Darlene snuggled up to Brad in bed later that night. “Do you think Grace had a good birthday?”
Brad yawned. “As long as there was a car involved, she was going to have a good birthday.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Yes, I think she had a great day. And your meal was fantastic, complete with a famous guest, who by the way”—Brad’s voice rose in pitch—“wasn’t anything like you said. I thought she was very nice.”
“I bet you did.” She teasingly pinched him on the arm. “She’s beautiful, no doubt. But I’m telling you, she warmed up to me a lot the other night when I dropped her dress off.” She paused. “I wonder why she never told me who she was.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. Next Saturday night is that gala, right? Are you going to say anything to her?”
“I don’t know. I guess I should. Something like, ‘Hey, Layla, I didn’t know you were famous.’ Is that what you had in mind?” She smiled as she eased away from him, fluffing her pillow as Brad flipped television channels. “I hope you’re not looking for a Layla Jager movie.”
“Sometimes those movies are on one of the cable channels late at night.”
Darlene snatched the remote control.
“Hey, give me that.” He reached for it, but Darlene clicked the TV off and put the remote on the nightstand.
On Monday morning, Darlene rushed to the front door but turned when she heard Chad coming down the stairs.
“What about breakfast?”
The desperation in his voice should have been amusing, but she was running late this morning. “Chad, eat some cereal. Make some toast. You’re a big boy, I’m sure you can find something to eat.” She grabbed her purse from the hutch by the entryway.
“I’ll get Ansley to make me something, or I’ll threaten to eat her eggs.”
“Be nice, Chad. I’m leaving.” She looked over her shoulder. “I love you. Have a good day.”
On the way to work, she thought about what a great day they’d all had yesterday. After church, Brad and the kids had surprised her by taking her to lunch at Scotty and Friends to celebrate her new job. It was Darlene’s favorite place to eat a burger in Round Top. The kids had all chipped in and bought her a new purse—one that both Grace and Ansley said would be more stylish now that she was working. Brad said he’d ordered her something, but it hadn’t come in yet.
But yesterday’s Scripture readings at church had left her feeling a bit unsettled. Proverbs 31:27—She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Wasn’t that what she was doing—taking care of her household, not being idle?
But the next part of that Scripture reading made her question her choices. Proverbs 31:28—Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Would her husband and children still praise her if dinner wasn’t on time, the house clean, clothes washed, and things handled in a way that Darlene had always taken pride in?
Maybe her husband and children should have appreciated her efforts a little more.
She cringed, gripping the steering wheel, as the thought assaulted her. Then came that feeling of being torn between her life as mother and wife . . . and her new venture at the school.
In reality, was she just shifting her motherly duties to a new group of young people, who in essence wouldn’t appreciate her efforts either?
So why take on a job outside of the home?
She could say it was for independence—partly true. And she could say the extra income would be nice—also true. But deep down, she knew there was another reason. She wanted Brad to be proud of her. He’d never given her any reason to think that he wasn’t proud of everything she’d accomplished as a homemaker—and maybe it was her own hang-up—but the feeling was still there.
She gave her head a little shake. All of the unnecessary analyzing had made it start to ache. Her job was enjoyable. The employees were nice, Myrna was great, and she felt like she was doing something important. So she focused on the mini-breakthrough she’d had with Cara on Friday and refused to let worry bring her down.
The group session flew by in the morning with all of the children and teachers in attendance. Cara disrupted the class several times when she tried to talk to Darlene about Ansley and the chickens. Darlene promised her that they would talk later, during their one-on-one class.
By the time the afternoon rolled around, Cara was talking so fast that Darlene could barely understand her. “Cara, honey . . . slow down so I can understand you.”
Cara shook her head hard several times, then tried to start again, but frustration won out and she started to cry. It was the first time Darlene had seen her cry. Darlene reached for her hand, but Cara jerked away and let out a low groan.
“Why don’t we try one of your math problems, then we’ll talk about the chickens?” She eased the math workbook in front of Cara, but Cara pushed it away and cried harder. “Chickens,” was all she managed to get out between sobs.
Darlene thought for a few moments. “Why don’t we draw a picture of the chickens? Do you think you can do that?”
Cara sniffled as she nodded.
Darlene was relieved that her crying was easing up. She wanted to hug her like she would anyone who was upset, but Cara didn’t like to be touched. Darlene quickly found a pad of paper in the pile of work for the day. She pushed it toward Cara, along with a pencil. “Do you know how to draw a chicken?”
Cara had Darlene’s photo album in one hand. She put it down on the table and picked up the pencil. Then she turned to Darlene. “Help me.” Darlene was surprised that Cara had spoken slowly and clearly.
“Okay. I can help you draw a chicken.” Darlene reached for another pencil, but Cara shook her head.
“No, no, no.” She started to cry again.
Darlene put the pencil down. “Okay.” She wasn’t sure what to do.
Cara pointed the pencil at Darlene’s chest, tears streaming down the little girl’s cheeks. She said something very fast, but Darlene didn’t understand her. She seemed to be repeating the same thing over and over, the pencil still pointed at Darlene. Darlene had been told that Cara could become violent, and now Cara had a very sharp pencil pointed at her.
“Cara . . . can . . . you . . . talk . . . very . . . slowly . . . like . . . I . . . am?” Darlene’s heart was racing, but she didn’t move.
Cara put the pencil down and opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
“Just say your words very slowly so I can understand you, and I’ll help you with whatever you want.”
“Ansley’s chickens.”
Darlene took a deep breath. “Do you want to draw Ansley’s chickens?”
“No.” Cara squeezed her eyes shut. “I want to see Ansley’s chickens.”
“You want to see Ansley’s chickens?”
Cara smiled, nodding her head.
Darlene thought about how all this had started. If she’d known Cara would become so consumed with the chickens, she would have never mentioned them. “Well, uh . . .”
Cara touched the top of Darlene’s hand, her eyes glistening with hope.
“Okay. Let’s do all your work, and we’ll ask your dad if you can see Ansley’s chickens sometime.”
Cara eased her hand away. “You are a mother.”
Darlene smiled. “Yes.”
Cara picked up her pencil and did every math problem Darlene gave her . . . and every lesson for the rest of the afternoon.
Dave eased up to the door of The Evans School, then peered through the glass pane. He’d been coming in the side door that went directly to Cara’s room for months. It was easier than coming through the main entrance, and Myrna didn’t mind. Darlene was talking to Cara, and his daughter was laughing— just like she was last Friday when Dave had arrived to pick her up. The jury was still out on this new teacher, but seeing her and Cara laughing together brought a smile to his face. He opened the door, closing it behind him. Darlene and Cara turned to face him, both of them still laughing.
“More laughter. That’s always good to hear.” Dave walked up to Cara, leaned down, and kissed her on the forehead. “Another good day?”
Darlene spoke up as Cara nodded. “We were talking about the chickens again.”
Dave had heard about chickens all weekend long, and he’d buy Cara an army of them if she really wanted them. At the moment, though, he was wondering if there was any work getting done. His expression must have shown his concern.
“Cara did all of her work, plus she did some of tomorrow’s assignments also.” Darlene’s blue eyes gleamed as she spoke. It was hard not to smile at her enthusiasm about Cara’s progress. But this was only Darlene’s second week. What was she going to do the first time Cara threw a fit about something, or if she hummed all day long, or refused to do anything? Dave loved his daughter more than life, but he knew how challenging she could be.
Dave straightened. “Well, it sounds like another good day.”
Darlene stood up, then bent at the waist and spoke to Cara. “Cara, I need to talk to your dad. Can you sit here by yourself for a minute?”
Cara didn’t look up, but concern filled Dave’s mind. Maybe Darlene was already going to quit. Dave recalled the way he treated Cara’s last teacher, Mae. Looking back, he knew he had been way too hard on her. And the last thing Cara needed was another change. He followed Darlene as she motioned him to the other side of the room. “What’s wrong?” he asked in a whisper.
“Oh, nothing’s wrong. I just didn’t want to mention this in front of Cara. I didn’t want to put you on the spot, but . . .” She tucked her shoulder-length blond hair behind her ears and leaned forward. “Do you think that Cara could come see my daughter’s chickens?”
“At your house?” He didn’t like the thought of Darlene taking Cara somewhere in a car away from the school, especially since she wasn’t familiar with Cara’s unpredictable temperament.
“I told her that if she did all of her work we might be able to do that.” Darlene smiled, and Dave felt his blood pressure rising.
“So you bribed her?”
Her smile faded, and she bit her bottom lip for a moment. “I guess, in a way. She was so fixated on the chickens, I thought maybe a trip to see them might motivate her.”
“I don’t think you should have promised her that before you asked me about it.”
She hung her head for a moment and sighed, then she looked up at him. “I know. I thought about that the minute I said it, but . . .” She paused, folding her arms across her chest, then grinned. “Since you reward her with ice cream after a bad day, I thought a trip to see the chickens after a good day might be nice.” Her mouth spread into a wider smile.
Dave opened his mouth to tell her she was out of line, but then he thought about Mae. Cara seemed to like Darlene, so he didn’t want to run her off. But she had a lot of nerve. Even so, it wasn’t worth a battle with her right now about his parenting tactics. “I’m not comfortable with you taking Cara away from the school to your house.” He paused. “Not yet. You don’t really know Cara, and anything can happen. She can be unpredictable.”
She pulled her eyes from his, twisted her mouth to one side, then sighed. “I know you’re right. I’m sorry I promised her that. It’s just that . . .” She bit her lip again and shifted her weight. “I took this job because I wanted to make a difference, and I was just trying to connect with Cara. I really am sorry.”
Dave had seen the pictures of Darlene’s family. He was curious if she took this job for the money, or if she was telling the truth, that she really did want to make a difference in Cara’s life. He just wasn’t sure how to pose the question . . . that is, at least not with tact. But this woman was going to be spending more time with Cara than he was, so he decided just to be honest. “Most of the teachers are either here for the money, or this small school is just a dot on their résumé, a step toward a larger facility. Why are you here? Why is it important for you to make a difference in Cara’s life when”—he paused, rubbed his chin— “when you have your own family?”
She glanced back at Cara, who was sitting patiently, much to Dave’s surprise. Then she turned to face him again. “My kids are twelve, sixteen, and seventeen. They don’t need me the way they used to.” She smirked. “Except they seem to be suddenly unhappy that they aren’t getting a cooked breakfast in the mornings, and they’re having to help with the housework.” She waved a hand in the air. “Anyway, I’ve always been a stay-at-home mom, and if I was going to work outside of the home, I wanted it to be doing something besides shuffling papers. Something important.”
Dave could tell by the conviction in her voice that she had given him an honest answer, but as was his way, he badgered her one more step. “Are you trained in special education?”
“No. I’m not.” She blew out a heavy breath of air. “I know I’m the only teacher to work here who doesn’t have a degree or special ed training, and if you don’t want me working with Cara, I’d be disappointed but I’d understand.”
Dave couldn’t believe it when her eyes started to water up. Finally, someone who really did seem to care about Cara’s well-being.
“What would you think if Cara and I just followed you to your house and had a quick look at the chickens?”
She brought one hand to her chest, smiling. “I think that would be great.”
Dave held up a finger. “But . . . I better warn you. Cara gets focused on something, and then she never lets go of it. Like with jewelry.” He glanced at her left hand. “Sorry you’re not able to wear your wedding ring around her.”
“That’s okay.” Then she leaned closer to him, whispering, “You know, Cara might have forgotten about visiting the chickens, so we don’t have to mention it. She seemed content talking about and drawing the birds. But I wanted to say something to you privately in case she did say something about a visit.”
“I think I’ll just bring it up. You said she did such good work today, and you did promise her chickens.” He grinned and was glad to see Darlene grin back. “We’ll follow you to your house, and we won’t stay but a minute. I know you want to spend time with your family.”
They both walked back to Cara, and Dave told her the news. Cara stood up and hugged him. “Thank you, Daddy.” She spoke slowly and clearly, as though she didn’t have a care in the world.
“You’re welcome, baby.”
He looked at Darlene and wondered if she was confused by Cara’s calm demeanor because Dave stayed confused. But right now, Cara was happy, and that was all he wanted for her. That’s all Julie would have wanted too.
Darlene pulled into her driveway, hoping she wouldn’t have to invite Dave and Cara in. There was no telling what shape the house was in, and, she mused, there was always the possibility of someone talking about a nose-picking teacher or some other inappropriate subject. She hoped Ansley’s chickens were all in the chicken coop and not running loose like her daughter let them do sometimes.
Chad’s truck was here, and so was Grace’s new car. Brad should be on his way home. She felt a sense of relief whenever she saw that her teenage drivers were home, especially Grace since she’d just gained her freedom on the roads. As they’d done with Chad, after Grace passed her written test, Darlene and Brad had spent lots of time in the car with her. Both the kids were good drivers, but Darlene suspected she’d worry every time they got behind the wheel.
Dave pulled up behind her in his shiny black Mercedes. She’d show Cara the chickens, then have time to cook dinner. As she climbed out of the car, she could see Layla in the far distance on one of her horses. She still couldn’t believe Layla was famous. Maybe she should introduce Dave to Layla. Dave’s clothes and car seemed a nice monetary fit with Layla. Then she tried to picture Layla and Cara interacting, and she quickly dismissed that idea. Layla didn’t strike her as very maternal.
“Hi! The chickens are over there in the chicken coop,” she said as she walked toward Dave and Cara. She saw Dave glance at the farmhouse. “It needs a lot of work. We’ve only been here two months. It was my grandparents’ house.”
“I love these old houses,” he said, smiling. “Reminds me of when I used to visit my own grandparents. They had an old farmhouse in a rural area outside of Dallas.”
“How long have you lived here?”
“Since right before Cara was born. Julie—my wife—and I left Dallas to move here.” He paused, his green eyes traveling away from hers. “But she died when Cara was six.”
“I’m sorry.” Darlene was now in step with him as Cara ran up ahead.
He looked at her again, smiling. “Thanks. But at least I have Cara.”
“Chickens!” Cara yelled when she got to the edge of the coop Brad had fixed up. The ten-by-ten-foot cage housed the four hens and one rooster. Each hen had a roosting box filled with hay, and Brad had constructed a wooden perch in the far corner.
“I’m actually rather scared of birds, so I’m glad to see they’re in their pen.” Darlene glanced at Dave and shrugged. “But Brad promised them to Ansley for improving her grades.” She chuckled. “And we are in the country, so . . .”
“Brad’s your husband?”
“Yes. He works in Houston, so he usually gets home late.”
“Wow.” Dave folded his arms across his chest. “That’s quite a commute.”
“About an hour and a half each way, but he loves it here and says it’s worth the drive.”
They were quiet for a few moments as they watched Cara studying the chickens. Three of the hens were roosting. The other one scurried around the cage trying to avoid the rooster.
“I should probably get Cara a pet,” Dave said as they peered through the chicken wire. “But I can barely keep up with my business and Cara.”
“Oh, I understand. We had a dog in Houston. Buddy. We were all very attached to him, but after he died, I told everyone we were going to take a break for a while. Not only did it seem like no one could replace Buddy, but I just didn’t want to start all over. The kids promised to feed him, bathe him, and everything else, but I ended up doing most of the work.”
Cara threw her head back, laughing. Her auburn hair caught the light from the descending sun as she twisted to face them. “Ansley’s chickens!”
“Do you like those, Cara?” Darlene asked as she and Dave moved closer. Cara nodded. Darlene heard the back door slam, so she turned toward the house. “Here comes the owner of the chickens now.” Darlene motioned with her hand for Ansley to come their way.
“This is my youngest daughter, Ansley.” She put a hand on Ansley’s shoulder. “Ansley, this is Mr. Schroeder and his daughter, Cara. I teach Cara at The Evans School.”
Dave extended his hand to Ansley. “Nice to meet you, Ansley. That’s a great group of birds you’ve got there.”
“Mom hates them. Nice to meet you too.” Ansley quickly walked to Cara. “Hi, Cara.”
“Ansley’s birds . . .” Cara lifted her shoulders and dropped them slowly. “. . . are pretty.”
“Want to go in the pen?” Ansley reached down to unhook the clasp on the wire door. Dave stepped forward.
“Oh, I don’t know if that’s such a good—”
But Ansley was already in the chicken coop, and Cara was right behind her.
“That’s Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy.” Ansley pointed to each of the hens she was referring to.
“She’d just finished reading Little Women when she got the chickens,” Darlene said.
Dave nodded. “And what’s the rooster’s name?”
“Rocky.”
Dave leaned closer to Darlene and whispered, “Is there a Rocky in Little Women? I’m not sure I’ve ever read the book, but just wondering.”
Darlene laughed. “Not that I’m aware of.”
Ansley turned to Cara as she put her hands on her hips. “Do you wanna feed them?”
Cara nodded, and if Darlene hadn’t known better, she would have thought that Cara was just like any other twelve-year-old girl. A quick glance at Dave told her that he was more relaxed than he’d been a minute ago—not as stiff as before, anyway. Darlene had to admit, she’d been a little nervous for Cara to go inside the cage too. Darlene made a point not to go in there. But Cara’s eyes were bright, and she was smiling ear to ear as she followed Ansley’s lead, tossing a handful of feed on the ground. The three roosting hens joined the other one.
“Meg is timid. You can’t get very close to her.” Ansley tossed some seed toward the brown hen in the corner, but kept an arm out to keep Cara back. “Just throw some food on the ground near her.”
Cara did as Ansley instructed, smiling the whole time.
“Now we have to fill up their little trough here.” Ansley reached for the water hose. “Here, Cara. Do you want to give them some water? Just pull the trigger and point it at their water bowl, like this.” Ansley demonstrated, and Cara took the hose and filled the metal bowl like she’d done it a hundred times.
“They were thirsty.” Cara spoke slowly and clearly.
Darlene glanced at Dave. He didn’t even look like the same man, his mouth now curled into a full smile. Most of the time, the two lines between his eyebrows were deep, which made him look angry. The result of too much frowning, she assumed. But the lines were faint now.
“That’s amazing,” he whispered to Darlene without taking his eyes off his daughter. “She’s just like . . .”
He didn’t have to finish. Darlene knew what he was thinking. “She’s a beautiful girl, Dave.”
Dave turned to face her. “Well, Ansley is wonderful,” he said. “Look how good she is with Cara.” He smiled again. “It must run in the family.”
Darlene felt her cheeks warm. “Ansley’s never met a stranger.” She could feel Dave’s eyes on her, but she kept her gaze on the girls until she heard tires rolling onto their dirt driveway. “Oh, good. You’ll both get to meet Brad. He’s early.” She glanced at her watch, then lifted her hand to her forehead to block the sun. In the distance, she could still see Layla riding in the far pasture.
Cara and Ansley were tossing more feed to the chickens when Brad walked up. Darlene walked to meet him, then kissed him. “Hey. You’re early.” They turned and walked toward Dave. “This is Dave Schroeder. He’s Cara’s father.”
Both men exchanged pleasantries as they shook hands.
Her husband towered over Dave, who was still considerably taller than Darlene. Brad’s hair was dark, his eyes brown, and her husband had managed to retain his boyish good looks even as his forty-first birthday approached. He had the body of the high school quarterback she’d fallen in love with, and he had classically handsome features. She smiled to herself. Sometimes he still acted like that high school boy. Brad liked everything to balance out at home and at work, but he had a playful side that made him seem much younger than he was.
Darlene figured Dave to be about Brad’s age. Cara had his green eyes, which flecked in the sunlight as he talked with Brad. His olive skin stretched over high cheekbones, and one side of his mouth lifted higher than the other on the rare occasion when he smiled. He always stood straight like a towering spruce, and his massive shoulders filled the green polo shirt he wore. He was a nice-looking man, but . . . uptight. That was the word that came to her mind. She’d been hoping Brad could meet someone here in Round Top to maybe hang out with or play some golf with, but she doubted Dave was going to be that person.
But when she tuned back into their conversation, she was surprised to hear Brad suggesting a round of golf.
“I appreciate the offer,” Dave said before he glanced at Cara. “But it’s . . . well, hard for me to get away.”
“Mom can watch Cara,” Ansley said as she and Cara locked up the chicken coop. “She was always the neighborhood babysitter in Houston.”
“It’s true,” Darlene said as she smiled. “And I don’t mind watching Cara if you and Brad want to go play golf one day.”
Dave immediately shook his head. “You watch Cara all day long during the week. I don’t want to be a—”
“Dad.” Cara tugged on Dave’s arm as she pointed back at the bird cage. “Chickens.” A smile came to Dave’s face. He might be uptight, but it was clear that he loved his daughter.
“I see.” He put an arm around her, and Cara nestled against him. He turned to Brad and extended his hand. “It was nice to meet you. I’m going to let you get back to your family.” Then he turned to Darlene. “And thank you for letting Cara come see the chickens.”
“You are very welcome.” Darlene waved. “Bye, Cara. See you tomorrow.”
Brad put an arm around Darlene’s shoulder and whispered, “Seems like a nice guy.” He held up a hand and yelled, “And let me know about that game of golf.”
“I will.” Dave and Cara got in the car and left.
Thirty minutes later, Darlene had some pork chops baking in the oven, and Brad joined her on the porch. He’d changed out of his work clothes and into a pair of long tan shorts and a gray T-shirt with a NASA emblem on the front. They’d taken the kids to NASA in Houston a couple of years ago. Brad was big into the stars and could rattle on about things Darlene didn’t understand. But she enjoyed the time they spent stargazing together, and out here in the country, it was quite a show on some nights.
Tonight, as they settled onto the porch swing, it was way too early for any space shows. The sun was descending on the horizon, and Layla looked like the movie star she once was, her silhouette on the horse pasted against an orange ball behind her.
Brad shook his head as they both watched her cross the field speckled with bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes. “I still can’t believe Layla Jager lives next door to us.”
Darlene nudged him with her elbow. “Try not to swoon so much the next time you see her.”
Brad pulled her close. “You’re the only one who makes me swoon, baby. Only you.” He leaned down and kissed her in a way that made her feel like a teenager again.
Thank You, God, for Brad and for blessing our marriage all these years.
As Dave pulled out of the driveway, Cara stared out the passenger window, smiling. He thought about Brad’s offer to play golf sometime, and Darlene’s offer to watch Cara. He wasn’t ready to leave Cara just yet. Maybe as they got to know Darlene better, he’d feel more comfortable about it, but Dave knew Cara was a handful, and he didn’t want to discourage a potential friendship with Brad and Darlene. He’d been particularly impressed with Ansley and suspected their other children were equally as pleasant to be around.
Good parents. Good people. At least it seemed that way so far.
He eased back into his seat and stroked his chin. Cara was watching a group of Longhorns resting beneath an oak tree on the side of the road, so Dave slowed down. He watched Cara’s face light up, knowing he was a lucky man to have been blessed with someone as special as Cara. “God chooses special couples for special children,” Jules used to say.
Lord, I miss her so much.
He missed the laughter of family. Jules used to laugh a lot, even when times were hard. They’d started out with virtually nothing and lived in a small duplex in Dallas in the beginning. But they’d worked together to build their real estate business, then Cara came. She was their everything from day one, and Julie was a good mother.
Darlene reminded him of Julie today.
Brad is a lucky man.