Page 12 of Second Start: Family
“But … I don’t unders—” Whatever she hadn’t understood apparently became abruptly and — from her expression — excruciatingly clear to her. But not to him. “Of course. I’ll go now, although we do need to—”
Thesch-whapof the screen door was followed almost immediately by twin squeals.
“Miss Kenzie!”
“Miss Kenzie! Oh, you’re here! I’m so glad!”
“Hello, Lizzie. Hello, Molly. I’m here, but I’m afraid this isn’t going to work out for—”
“Oh, no!” they wailed in unison.
“You have to stay,” added Molly. “We’ve been getting ready all day for supper.”
“Supper?” repeated Hall. His daughters were passable at sandwiches, cereal, and washing fruit, but his mind refused to produce an image of them preparing a meal.
“But you told me yourfatherinvited me to dinner.”
Kenzie Smith’s gentle reproof didn’t seem to faze either of his daughters. It about knocked him over.
“Molly? Lizzie? What the h— What’s this about?”
Molly condescended to say, “We were helping you out,” before turning to Kenzie to continue her earnest explanation. “Grandma says we have to help Daddy as much as we can because he’s got a big load to carry and still has some rough edges.”
“Molly!”
“What?”
“Thatiswhat Grandma said,” Lizzie assured him.
He opened his mouth, but before anything came out, Kenzie Smith said, “That’s important — for families to help each other out.”
Something in her tone made him close his mouth. To her, there was more meaning behind those words than platitudes — he’d wager a new combine on it.
“But,” the teacher continued, “you need to talk to the person, so you know which part of the load they need help with.”
Lizzie nodded. “We know what’s going to help, because Daddy said so.”
“I never said anything about supper—”
“Oh, no,” interrupted Molly breezily. “That was our idea. You said you were sorry and you always forgive us faster if we’ve been bad after you’ve had something to eat. So, we thought if we gave Miss Kenzie something to eat, she’d forgive you faster when you told her you’re sorry about missing the conferences.”
“Youaresorry, aren’t you, Daddy?” Lizzie pinned him with her clear gray eyes.
“That’s not the issue. You two shouldn’t—”
“But youtoldus you were sorry, Daddy,” Molly insisted. “The very next morning you ’pologized for forgetting, and you said you’d have to ’pologize to Miss Kenzie. You were even sorry for missing Dan’s conference. That’s what you said.”
“He didn’t say that exactly, Molly,” objected Lizzie. “Not that last part about Dan.”
Molly’s chin assumed a stubborn angle. “He started telling Dan he was sorry, before Dan walked out.”
“But he didn’t get all the way done saying it.”
“Girls, this isn’t—”
“He would have if Dan had let him finish.”
“I don’t see how you can know what he was going to—”
