned the dishwasher on at some point. This morning I emptied it when I put my coffee cup in there. Things like that.”
“Makes sense,” he said. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you always appeared scattered if it’s not work related.”
“I know.”
“And you’ve had a lot on your mind. Plus, you haven’t been home much. You’re probably running around doing things on automatic and not even sure you are.”
