Page 51 of The Shell Collector
“I can do that,” Maeve said. “Challenge accepted.”
Jesse raced from the water up to Amanda. “Mom, we’re starving. Hailey told me to ask if we can please have lunch now.”
“Sure. I bet Maeve is starting to get hungry again too.”
“I am.” Maeve rubbed her tummy, and Jesse mimicked her.
Without another word, he went to get his sister. The two of them ran back, Hailey easily winning the race.
Amanda opened a series of plastic containers.
“Would you look at this spread!” Maeve leaned in taking a closer look.
Hailey’s pigtails bobbed. “We helped make it.”
“You did? What is this?” Maeve pointed to the fruit-and-cheese kabobs.
“Caterpillars!” Jesse sat next to her, so close that he was practically on her lap.
“Ooh. You eat caterpillars?” She scrunched her face. “I don’t know about that. I’m not a bird.”
“Not that kind of caterpillar. It’s really food.” Jesse’s dimples pressed deeper into his cheek when he laughed.
Maeve pretended to be unsure. “Are you positive caterpillars aren’t bird food?”
“Nooo. You’ll like it. I promise.”
Hailey and Jesse started singing the blessing, and Maeve wasn’t sure if she’d ever heard anything sweeter.
Jesse grabbed a caterpillar and bit the grape from the end. “See!”
“I do.” She picked up a skewer and did the same, making overenthusiastic approving sounds. “You’re so right.”
As quickly as they’d become hungry, Hailey and Jesse were full and excited to go play some more.
“How do you keep up?” Maeve couldn’t imagine being surrounded by that much energy all day, every day.
“I don’t. Believe me.” Amanda blew out a short breath. “My financial situation is forcing me to go back to work this fall. I’ll get a little break once in a while then.”
“What will you be doing?”
“It wasn’t the original plan, but I’m going to teach. It’ll allow me to keep the same hours as Hailey while she’s in school. I need to start looking for a day care for Jesse since the school doesn’t offer pre-K.”
“What was the original plan?”
Amanda managed a shrug. “Well, I was going to start selling herbal salt. It’s something I’ve done for a while, as a hobby, but we’d saved money for me to start a business. Nothing fancy. Online. Anyway, I thought I was going to do that and regulations got me all twisted up. It just isn’t feasible right now.” Her words were riddled with disappointment.
“I’m so sorry,” Maeve said. “Well, don’t give up. It’s all about timing. Things have a way of working out at the right time.”
“Good advice. Thanks.” Amanda rocked forward. “Right now I’m focusing on getting used to the idea of being separated from Hailey and Jesse while I work. I’ve never left them with anyone.”
“Never?”
“Not since Jack.” She shrugged. “Well, except for yesterday when you were down with them on the beach.”
“Honey, trust someone. You need the break. They do too. You can’t do it all alone.”
“I can if I have to.”
