“My mother told me you called that the kids were picking on her cuz she stunk and her clothes were dirty. Is it still happening?”
She held her smile in place. “It doesn’t appear to be that I can see. She is still very hungry.”
“We feed her,” Richie said. “I don’t appreciate the call from social services.”
“I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.” This was news to her.
“Shortly after your call, social services called,” Rosie said. “I told you they weren’t connected, Richie.” Rosie turned to her. “Her after-school program said that Macy told them she only gets to eat at school. That’s not true. We cleared it up.”
At least she wasn’t the only one that saw signs in this family.
“I feed my kid,” Richie said. “If I’m not around, my mother does it.” Richie turned to his mother. “At least I hope you do. You probably bring her back food from work.”
“At least I’m giving her something,” Rosie said. “And picking her up and bathing her on Sunday nights. It’s more than you’ve done in years.”
“No one asked you to do that shit,” Richie said. His voice was rising.
Oh lord. She didn’t want to get into the middle of a family fight.
“Can we focus on Macy?” she asked. “We only have a few more minutes left.”
“I have nothing to say other than I don’t need people questioning me how I raise my daughter,” Richie said.
“Then step up and do something,” Rosie said. “I think we’ve finished here. If there are any other issues with Macy, just let us know. Let’s go, Richie.”
“You need to do a better job getting people off my back,” Richie hissed to his mother when they were leaving.
Meredith took a deep breath and sank back into her chair.
“Wow. Not the best way to end your night,” Cassidy said. “I heard them arguing in my room.”
“Yeah. Glad that is over with. That poor kid. Now I can understand.”
“I could smell the alcohol on him walking in his wake.”
“I wasn’t sure if it was just body odor or not,” she said. The guy was rank, but it wasn’t the first time she’d come into contact with it and there was nothing she could do.
Macy was cleaner than she’d been and had never made a comment about only eating at school to her.
There were plenty of kids who got two full meals from the school district and not much more at home. Sadly, Macy’s story wasn’t unheard of.
“Why don’t you gather your things and I’ll walk out with you,” Cassidy said.
“Why?”
“Because with the way drama is following you around, and that last visit, maybe I want to ensure you can get in your car without a brick dropping on your head.”
She rolled her eyes. “Thanks for that.”
But she grabbed her bag, shut her light and left with Cassidy.
The parking lot was only half full and the drive home was uneventful.
Yet when she was lying in bed that night, she jumped at every noise when she hadn’t days ago. It just seemed as if there were a lot more noises going on downstairs in her home now than ever before.
She yanked the covers up over her head to hide.
Why did she let Clay get in her head?
