The next day Sandi did not have to work so after Joletta left for school, she and the baby walked over to Susan’s house. She had made some oatmeal muffins and wanted to take them over and share them while they had a cup of hot coffee. It had been almost two weeks since she and Jim had admitted their love for one another, and he had dropped the bomb about his heritage. She had not breathed a word of it to anyone, but she just had to talk to someone.
At first Sandi considered talking with Lynn but ruled that out, fearing what she would think. Of course, Lynn would only listen. She would not come out and say anything. Even if she did not think it was right, she would leave it to Sandi to think it through. Still, this was just too personal. Sandi wanted someone she felt close to, that would not be judgmental or condescending. Yes, she decided, Susan would be the better choice. Sandi knew she would listen carefully and respect whatever decisions she and Jim might make, whether she agreed with them or not.
“Sandi!” Susan hugged the young woman. “What a nice surprise. I didn’t think I would get to see you today.”
“Well,” stuttered Sandi, “I wonder if I could talk to you about something.”
“Of course, you can, my dear girl. My goodness, something sure does smell good. What is it that you have there?”
Two hours later, Sandi and Annie were preparing to leave. Susan gave the baby a final pat on top of her head. “Bye-bye, little one.”
“Now remember Sandi, you be sure to tell that young man that I expect him at my birthday celebration. I think it’s about time he met all of us. And don’t you worry about anything. You are a wonderful young woman. I have no doubt you will fit in just fine. As for Joletta…she will be OK. From everything you have told me about Jim, he sounds like the kind of person Joletta and Annie need to have around.”
“Thank you so much, Susan.” Sandi reached out to the older woman and hugged her tightly. “I don’t know what we would ever do without you. I only wish you had been in our lives a long time ago.”
“Everything happens for a reason, Dear. Sometimes we just don’t know what those reasons are at the time. You know Sandi, I have been praying for some time that the right person would come along and make you happy. Now, it looks like my prayers are going to be answered.”
“Susan, you don’t really believe that, do you?”
“My darling young woman, any time the Lord wants to answer my prayers, I certainly have no objections. One of these days we’ll talk more about that, but I know you have to go now. Just give me a big hug, and I’ll let you get on with your day, Dear.”
Jim came by the house when he got off work at 5:00.
“Hey there, little Peaches!” He picked up Annie and kissed the top of her golden head. “Where’s Joletta?”
“She and Tina walked down to the store. I think Tina’s dad gave them a couple of dollars for cleaning out the flower beds last week, and it was burning a hole in their pockets.”
“Good.” He laughed, pulling Sandi to him, kissing her hard on the lips. “That will give us a few minutes to do this. Annie won’t tell on us, will she?”
“Annie, now you remember. This is a big secret! Don’t you dare tell on your Momma and Jim-boy here!”
“Oh, Jim! You are so silly!” Sandi’s face pressed into the front of his shirt. She could still smell the aftershave that he had used this morning before leaving for work. Every fiber of her body tingled, and she felt like she might faint dead away!
“Got anything to drink?” he asked as he scooped Annie into his arms. “Come on, Cutie-Patootie. Let’s go out back and swing. I have something to tell your Momma.” He laughed as he swung the little girl around in a circle on the way outside. “Meet you out back, Shivers!” he called over his shoulder, and he carried a giggling Annie out the back door.
Sandi watched Jim through the kitchen window as he deposited the baby into the little blue plastic swing he had given on her birthday. She squealed with delight as he started swinging her and tickling the bottoms of her bare feet. Every time the swing came toward him, he would grab at her tiny toes and tickle them. A long-ago memory of another little girl and another swing came to Sandi’s mind. “Oh Daddy,” she thought, “why did you leave?”
He leaned around and kissed the back of her neck as Sandi handed him the glass of iced tea.
“What did you want to tell me, Jim?” Sandi asked as she took a sip of her own cool drink.
“Well, you remember me telling you that my major in college was not in the field of social work, but that I had originally planned on a career teaching special education?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Anyway, I’ve made a decision. I have decided that it is time for a change. I’ve already talked with Dean Matthews out at Crowder College, and he says there are only a couple of refresher courses that I will have to take in order to make it happen. If I decide to go forward with it, I will start classes later this summer. It will take a few months before my credentials are in order. After that, we will just have to wait and see. I already did a year of student teaching at Good Samaritan before I started working with the agency. I’m still not sure if I want to work in the school system or what.”
“But Jim… what about your job at Family Services?”
“Sandi, you know I will have to quit that job. I couldn’t continue working there anyway, once Mr. Herman finds out that I plan to marry you. There are strict rules against client/ worker relationships, and I believe we have broken all of them!”
Sandi gasped, and her mouth fell open. “Jim! What are you talking about? We can’t get married! My life has been a mess for so long.” She paused, her heart pounding. “I can’t ask you to marry me!”
“Exactly where did you think we were going with this relationship, darling? Also, I don’t recall you asking me anything! –and when are you going to stop saying, “I can’t?” Sandi, I have known for a long time that I would change fields one of these days. Of course, I didn’t know I was going to fall in love first. Guess it has just served to get me thinking about what’s really important!”
She was still in his arms when the two young girls came out the back door.
“Mom, are you out here? Mom!”
Sandi and Jim jumped and backed away from each other as the girls stood looking at them with wide eyes.
Jim was the first to speak. “Joletta, your mom and I have something we want to tell you.”
“Joletta, wait!” Her mother called as the girl ran into the house.
“What’s the matter with her?” Joletta’s friend asked, looking totally confused. “Is there something wrong?”
“It’ll be alright, Tina. Joletta and her mom are just going to have to have a few minutes to themselves. Maybe you should go on home for the time being. I’m sure Jo will call you after a while.”
“Are you sure she’s OK?”
“I’m sure she is going to be just fine, Sweetie.” Jim assured the girl as he patted her on the shoulder and sent her on her way.
“Mom!” Joletta sobbed, “How could you? Everything has been going so good! You were kissing him!”
Sandi was not at all sure what to say to Joletta. “I didn’t realize you would be so upset, Sweetheart. I thought you liked Jim.”
“I guess I do Mom, but we’re doing just fine on our own. I suppose you think you’re in love with him.” There was anger in the girl’s voice. “You’re just going to mess everything up!”
“Joletta, be reasonable. Jim and I have come to realize that we do love each other, but we aren’t going to do anything that will mess things up! Joletta, Jim cares for you and Annie also, very much, and he wants all of us to be happy.”
Joletta did not answer but sat on the edge of the bed, refusing to look at her mother.
“Can I come in?” Jim spoke from behind the partially opened door.
“Is it OK, Joletta?” Jo shrugged her shoulders and gave her mom a resigned look.
“It’s OK, Jim. Where’s Annie?”
“I thought maybe it would be better if she visited with Susan for a little while. I told her we would be over to get her soon.” “What’s the problem with this young lady here?” He reached over and gently poked Joletta on the arm.
She sniffled and pulled slightly away, still unwilling to let go of her anger.
“Come on, Joletta. It was only a kiss. Not the end of the world! You know, kisses aren’t meant to make other people unhappy.”
“Yeah, right!” Joletta rolled her eyes, but a slight smile touched her lips. She could envision the first time her mother found out she had kissed a boy.
Her mom didn’t know it, but she had kissed Tina’s brother, Jacob just a few weeks ago. He was 15, and his friend Tommy dared her to do it. He had walked right up to her and said, “I am going to kiss you,” and he did! Actually, she sort of liked it. Little sparks of electricity had made her feel funny inside, and she thought she might like to do it with him again sometime, but then he had laughed at her and said she was just a kid. Then he told her to go back and play with her Barbie’s!
Boy! That made her mad! She’d show him someday that she wasn’t “just a kid!”
“One of these days, your mom is going to have to deal with you kissing boys. I’m sure that will make her happy!” Jim was grinning as his voice brought her back to the present. “There, that’s better. Seriously, Jo, your mom and I love each other, but we love you girls, too! We just have to take things one step at a time. It’s going to all work out for all of us.”
“Now, how about if we go and get little Peaches? I think we all could go for some ice cream about now!”
“Can Tina come? Was she mad at me for going in the house?”
“No, she isn’t mad. I told her you would call her later. But I think just the four of us should go this evening.”
“We’ll have to get a sandwich or something before treats, Jim. None of us have had anything for supper.”
“Yes, boss! Haven’t you ever heard the saying “Life is short, eat dessert first!”?
Sandi laughed as she hugged Joletta close to her side. “You might want to go wash those tears off of your face before we go.” She patted her daughter and kissed her on the cheek.