“Liz, we’re nearly to the end of the school year.”
“We’re also nearly to the one year anniversary of Grady’s death. That might have something to do with her behavior too.”
“When is that?”
“Middle of March.”
She let out another long sigh. “Alright, I understand. I know this is hard for your family. I get it. I do.”
“Thank you.”
Her cold eyes lifted to meet mine. “But she cannot keep disrupting class and lunch. Yesterday she had all of the kids in the lunchroom chanting, “Yum!” at the top of their lungs.”
My eyebrows shot to my hairline.“Yum?”
Ms. Conway started pounding her fists lightly on her desk in time to illustrate, “Yum! Yum!Yum!”
“I can see why that would cause so many problems.”
“Ms. Carlson, they were extremely loud. The teachers couldn’t get them to settle down.”
“Give her just a little more time to struggle through this. I promise I will have a talk with her and she will get it together for the rest of the school year.”
“We just have a few more months,” she offered sympathetically.
“We’ll make it, Ms. Conway. I will get her through this year and then by next fall you will see a different kid.A healthier kid.”
“Alright, Liz.Alright.”
The bell rang for school to be dismissed and we both stood up. I said goodbye and walked out to meet my kids.
“Abby, we are going to talk when we get home,” I told her.
I wasn’t as irrational as I had been at the beginning of the year, but I knew my daughter needed discipline. I could only blame myself for so much and Grady’s death was a reality we had to learn to live with.
She couldn’t keep getting into trouble like this and Ms. Conway was right about her school work. Although she was only in first grade, she had all but given up trying to do well on anything.
“Am I in trouble?” she squeaked nervously.
I gave her a look, my mom look. I had perfected it over the years. She shrunk back. She knew the look all too well.
The ride home was silent. I let Abby stew in her fears of what was to come, but I didn’t exactly know what I was going to say either. I needed to work that out.
I had no idea where to begin with my daughter when her entire life had been shattered. She was my wildflower, my free spirit. Abby couldn’t follow rules before Grady died. How could I expect anything less of her now?
“Hey!” Emma greeted happily. “How was school?”
“Ask Abby,” Blake mumbled and then took off to find a snack.
“What’s wrong?” Emma asked me.
“Hey, can you stick around for a little bit longer? Like another hour?”
“What’s up?” Emma stepped close while Abby hovered nearby.
“I’m going to take Abs for some ice cream,” I whispered so the other kids didn’t overhear. “I need to talk to her.”
“One hour.” She held up her finger to accentuate her point. “I can give you one hour, but no more.”
