Amy closes the computer lid on her desk and slides it into her bag. Work as an insurance adjuster has kept her busy for four years, but each morning when she wakes, it feels more and more like a job. She enjoys the people in the office and the ones that she meets inside their homes or workplaces, but deep inside she wishes for something that seemed to have slipped from her many years ago. There’s a monotony in her days that’s making her feel used up and spent. More and more she finds herself anticipating being with the kids at Glory’s Place. Nothing is the same there; the kids have brought a newness to her life that she wasn’t aware she was desperate for. She was starving but didn’t realize she was even hungry until the kids came into her life.
* * *
“You’re here!” Maddie says, making her way to Amy. Amy wraps her arms around Maddie, feeling the small, birdlike shoulders. “Guess what I get to do today?”
“Well, let me think,” Amy says, walking to the lockers, but she’s taking way too long to answer for Maddie.
“I get to go to Beside Me tonight.”
Amy hangs up her things, looking at her. “Is that a movie?”
Maddie takes hold of her hand and leads her to the game area. “It’s a thing at our school for kids who don’t have dads. Mr. Parrish asked me today if I could come and he called my foster mom and everything to set it up.”
Amy sits on a chair and waits for Maddie to find the game. “That sounds awesome!”
Maddie nods, dealing UNO cards to herself and Amy. “I’m nervous.”
Amy picks up her cards, looking at them. “Why?”
“I’m always nervous when I meet new people.”
Amy gasps. “Since when? You’re like a social butterfly fluttering through this place. You make everybody who comes through those doors feel like part of the family!”
“It’s different here,” Maddie says, playing a draw-four card.
Amy growls, picking up four cards. She’s already off to a rocky start. “You just be yourself and everybody there will love you.”
“I don’t think that always works. I’m myself in class but Jaron doesn’t love me. He doesn’t even like me. He doesn’t like anybody.”
“Well, those people are everywhere in life.” Amy grins when Maddie lays a two down, winning the game. “I can’t wait to hear all about what you get to do tonight.”
“I already know! Mr. Parrish said we’re going to make a wreath for the front door. I’ll give it to Linda.”
“You really like Linda, don’t you?”
Maddie nods, passing out new cards. “She’s really nice. Like a grandma.”
“Would you like to be in Linda’s home forever?”
“I really do like her. But I’d like a mom and dad and Linda as a grandma.” She says it as if checking off items that are needed in the kitchen pantry: rice, beans, noodles, mom, dad, and grandma.
Questions whirl inside Amy’s mind about how Maddie has gone seven years without being adopted, but she keeps those thoughts tucked away.
The rest of the afternoon is spent helping Caleb and Maddie with math, going over spelling words with Heather, reading with Aidan, Nicholas, Kaylee, and Brianna, shooting baskets with Logan, Alex, and Ryan, and playing games with so many kids that she loses count. There are moments when she finds herself stopping and listening to the children as they practice their songs for the Christmas fund-raiser. She wonders if there’s a sweeter sound than that of children singing “Away in a Manger” and tears fill her eyes as Maddie sings out with all her heart. When will her childhood innocence be lost? When will her wonder be replaced with cynicism? As she prepares to leave for home, Amy is tired but not weary, such a different feeling from a typical day.
“Amy!” She turns to see Gloria hurrying toward her. “Are you about to leave?” Amy nods. “I feel awful. The vice principal of the school called me this morning to let me know that Maddie is participating in something there tonight.”
“She told me about it.”
Gloria slaps her hand to her head. “I forgot all about it. I wrote it down. I even put a reminder on my crazy phone but I don’t know how to operate that thing very well. Anyway! It starts at six, which is in five minutes and Maddie isn’t there.”
“Would you like me to drop her off?” Amy says, smiling.
“You really would be helping a crazy old lady out! I’m supposed to be meeting with a young mom who needs to enroll her children and I can’t be in two places. Maddie’s foster mom doesn’t even get off work until seven and Lauren can’t leave because she’s the one who locks up and…”
Amy’s moving toward Maddie as she says, “I’m happy to do it!”
“You are a lifesaver! I owe you one!”
Amy helps Maddie with her jacket and backpack and leads her to the car. “Now I’m really nervous,” Maddie says, getting into the backseat.
“Just remember that all those men are there because they want to be. It’s just like everybody at Glory’s Place. We are all there because we want to be. Nobody twisted our arms or made us do it. We all chose to do it. We chose you,” she says, smiling at Maddie.
Thankfully, the school is only five minutes away, and after she parks, Amy jumps out of the car to help Maddie with her things. The office is empty but they follow the noise to the art classroom just down the main hall. They are about to walk inside the room when Mr. Parrish exits it, nearly bumping into Amy. “There you are, Maddie! I was just coming to see if you had arrived.”
Amy squeezes Maddie’s shoulder. “Sorry she’s a little late. There was some confusion getting her here but that won’t happen again.”
He takes Maddie’s backpack from her. “Ready?” She nods, waving good-bye to Amy.
Amy lifts her hand in a small wave. “Have fun. And remember, I want to hear all about it on Monday!”
“I don’t think I need to introduce you to your partner for tonight,” Mr. Parrish says, leading Maddie inside the room. He points to the back of a man talking with two others.
“Mr. G.!?” Maddie shouts, surprised. Gabe turns and walks toward her, pulling her shoulders into his side. “I didn’t know you were going to be here!”
“Well, I knew I was going to be here but I didn’t know you were going to be here until a few minutes ago.”
She smacks her palm to her forehead. “Miss Jenson just dropped me off! You could have met her.”
“I can meet her when she picks you up.”
Maddie shakes her head. “My foster mom is picking me up.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Guess what? I’m not even nervous anymore.”
“Me neither!”
She looks up at him. “You mean you were nervous?”
He nods, bugging his eyes out. “Yeah! Until I found out that you were going to be beside me. See what I did there? This is called Beside Me and I said I was nervous until I knew you were going to be beside me and—”
She holds up her hand. “I got it, Mr. G.!”
He laughs, patting her on the back. “I’m still a little nervous though.” She looks up at him. “If you need somebody to work on the plumbing, I’m your guy. But I don’t know anything about making a wreath. I’m glad you’re here to help me.” She smiles and he lifts his hand for a high five.
Sixteen kids are paired with sixteen men from the community. Many of them have just come from the office, now wearing tieless shirts, others are wearing hoodies or jackets with the name of a heating and AC company, an auto repair, or a car wash embroidered on the front.
“I’ve never seen you in nice, real clothes,” Maddie says, picking up a slice of pizza and putting it on her plate.
Gabe looks stricken. “Don’t you like my blue maintenance uniform?”
She scrunches up her face. “Not really. I like that shirt better.”
He looks down at the flannel shirt he’s owned for years. “I have a closet full of these.”
“I like it. It smells nice. Like you just washed it.” They sit at a table full of other men and children and Maddie giggles.
“What’s so funny?” Gabe asks, biting into his pizza.
“I’ve never seen you eat. I’ve never seen Mr. Parrish eat either. It’s weird!”
He grins, remembering something. “I saw my sophomore math teacher in the grocery store one day when I was with my mom. She said hello to me and I froze. She finally said, ‘Yes, Gabriel, I go to the grocery store!’” He shrugs. “Who knew? Then she said, ‘See you tomorrow,’ and I said, ‘And the day after that and the day after that.’ I was so shocked to see her that I didn’t know what to say. I had no idea why I said that! It was so stupid!”
She giggles with a mouth full of food. “It didn’t make any sense.”
He laughs. “No! It didn’t.”
“She called you Gabriel?”
“Yep! Adults do that sometimes for effect.”
“Sometimes Linda calls me Madeleine for effect.”
“Does it work?”
She thinks for a second. “Sometimes she has to say it two or three times for effect before it works.”
He leans toward her and says, “That’s usually how things worked at my house too.”
The entire room buzzes with the chittering of small voices clamoring for time well spent with this group of men who were strangers to them just two months earlier. Maryanne Shrupe, a mom of three who works at the local craft and hobby store, leads them through the wreath-making process. The entire room erupts in laughter as men who are used to working with wrenches, car tires, heavy equipment, or computers try to wrap fabric around circular Styrofoam.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Gabe says, fumbling with the fabric with his rough hands. He sees how much this tickles Maddie and keeps it up throughout the project. The other men have also found an easy way to get a laugh and Maryanne has all she can do to retain order. Once the fabric has been glued down, they work together to decorate with ribbon and craft autumn leaves. “You poof up the ribbon and I’ll wire it down. I understand wire a lot more than ribbon,” Gabe says. As a team they bunch up the ribbon, hold it in place, and then secure it with wire, all the way around the fabric.
“It’s beautiful!” Maddie squeals.
“It’s not done yet!” Maryanne says, walking behind her. “Now it’s time to dress it up.”
Gabe uses the hot glue gun and Maddie puts fake pumpkins, gourds, and autumn leaves into place as Maryanne instructs them. When it’s finished, Maddie throws her hands on top of her head. “I can’t believe it! It’s awesome!”
Gabe holds the wreath out in front of him. “We made a wreath! I’ve never made a wreath in my life!”
“Can I give it to Linda? My foster mom?”
“You bet! That way she’ll always have something that will remind her of you.”
He didn’t know why he said that. It came out of his mouth as if one day Maddie would not be in that home. But if not there, where? Maddie is too excited to pay attention to what he did or did not say and chatters brightly as he walks her down the hall and out the front doors. Linda gets out of the car when she sees them coming.
“We did this all by ourselves!” Maddie says. “It’s for your front door.”
Linda marvels at the wreath in her hands. Her hair is mostly gray and the lines around her eyes crease together as she smiles. “This just made my day. Thank you, Maddie!” She looks at Gabe. “And thank you. I know she loved doing this.”
Gabe smiles and helps Maddie inside the car. “See you tomorrow, Madeleine!” He emphasizes her name, making her smile.
“And the day after that. And the day after that!” She begins to giggle, teasing him. “I have no idea why I said that!”
“I do,” he whispers, as he watches them drive away.