Page 65 of Heart of a Hero

“All right. Hang tight, and we’ll be at my house soon.”

Zannie chattered most of the way, but Marty was quiet. Karen continued to glance at him in the rearview mirror, and while he didn’t appear distressed, he simply seemed contemplative. Her heart ached for him. She now wished she had gone into the home just to see what they had been dealing with.Maybe Mark will also show me the photographs.

Pulling into her neighborhood, she noticed both kids were wide-eyed as they looked out the window. Her house wasn’t large, but when she’d bought it, she was only looking for a place in a good neighborhood that had enough room for just her and the girls. Seeing it through Marty and Zannie’s eyes, she was sure it was bigger and nicer than anything they’d ever lived in. “We’re here,” she said as she parked in the driveway.

Mark drove into her driveway and stopped just behind her. Smiling, she unbuckled Zannie as Marty was already unbuckled. Zannie was vibrating with energy as the four of them walked through the door. They stepped into the living room, and the kids’ eyes grew bigger. Mark set the bags of clothes and school supplies he’d taken from their house on the steps leading to the house.

Karen looked at them, but he leaned in and whispered, “Not sure about any possible bugs until they’re washed.”

Her eyes widened, then she turned and, with a bright smile, said, “Let’s all go into the kitchen to chat while we have a snack.”

The four sat at the table as soon as she plated cookies and apple slices. The kids dug into the snacks with gusto, and Karen’s heart ached again. Finally, Zannie asked, “When can we meet your girls?”

Karen looked at Mark, who smiled and nodded his encouragement. “My girls, Laura and Olivia, will be home after school is out.”

“Do they go to our school?” Marty asked.

She shook her head. “No, Laura is in ninth grade at the high school, and Olivia is in seventh grade at the middle school.”

“But my son, Benji, is in fifth grade at the same school you attend,” Mark added.

Marty’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yes. I hope you’ll get to meet him soon.”

Karen took a big breath and said, “Let me explain how this will work, okay?” With the kids’ attention now on her, she said, “The house has four bedrooms, but one of them is used for storage and is really small?—”

“That’s okay,” Marty jumped in. “Zannie and I can stay in that one. We don’t take up a lot of room, and I’ll make sure that she doesn’t get in anyone’s way.”

Karen recognized what many foster children experience… if they make themselvessmallenough, they won’t have to leave. She shook her head and smiled gently. “Sweetie, you and Zannie won’t have to share a room. I think it’s important that you have your own space, Marty. I know living in a house with a bunch of girls might mean that sometimes you want to have your own room. Now, Zannie, if you don’t mind a top bunk, Olivia has a bunk bed with a larger bed on the bottom for her, and a twin bed on the top. It’s what my girls shared at one time, but Laura has her own room now.” She didn’t add that after Jeffrey died, the girls couldn’t stand being apart, so she’d bought them a bunk bed.

Karen waited to check the kids' reactions. Zannie, in what seemed to be her natural personality, just bounced in her seat and grinned. Marty’s eyes showed interest, but his lips pressedtogether, and Karen wondered how many times he’d been promised something that never materialized.

“For tonight, we’ll have to improvise. I’ll take tomorrow off work, and while you are in school, I’ll get beds in for you two.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Mark said.

Her gaze jumped to his. “Um…”

“I’ll make some calls. Plenty of good people in the AL want to help and will have things they can donate, including getting them here and set up.”

“Oh, well,” she muttered, then smiled back at the kids. “Looks like everything will get sorted.”

Mark stood and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll make some calls now.”

Blinking, she watched as he pulled his phone from his pocket and walked out of the room. His pants fit perfectly, his blue shirt was tailored, and his jacket gave him an air of professionalism. He also looked like a model who’d just stepped off the front of a men’s fashion magazine.

“He’s nice,” Zannie said, followed by little girl giggling.

Karen swung her head around to see the broad smiles on both their faces.Hmm, it seems that Marty does approve of Mark stepping in to help.For a little boy who probably didn’t have many, if any, good male role models, she was sure Mark was a knight to Marty.

Hours later, Karen looked at the progress in her upstairs hallway. The AL and Auxiliary had come through almost immediately—with gifts of gently used furniture, labor, and some clothes.

An oak twin bed and mattress were now set up in the smaller bedroom. The plastic storage tubs that had been in there were moved to the garage and stacked neatly… along with the promise from Mark that when the holidays rolled around again, he would help her get what she needed from them. A matching oak chestof drawers was on the opposite wall, and a small bookcase with a lamp on top served as a nightstand. A navy comforter covered the bed, and a few books and toys were placed in the bookcase. A navy curtain hung on the window. The walls were bare until she could find out more about what Marty liked.

In Olivia’s much larger room, another chest of drawers had been added. Light pink and rose already covered the bed.

Glancing at the time, she hurried down the stairs. She had already profusely thanked everyone who had come with their gifts. Now, she needed to get to the school to pick up the girls, glad it was a practice day for both of them, giving her more time to get the house set up. She needed time alone with Laura and Olivia to explain what was happening.

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