“With a smile on your face and a laugh. Just like you do everything else in your life.”
“You’re right. I’m thinking too much about it. So much has happened in a short time. I’m ready to move on. And speaking of moving on, the kids are coming in from lunch.”
She walked out into the hall to get her kids as they came back from the playground.
Cassidy moved to her room to do the same.
As the children passed by her, they all took their seats. “Who needs to use the bathroom?”
If she didn’t ask, they’d all be squirming after lunch.
Four hands went up. “Me, please,” Mick said. “I need to poop.”
Oh boy. That reminded her of saying she didn’t want to toot in front of Clay.
She couldn’t even say gas. Or fart. Nope. Toot like a toddler.
“Go first, Mick. Can everyone else hold it?”
“I need to pee,” Macy said. Since she was wiggling in her seat, it might cause an accident and she didn’t want that.
After she’d talked to Macy’s grandmother, Rosie, over a week ago, Macy came in with her hair combed and clean. Her clothes were not so great, but at least the child was more presentable.
As the week went on, she knew Macy hadn’t been bathed again, but her hair combed. Better than nothing.
She motioned Macy on and stood in the doorway of her room while Macy ran across the hall to the common bathroom all other grades used. She waved to another girl who also had to go. Meredith could watch from here and monitor her classroom as well.
Macy returned and stopped in front of her. “Phew. That was close.”
She laughed and rested her hand on the little girl’s head, happy Macy felt comfortable enough to be so honest.
Macy’s hair was washed again, not as tame as it was this morning, but after running around at lunch, she expected nothing else.
At least someone was trying in the house.
It’s like she’d told her students all the time. As long as they did their best, their best didn’t have to be perfect.
Meredith just had to remember that applied to her too!
11
SEVERAL LAYERS
“Ididn’t know you were coming today.”
Meredith tried to hide her exasperation over Clay’s statement.
“I said it in my email to you and your mother. You said email was better than texts.”
He stared at her and went back to stocking the bar for the wedding that would happen in four hours.
This was one of those affairs where the customers had rented the barn and were bringing in their own caterers, but would pay for the bar.
She’d talked to the bride a few times this week to see if there was anything she could do and if she could be on site for the wedding for assistance.
The bride was thrilled to have her, but she’d stay out of the way and not confuse the issue. To her, she wanted to see how it was all handled and take a few pictures.
“Your texts are almost like emails,” he said. “A text should be a brief summary of information, not a damn book.”
