Gabe has spent most of the morning in the school’s kitchen fixing a leak under the dishwasher. He got to the school early, hoping to get the leak fixed before the breakfast dishes were ready to be cleaned. As with most projects, however, he had to make an unexpected trip to the hardware store for supplies. With just a few more adjustments, he will have everything back in place and the dishwasher ready for lunch. As he exits the cafeteria doors, he waits for two classes to pass before he heads toward the maintenance office.
“Hi, Mr. G.,” many of the children say, waving as they walk by. Gabe smiles and says hello. When he first applied for this job, he thought the worst part of it would be dealing with children, but they have ended up being the best part of his work. They make him laugh, they always speak to him, on Valentine’s Day they give him chocolates and at Christmas they bring him cookies, and he always feels useful. He’s grateful for this work and for this place. There are many times he wishes that a few years ago he could have been the person that he is today. Life would be different in so many ways; but he’s learned that no matter how hard he tries, he can’t change the past.
“Hi, Mr. G.,” Maddie says, grinning. She stops and looks at him.
“Good morning, Maddie.”
She lifts her little finger, pointing it at him. “I found a nice lady for you to date.”
He throws his head back, laughing. “Oh wow! You were serious! Is this what you do? You set people up? Do you have a business card?”
She begins to walk in order to keep up with her class. “You’re not married and she’s not married and she’s pretty.” She looks at him over her shoulder. “I’ll tell you more about her later.”
“Set up by a seven-year-old. What could possibly go wrong?” he says, heading to his office.
* * *
Gabe is late retrieving the flag from the pole this afternoon. When he walks out the front door, he notices that the children who wait for the van from Glory’s Place are already gone. He takes down the flag and folds it, before picking up some scraps of paper along the sidewalk and throwing them away. He pushes the door open as Maddie is about to pull it open on the other side. He looks at her, surprised. “Maddie! Are you going to Glory’s Place?”
“Of course I am,” she says, heading past him.
“Uh, I think the van has already left.”
She looks frightened, quickening her pace to the end of the sidewalk. “No! No! I can’t miss the van!” She begins to cry and Gabe runs to her.
He puts his hand around her shoulder. “It’s okay. Let’s go talk to Mrs. Kemper or someone else in the office and see how we can get you over there.”
“I didn’t think I would be late.” She is crying harder and Gabe squeezes her shoulder. “I stopped to go to the bathroom. I never should’ve done that. I’m so slow!”
He kneels down in front of her. “You shouldn’t have gone to the bathroom?” She shakes her head, tears welling in her eyes again. “You told me some things about Florence Nightingale that I didn’t know. Now I’m going to tell you some things that apparently you don’t know. Everybody is late at one time or another for something in their life and everybody has to go to the bathroom.” She begins to smile. “This might really blow your mind but everybody inside the school today has gone to the bathroom. Trust me, I know!” She begins to laugh and he stands, patting her on the shoulder. “All right, let’s find out how to get you to Glory’s Place.”
Mrs. Kemper is behind the counter in the office, talking with the school nurse when she glances up at the opening door. “Maddie? Are you hurt?”
“She goes to Glory’s Place after school,” Gabe says.
A look of realization crosses Mrs. Kemper’s face. “And that van already left.” She purses her lips and then mumbles, “How in the world did that driver leave a student behind?” Gabe can’t tell if she’s frustrated or angry or maybe both.
“I didn’t mean to do it,” Maddie begins to confess. “I had to go to the bathroom.”
Mrs. Kemper smiles, looking over the countertop at her. “Well, that is not a big deal at all. Everybody has to go to the bathroom.” Maddie looks up at Gabe and he smiles, shrugging as if to say, I told you so. “Maddie, I would be happy to get you over to Glory’s Place.”
Maddie peeks over the counter at Mrs. Kemper. “You can drive me there?”
Mrs. Kemper nods. “I have my driver’s license and everything.”
Maddie looks at Gabe and then at Mrs. Kemper. “Can Mr. G. drive me there?”
Mrs. Kemper looks surprised. “Well, I…” She glances at Gabe. “Is this something that you could do, Gabe?”
He peers down at Maddie. “Sure!”
Mrs. Kemper begins riffling through files on her computer. “I will need to print out a transportation waiver that you’ll need to take with you. It will be proof that this is a secondary means of transportation in order for Maddie to get to Glory’s Place.” She clicks print and they can hear the printer working behind her. She stands up and snatches it from the printer, grabbing a pen lying nearby. “Gabe, fill out this information about your vehicle.”
He sets the flag on top of the counter. “Could you put this under the counter for me? I’ll put it away when I get back.”
As he fills out the waiver Mrs. Kemper asks, “Is your vehicle insured?” He nods. “And your insurance information is inside?” He nods, pushing the paper toward her. “It is. It’s a safe, good truck.”
“All right,” she says, taking the waiver. She logs the information into her computer before signing the waiver and handing it back to Gabe. “Thanks so much for helping out. And Maddie, we’ll see you tomorrow.”
Maddie smiles and takes hold of Gabe’s hand as they leave the office.
They walk down the sidewalk, heading to the staff parking lot. “Thanks for taking me, Mr. G.”
“You’re welcome,” he says, taking her backpack from her. He fishes his keys out of his pocket and holds the fob in the air, unlocking a blue Ford truck.
“This is your truck?”
“It is,” he says, opening the back door for her.
“This is really nice.”
“Thanks! It’s eleven years old and doesn’t have any bells or whistles but you’re right, it is nice.”
She puts her seat belt on and looks over the seat at him as he slides behind the wheel. “Now I can tell you all about Miss Jenson.”
He puts the key into the ignition. “Who?” Then he looks at her. “Oh! The woman that you said…”
“That you should go out with.”
He grins as he looks in the rearview mirror to back up. “Did you miss the van on purpose? Just so you could tell me about … What’s her name?”
“Miss Jenson. She’s brand-new at Glory’s Place and is really sweet and really pretty, with glasses. She’s also single. She told me.”
He shakes his head. “She told you, or did you coerce the information out of her?”
She lifts her shoulders. “I don’t know what that means. But she looks around your age.”
He glances back at her. “I hate to ask but how old do you think I am?”
She studies him. “Fifty.”
He slaps the steering wheel, laughing. “And you think she looks fifty?”
She nods. “She looks your age, so yeah! She’s single and nice and you are single and nice and I’m going to tell her about you too.”
He holds his hand in the air. “Hold on! You’re killing me here! This typically isn’t how people meet. Through some sort of seven-year-old matchmaker.”
She crosses her arms. “You said you were married but you’re not anymore. How did you meet your wife?”
He looks over his shoulder, checking the front of her coat. “Just seeing if you’re wearing a journalist badge. My dad and I had done work for the company that she worked for and we were invited to their annual Christmas party. She was there and I thought she was cute and started talking to her.” He stops at a red light and can feel her looking at him. “What now?”
“How long were you married?”
“Four years.”
“Why aren’t you married anymore?”
The light turns green and he begins to drive again, glancing over his shoulder. “The truth?” She nods. “I wasn’t a good husband.”
“You mean you were a bad husband?”
“Yeah, that’s what I mean.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t think that’s true.”
He nods. “It is. You could ask my ex-wife. She would agree with me.”
Maddie looks out the window and then back at Gabe. “How were you a bad husband?”
“I had a bad temper. I was angry a lot. I said things that a man shouldn’t say to his wife and was just a jerk all the way around.”
“I don’t think you’re like that anymore.”
“I don’t think I am either.”
“People change.” She says it with such finality that it makes him laugh.
He agrees, slapping the steering wheel for emphasis. “They can and sometimes they do change!”
“Maybe your ex-wife would like you again now.”
He smiles. “My ex-wife has moved on.”
“She moved away?”
“Yeah, she did, but what I mean is that she moved on with her life. New relationship and all that. Engaged. Maybe married by now. Not sure.”
Maddie smacks her hands down on her thighs. “Well, then that means you definitely need to meet Miss Jenson.” He drives around the town square and Maddie points out the window. “Look at that star on top of the gazebo! That’s new!”
He looks up at it through the windshield. “Yep. That’s new this year.”
Her face is glued to the window as they approach the gazebo and star. “That’s a sign.”
“For what?”
“A star led the Wise Men to Jesus.”
He chuckles, driving past the gazebo. “I’m aware of the story.”
Her face falls flat as she looks at him. “All I’m saying is be wise and keep your eyes open. That star is a sign for you and Miss Jenson.”
Gabe shakes his head and reaches behind him, squeezing her ankle. He pulls in to the driveway for Glory’s Place and parks in front of the entrance. He gets out and runs to the other side, opening Maddie’s door before getting her backpack off the backseat.
“One more thing about Miss Jenson,” she says.
He holds up his hand. “I appreciate your efforts to help me but I—”
“Have moved on?” she says, looking at him. He can’t answer that, not truthfully, anyway. “Can you just walk inside with me so that I can point her out to you?”
Gabe realizes that she will never take no for an answer and sighs, waving his arm in front of him for her to lead the way.
“Maddie!” Heddy says, swooping to her side. “I thought maybe you were sick today.”
Maddie shakes her head. “I missed the van. But Mr. G. brought me.”
Heddy extends her hand to shake his. “I’m Heddy. Thanks so much for bringing her. If that ever happens again you can call us here and we will come pick her up.”
“Is Miss Jenson here yet?” Maddie says, craning her neck to scan the big room.
“Who?” Heddy says, shaking her head. “I don’t think there’s anyone here who … it’s just me and Dalton, Gloria and Miriam right now.”
Gabe exhales, relieved that this experiment has ended. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Maddie.”
She wraps her arms around his middle, hugging him. “I think once you see her you’ll want to stop moving on.”
He pats her shoulder and heads through the front door for his truck. There is no way to stop something that has never started in the first place. He drives away from the entrance as Amy pulls in to a parking space.