Ms. Benedict greeted them warmly when they entered her classroom at their appointed time. “Hello, you must be Olivia. I’m Ms. Benedict, and I am going to be your teacher this year. Would you like to look around the classroom for a few minutes while I talk with your mom?”
Olivia nodded her head and walked around the room, looking at the pictures hanging on the wall. Ms. Benedict had a real bird in a cage. She stood next to the cage for a long time, trying to cajole the bird into speaking to her. She even tried to bribe it with some candy she had in her pocket.
While Olivia was familiarizing herself with the room, Ms. Benedict gave Jessi the list of supplies that would be needed for the school year. “I have some papers for you, but I’m sure you’re already accustomed to all this. What grade is it that you are teaching this year? You’re at Edgerton. right?”
Jessi took the papers from her. “Yes, I’m teaching third at Edgerton. I’ve taught third grade for so long that I’m not sure if I’d remember anything else.”
They discussed the school year and the schedule. Pretty much both school districts tried to follow the same break schedule for Christmas and Easter, although it wasn’t called Easter break anymore. Aunt Merry would throw a fit about that one if she were to find out.
Olivia walked up to join them just as they were discussing transportation. “I just have one more form to discuss with you, and that is the bus schedule for Olivia to get to and from school.”
Jessi looked alarmed. “Oh, she won’t be taking the bus. I will drop her off on my way to school.”
Olivia piped right in. “Mom, I want to take the bus. I’ve waited my whole life to take the bus. Why can’t I?”
Jessi gave her daughter a “please not now” look. “Olivia, we’ll discuss this at home.”
Ms. Benedict hated to be the bearer of bad news, but she didn’t see how it would work. “Our classes don’t start until eight twenty. We have one of the latest start times in the county. You won’t have enough time to drop her off at an acceptable time and still make it to your classroom in time for school to start. The bus would be picking her up early anyway, and then you would be free to leave for school yourself. If we had before-school care, it wouldn’t be a problem, but we don’t, so I don’t see how it would work, unless, of course, you had someone else drop her off.”
Jessi’s mind immediately went to Mark. “No, I don’t have anyone else. The bus is safe, isn’t it? I mean how many accidents per year do you have?”
Ms. Benedict’s smile was meant to reassure her. “We have not had an accident here in a long time. I’m sure Olivia would be quite safe in the care of our bus drivers. They are well trained and all have gone under immense scrutiny regarding background checks. I’m sure she would be fine.”
Olivia begged her mother with her eyes. “Please, Mom, couldn’t we just try it? I want to ride the bus so bad.”
Jessi had to agree that her schedule would be really tight if she couldn’t drop Olivia off at school until five minutes past eight. She had to let go of her fear at some point. “I guess we can try it.”
Olivia started jumping up and down. “Thank you, Mommy!” She ran to the bird. “Did you hear? My mommy said I could ride the bus.”
Ms. Benedict smiled and gave her the time schedule for the bus. “She’ll be picked up at seven ten and then dropped off at three forty p.m. Will someone be there when she gets off the bus to pick her up?”
“My next-door neighbor will be watching her until I get home from school. I’ll let her know that she won’t have to pick her up at school now. She can just get her from the bus stop.”
“Well, it was very nice to meet you, Olivia. I hear you and your mom are going out to lunch and then school shopping. You have fun. I’ll see you right after Labor Day, okay?” Ms. Benedict turned her attention to Jessi. “I hope I didn’t push you too hard about the bussing issue. Perhaps there is someone else you could talk to about dropping Olivia off for school in the mornings if you aren’t comfortable with her riding the bus. Just let us know if you change your mind.”
“I think we’ll give it a try and see if it works out. I’m sure it’s just me being an overprotective mom. Come on, Olivia, say good-bye to Ms. Benedict and the bird. It’s time to go.”
“Bye, Ms. Benedict. Bye, bird.” Olivia followed her mother outside to the car. The rest of the day they spent eating and shopping and more shopping. Olivia fell asleep on the way home, reenergizing her for her evening with her dad.
***
At six o’clock sharp, Mark came walking up the driveway. Olivia spotted him first. “Daddy’s here.” She ran out the door and flew into his arms. He swung her around and then picked up the picnic basket he had set aside. They made their way to the field out back, and together they set up their picnic.
They spent the rest of their time together planning the birthday party for Jessi. She would never guess what they were up to. After cleaning up their picnic and watching Olivia yawn like there was no tomorrow, they headed back to the house.
Jessi got Olivia settled in with a movie and sat out on the front porch with Mark. She had become somewhat used to having him around. Part of her change of heart was the difference she saw in him. He wasn’t the same man she had been married to. She was now sure the changes in him were for real. Not once had he let either her or Olivia down by failing to follow through with his promises. She was giving up a lot of her fears all at once, and she actually felt liberated. Freer. “You are good with her, Mark. I’m impressed.”
Mark looked sheepish. He hadn’t known what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t a compliment. “Thanks. I love our time together.” He wanted to say so much more but wasn’t sure if their conversation would end up in an argument instead of settling on a visitation schedule. “I’d like to see her as much as possible. I don’t know yet what I’ll be doing for work, so I’m not sure what my schedule will be. I’m pretty sure, though, I won’t be working on Sundays. I would like to take her to church with Julia and me. I know she would enjoy it. Then we could spend the afternoon together, and that would give you some free time. We could discuss a weekday afternoon visit time if my work schedule will allow for it. I’ll know more once I get a job.”
“I’m good with that. She’s been bugging me about taking her to church. This way she gets to go and it’s not me taking her. Works out perfectly for all of us.”
Mark wasn’t so sure about the “working out perfectly for all of us” comment but knew better than to disagree with her on this. God would work out her salvation in his own timing. He, along with Olivia and the others, would continue to pray until they saw the results that they all desperately wanted to see. “Well, then. I guess I will see you on Sunday morning. I’ll call you with the time.” Mark stood up to leave. Julia had pulled up a few minutes earlier and was waiting for him. He opened the car door. “Thanks, Jessi. I appreciate all you’re doing.”
Jessi just nodded and watched him go.
***
Sunday morning, Mark and Julia pulled into Jessi’s driveway at nine o’clock. They were visiting a church in Janesville, and Sunday school started at nine thirty. They didn’t want to be late. The church wasn’t as big as the one they were used to in Oklahoma City, but maybe smaller wouldn’t be so bad. It would be easier to get to know people at a smaller church. The pastor reminded Mark of his friend and mentor back in Oklahoma. He found Olivia’s class, and she had no problem with giving her dad a kiss and joining in the fun. He decided to sit in on the pastor’s class, and Julia joined a women’s Sunday school class. There was hardly a seat to be had in the class he chose. The discussion was riveting, and he found himself totally intrigued when Pastor Jackson bowed his head to pray. He could hardly believe the class was over. After service he waited to shake hands and thank the pastor for the sermon. He’d have to see what Julia thought, but he liked what he’d seen so far. Hopefully she did too.
After church they went home and ate the pot roast that Julia had put in the o
ven before church. They finished planning Jessi’s birthday party and then played board games until it was time for Olivia to go home. Everyone had a wonderful day. The next day Mark and Julia joined Jessi and Olivia for the Labor Day parade. Mark decided the fun in going was watching Olivia enjoying all the different parade participants. There were clowns and floats, marching bands, and lots of candy being thrown out to the crowd. She had a blast. After the parade they stopped for a burger and then headed home; everyone had a big day the next day. It was Jessi and Olivia’s first day of school, and Mark had an appointment with his new parole officer. He wanted to apply for the ignition interlock device so he could drive himself to work and back. His parole officer also had some leads on some companies that might be hiring. Hopefully he would find something soon. He needed to start pulling his own weight and paying Julia for his living expenses and helping Jessi with the cost of raising Olivia. He desperately needed to make a difference.
Chapter 27
Of all the things that were happening on Tuesday morning—Jessi’s first day at school, Mark’s meeting with his parole officer and job hunting, and Julia’s shopping for furniture—none of it compared in excitement to Olivia’s first day of kindergarten. Her new outfit was ready and waiting, and she was dressed and ready for school before Jessi climbed out of bed. Olivia stood over her mom, watching her sleep while deciding if she should wake her. She better wake her. Maybe the alarm didn’t go off. What if she didn’t turn it on. Then they’d be late for school. Olivia didn’t want to be late for school.
She shook her mom. Jessi startled awake to find Olivia looking down at her. “What is it? What’s the matter?”
Olivia looked at her mother. “We’re late.”
Jessi glanced at the clock. “What do you mean we’re late. It’s only five thirty in the morning. Why are you up? It’s not time to get up yet.” Jessi was awake enough now to see that Olivia was fully dressed, hair combed, shoes on, and ready to go with her new backpack in hand. “Were you too excited to sleep?”
Olivia nodded her head.
“All right, then, how about I get up and get showered and then I’ll make us some breakfast before we have to leave. Do you want scrambled eggs and toast or pancakes?”
“Can we have chocolate chip pancakes?”
“I suppose so, just because it’s a special day. You wait for me in the living room, and I’ll be out as soon as I’m dressed. Do you want me to put in a movie for you?”
“No, that’s okay. I will just look at my books.”
Olivia headed out to the living room, while Jessi made her way to the shower. When she heard the shower going she picked up the phone and dialed her dad’s house.
Mark was dreaming when he heard the phone ring. He felt like there was a war between sleeping and waking, and he was panicking because he couldn’t wake up. Finally he opened his eyes and rolled over onto his side. He reached for the phone and at the same time looked at the clock. Five forty-five. Who would be calling this early? “Hello.”
“Daddy, is that you?”
Mark jerked awake. “Olivia? Baby, is that you? What’s wrong, honey? What’s the matter?”
“Why does everyone think something is the matter? I have to go to school today, and I got up before Mommy and got dressed all by myself. The bus is going to pick me up at seven ten. That’s what my teacher said. I have to be ready ’cause I don’t want to miss the bus. Mommy is going to make me chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast as soon as she gets out of the shower. I am going to eat hot lunch at school today. The menu says we’re going to have macaroni and cheese and pears. I like macaroni and cheese and pears.” Olivia didn’t let Mark get a word in. She was talking a mile a minute and was so excited about school that she didn’t hear her mother come out of the bathroom.
“Olivia, who are you talking to?
Olivia jumped and screamed at the same time. “You scared me, Mommy.”
Jessi asked her again. “Olivia, I asked you who are you talking to?”
“I’m talking to Daddy. I wanted to tell him I was ready for school.”
“Olivia, you need to ask permission before you make phone calls. Let me talk with your dad.”
Jessi took the phone from Olivia. “Hi, Mark. I’m sorry about that. I didn’t know she was going to call you. She was supposed to be looking at her books while I took a shower.”
Now fully awake, he realized he enjoyed hearing Jessi’s voice first thing in the morning. He couldn’t remember appreciating that when they were married. “It’s okay, Jessi. She’s just excited, and I let her know it was okay to call me for anything. Even trivial things are important to me if they are important to her. It’s not a bother or an inconvenience. I really don’t mind.”
Jessi really didn’t know what to make of this new Mark. The old one would have been cursing and throwing a fit because his sleep had been disturbed, that is if he could have been awoken in the first place. Half the time he was still drunk at five in the morning. “Well, I just wanted to apologize. And thanks, Mark. For being so understanding, I mean. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.” Mark hung up the phone more hopeful than he’d been in a long time. Jessi had actually been decent and civil toward him, almost to the point of friendly. He looked upward and said, “We’re getting somewhere, God. Thank you!”
***
Jessi drove to the end of the driveway and stood with Olivia until the bus picked her up. She couldn’t help but snap a few pictures of her daughter as she was waiting and getting on the bus. Some of the teachers scrapbooked together and had invited her to join them. She’d always declined their invitation, but she decided it was time to put her memories of Ethan in a proper album for all of them to enjoy rather than hoard her mementos to sulk in them herself. While she was at it, she should also start Olivia’s pictures as well.
***
Olivia was so excited when the bus pulled up. “Mommy, here it comes.” Olivia looked so cute with her backpack and her new dress on. She was a beauty. It broke Jessi’s heart to see her getting so big. It seemed like only yesterday when the doctors handed her, her life preserver, a new life to be responsible for, to give new meaning to her life. Now this little girl was growing up. Where was her life source going to come from when she was gone? She thought of all the people in the world who were constantly wishing away their lives. Jessi had learned long ago to live every moment to its fullest. Unfortunately, she was only starting to put it into practice.
Olivia waved as she got on the bus. “Bye, Mom. See you later.”
Jessi waved back. “Bye, sweetheart. I love you. Have a good day.”
After the bus pulled away from the driveway, Jessi drove to work, her thoughts returning to her conversation with Mark. Why did her thoughts often drift toward her ex-husband? What was she doing? She wasn’t ready to completely forgive him for his actions. Why was she wondering about how his day was going and what he was doing? She knew he had a meeting with his new parole officer today, and she found herself actually hoping it would go well. This wasn’t happening. She turned on the radio to drown out her thoughts.
***
Olivia loved her class. She loved her teacher. She loved the bird. And she especially loved her new best friend, Samantha, Sam for short. Sam sat next to her at the table they shared. Their cubbies were right next to each other too. Olivia was so glad to have a best friend. This was the best year of her life. She’d always wanted a dad, now she had one; and she always wanted a best friend, now she had that too. School was going to be wonderful.
When she got off the bus that afternoon, Mrs. Richards, the lady who owned the farm, was waiting for her. After talking with her mom on the phone she had a snack and helped Mrs. Richards with the horses. Her days were planned for the next nine months—school and then work with the horses. To her it was the perfect afternoon. She loved feeding the horses and brushing them down. She had no fear, and sensing that, the horses were not at all skittish around her. It proved to b
e the perfect job for her. She even earned a little pocket change from Mrs. Richards, which she was going to save in secret to buy her mom and dad a Christmas gift all on her own.
***
The first week of school flew by, and before they knew it, it was time for Jessi’s surprise birthday party. When Olivia and Jessi arrived on Saturday, Jessi thought she was just dropping Olivia off to spend the afternoon with her dad so Jessi could have some time to shop for scrapbook supplies. Mark met them in the driveway. Olivia got out of the car. Her eyes begged her father to do something. Mark gave Olivia a quick smile and a nod of the head. He bent down to the driver’s side window. “Hey, Jessi, how are you?”
“Doing good. I’m just going to run to Janesville to get a few supplies. I shouldn’t be more than a couple of hours.”
“You haven’t seen the house yet, have you? Julia wanted me to invite you in. She wants to show you around. It’ll just take a minute, and then you can get on your way.”
Jessi looked like she was about to decline.
“She’ll be heartbroken if you don’t come in. She doesn’t know anyone here except you and me and Olivia, and, well, I’m not exactly the decorator type, if you get my meaning. She needs a friend at the moment, a woman friend, who can give her some suggestions and ideas on decorating. Please, if you just take a minute it would mean the world to her.” He put on his best puppy dog eyes, hoping they would still work. “Please.”
“Oh, all right. I suppose a minute won’t hurt. Lead on.”
When they entered the house, both Olivia and Julia had hats on and started to blow horns. “Surprise” they yelled between horn-blowing. “Happy Birthday, Mom.” It didn’t take Jessi but a moment to figure out what was going on and that she’d been duped.
The afternoon turned out to be very pleasant for everyone. Mark grilled the burgers while Julia got out the salads she had prepared. Jessi commented on the house while Julia was setting the table. “The house has turned out great, Julia. You have a knack for decorating, and I love the furniture. Have you decided if you are going to buy the house?”