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Chapter 16
Becky almost whistledas she walked down the sidewalk. Kim had entrusted her with holding the baby today, and now someone else in town, someone she didn’t even work for, had given her an entire pan of food and asked her to deliver it. It was like they didn’t even think that she was going to steal it or anything.
It was a new sensation. She wasn’t used to being trusted. She wasn’t used to being treated like she was worth something and wasn’t a nuisance.
She liked it. If only she could get her own house and live by herself. She might only be twelve, but she was good at taking care of herself. And while she had been planning on quitting her job earlier, somehow, just the act of Miss Clara giving her the casserole and entrusting her to carry it made her feel like...maybe she wouldn’t. She just had to be able to evade the questions that Miss Kim kept wanting to ask. But so far, she had been successful. Maybe she could continue to dodge them.
She allowed her natural optimism to take over, figuring that the street smarts that she picked up would carry her through. They always had before. So far anyway. She managed to be in the same town as her sister and see her almost every day. She might even manage to figure out how to go to school.
She kind of felt like that was important. Everyone said that a kid needed education in order to be successful. She wasn’t entirely sure about that, but it couldn’t hurt to hedge her bets.
It was a beautiful, sunny day, and she nodded at several people she passed on the sidewalk as she headed toward Miss Kim’s.
The horses were already out, and many of them were in the pasture. She loved the way that looked, with the horses in the field, the wind stirring their manes and tails and the lake in the distance. She wasn’t sure there was anything more beautiful in the world, and when she grew up, she wanted a place just like this.
As she looked closer, she saw a figure standing, rather than leaning on the fence. It didn’t take long to recognize Miss Kim.
The car seat sat beside her, and Becky didn’t hear anything, so she figured the baby was sleeping.
Although, now that she was closer, she did hear something. Something that sounded like crying, but not a baby.
Miss Kim’s shoulders shook in time to the sounds Becky heard, and she realized it was Miss Kim. She was crying.
Becky didn’t know what to do. Her first instinct was to turn around and run. She didn’t think that any adult she knew would ever want to be caught crying; it would probably make them mad. And Becky would be the one they would yell at.
Even though she didn’t think she was doing anything wrong. She promised that she would deliver the ingredients in the pan. She had to do it. But should she just slip into the house, walking right by Miss Kim?
Miss Kim had been concerned about her. She’d been nosy, yes, and asked way too many questions and made Becky nervous, but she still was doing it because she was kind and caring.
Becky had never really met anyone who truly, truly cared about her. Not the way Miss Kim did.
And that was just since she brought the baby home from the hospital. It hadn’t been long, and from what Becky understood, the baby had a lot of problems and Miss Kim should be focused on that. But instead, she’d given some of her time and energy to take care of Becky.
That last thought was what did it for Becky. She changed her direction so she swerved off the drive and into the grass, slowing down until she almost crept up on Miss Kim.
She took a deep breath and said a tiny prayer that Miss Kim wouldn’t be mad at her. “Miss Kim?”
Just like Becky thought, Miss Kim jumped as though startled.
“You scared me!” she said, her hand going to her chest. “I didn’t think anyone was out here.” She swiped hastily at the tear tracks on her cheeks.
“Are you okay?” Becky asked, even though she knew it wasn’t any of her business.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Mostly.” She smiled a little. “I just heard from my oldest daughter. Alyssa.” Miss Kim sniffed, and her eyes filled again.
Becky waited.
“I’ve tried so hard. Did the very best I could. I mean... I think it was the divorce that threw her over the edge, but I couldn’t help it. There wasn’t anything I could do. It wasn’t like I was the one who cheated. I wasn’t the one who left either. And honestly, if he had wanted to get back together, if he had apologized and tried to make things right, I would have done it. For Alyssa.”
Becky didn’t think that Miss Kim was really talking to her. But she just stood quiet and allowed her to talk.
