Page 49 of Second Start: Family
Not about something like this.
Whether he should do anything with what he knew and if so, what.
Besides, if his mom was here, none of this would have come up. Because his dad wouldn’t be looking at this woman the way he did.
No way would he talk to his dad about this.
Best thing was to keep his mouth shut. Nobody had to know what he knew.
He did have one other thought. A kind of weird one. He wondered if maybe Ms. Smith didn’t dislike older kids — especially the boys — but was maybe afraid of them. The way some people were about dogs after being bit or horses after being thrown.
Part of him thought that was pretty weak. Part of him thought it was kind of sad. Part of him thought maybe he could use this.
*
Vicky and Kenzie were kept in the Quicks’ family room before dinner.
After letting them in from a rainy, dismal day, and welcoming them, Hall disappeared into the kitchen permanently.
The room had been dusted and vacuumed. The toy chest closed. The furniture remained worn and old, but the couch was cozily comfortable, especially on a day like this.
The kids cycled through, bringing them soft drinks, a bowl of nuts, and conversation, then returning to the kitchen to help with preparations.
“Daddy said we’re doing extras this time,” Lizzie confided to them on her third trip to the family room. “We’re supposed to keep you happy—”
“Tent-tained,” Bobby contributed.
“Entertained, Squirt,” Dan corrected.
“Lizzie,” Hall called. “Where’s the—?” The rest of his question was lost in clunking pans.
Lizzie scooted into the kitchen.
In starting to follow her sister, Molly crossed behind Vicky and stopped.
“I love your hair, Ms. Otter. I wish I could get mine like that,” Molly said, a matron suddenly speaking from her little girl mouth.
“You can. It’s a kind of braid.”
“Mommy used to braid our hair, but Daddy doesn’t know how.”
Vicky and Kenzie exchanged a look.
“Dinner is served,” Hall said from the entryway, inviting them to the table. “A beef roast. Mom guided me — us — through it. The girls did the table again.”
Kenzie suspected that was with some guidance, too, since this tablecloth was smooth, eliminating their first efforts’ dangers to the stability of glassware. More leaves and the same candles provided decoration, centered around a pumpkin.
“Vegetables this time,” Hall announced as Dan placed a bowl on the table.
“From the microwave,” Molly said proudly. “They’re Daddy’s favorites.”
“Because it has ’structions on the package.”
“Exactly right, Lizzie,” he said. “And, of course mac and cheese — also with instructions.”
Hall carved the impressive roast with skill. The dinner was delicious, though Kenzie did miss some of the girls’ raw delight at their solo dinner.
And with Vicky there, conversation never flagged. She even got Dan to participate.
