Chapter Twelve
Parker
The pot of water that sat on the stove seemed to be dead set against boiling and determined to grate on Parker’s nerves the longer she stared at it.She knew the old saying about a watched pot, but she couldn’t help it.Focusing all of her attention on the special back-to-school dinner she was trying to make for her daughter was the only thing keeping Parker’s mind from drifting back to Travis and how it felt like they had been about to kiss the other day.
Listening to him talk about his past hurts and current pain had endeared the man to her even more than he already was, and the way he offered her compassion as she went on and on about her own trials and tribulations filled her heart with affection for him as well.Parker had even cried over a tree of all things for Heaven’s sake, something she was still pretty embarrassed about, but Travis hadn’t judged her.Instead, he’d held her while she felt her feelings and then almost kissed her.
Kit interrupting them was probably for the best.Nothing but heartache would come from getting involved with someone when their stay at the farm was temporary at best.Still, that didn’t stop the longing Parker felt in her heart and other parts of her body every time she thought back on their time under the trees, hence the staring.Finally, the water started to bubble slowly and she let out a little whoop of excitement.It was a silly thing to get worked up about, but she had always tried to appreciate the little things in life, and hot water was no little thing.Enough ice cold showers over the years had taught her that.
Ripping open the package of spaghetti, Parker dumped it into the pot and set about finishing up the sauce.Spaghetti had always been Kit’s favorite food, the slippery noodles getting sucked up into her mouth one of the few things she’d had to entertain herself growing up, but tonight would be even better.Meatballs made with ground beef and pork, a sauce made with actual tomatoes and fresh herbs from Cora’s garden instead of canned paste and dried garlic powder, and freshly grated parmesan cheese were all going to elevate their normally bland meal into something really special.Parker had even gotten one of those fancy salad kits from the store she’d so often seen and never had the money to splurge on.It was nice to be able to do something to mark the start of school in a memorable way for once.
About ten minutes later, when the cooked pasta mingled with the sauce, Kit wandered into the kitchen from her room.Other than being out in the orchard or over at the Kemp’s home, Kit seemed to favor hanging out in her bedroom even more than watching television.Parker knew she was soaking up the luxury of having her own space as long as she could and hoped that maybe wherever the two of them landed next, she would be able to afford at least a one bedroom.
Parker wouldn’t mind sleeping in the family room if it meant Kit got some semblance of privacy.She was only eight, but Parker knew that soon enough she would want to have her own space to process all the crazy feelings that came along with puberty.Having her own room hadn’t helped Parker much in that regard, but she hoped her being a better mother than her own would go a long way to helping Kit.
“Spaghetti!”Kit exclaimed happily.Her big brown eyes that were just a shade darker than Parker’s lit up as she took in the rest of the meal before that happiness stuttered slightly.“Is this because I have school tomorrow?”
Parker nodded, plating up a heaping serving for her daughter and a more meager one for herself.She was getting slowly used to having access to more food, but it was hard to break the habit of making sure Kit got her fill before Parker gave even a single thought to having more than was absolutely necessary.She also added a hefty helping of the applesauce she’d made the night before.
When one of the seasonal workers had informed Parker that the apples that were on the ground were just left there to rot, she couldn’t believe it.Never wanting to let anything go to waste, Parker had gathered them up and kept them under the stairs, taking one for a midday snack or making applesauce and juice with them.They didn’t taste amazing and she had to eat around the bruises, but you couldn’t beat free food.
As they sat and tucked into their meal, Parker could sense the unease pouring off her little girl.“Are you excited for school tomorrow?”Maybe if she injected enough enthusiasm into her own voice it would rub off on Kit.
“I guess,” Kit muttered.She stuffed a forkful of spaghetti into her mouth, not even bothering to slurp up the noodles.Her daughter must really be on edge if she was actually displaying some semblance of table manners.
Parker passed over the salad bowl to her and nodded at Kit’s plate, smiling when she dutifully served herself some of the shaved Brussels sprout and cranberry mix.“What’s not to be excited about?New school, new kids to make friends with, a new teacher who we already met and seems as sweet as they come.”The older woman reminded Parker or Cora, so she knew Kit would be in good hands with her.
Kit pushed her salad around, eating only the cranberries for a minute before meeting her mother’s gaze.The worry Parker saw there was so great that her chest hollowed a little at the sight of it.No eight-year-old should look as troubled as her daughter did in that moment.
“What if it’s like the last few times?What if they tease me?”
Parker smiled sadly and patted her daughter’s hand.“If it happens again, we’ll deal with it like we always do.”
Kit always seemed to favor overalls and keeping her hair short.She’d told Parker how the kids had taunted her for her style and as much as it hurt to hear, she also knew there was little she could do to prevent it other than talk to the school.The officials at Kit’s last school hadn’t seemed to think it equated to bullying, but they didn’t have to watch their little girl lose a little bit of her light every day.She’d gained so much of it back in the weeks they’d been at the farm that Parker could see why she was afraid of losing it again.Truthfully, Parker was a little scared too.
“I know it was hard at the last few schools, but we talked about how it’s okay for people to dress however they want, and look however they want.We just need to remember that and treat other people how we want to be treated.Hopefully, they’ll learn from our example.”Kit nodded, but averted her gaze, not satisfied with her mom’s answer.“Is there something else you’re worried about?”
“I lied before,” she whispered.When Kit looked up at her again, Parker saw unshed tears in her eyes.“Am I in trouble?”
Parker was already up and out of her chair, pulling Kit into her arms by the time the last sentence had left her mouth.“No, sweetheart.”She crushed the little girl against her chest.“I’ve told you many times that I only want the truth from you, even if it doesn’t come out at first.So unless you lied about never having robbed a bank or something, you’re not in any trouble.”That earned a light huff from her daughter as she wiped at her eyes.“Now what did you lie about?”
Kit’s fingers twisted together in her lap.“The kids didn’t tease me about how I dress, at least not in the way I said they did.”
