A Second Chance

By Dawn Natelle

Sorry for such a long gap between chapters. This one left me floundering for a few days. Hopefully I can get another one done before the weekend. (Some might find this one requires a tissue alert.) Dawn

WEDNESDAY, May 18, 2016

In the morning Rachael spent a full hour packing boxes, and she had several full. The family was uncertain as to when they would move. There seemed to be no rush. Since the letter from the landlord had arrived in mid month, technically they would be able to stay until July 31, based on two months notice. But with Grandpa willing to have them move in as soon as possible, Maria was hoping to move by the end of June, if not the end of May. She had written back to the new landlord, telling him that when she and her husband had rented the place almost 14 years ago, they had paid a first and last, with a $100 cleaning deposit. She confirmed that they would leave by July 31, and mentioned that they might be able to vacate a month earlier. Of course that was back when they were still hoping to move into an apartment. Things were different now.

Maria had also gotten a financial shock on Monday when Geoff had handed her a first paycheck. She had been expecting a gross pay of about $450 based on 40 hours at minimum wage. But the check Geoff handed her was for 60 hours and had a gross pay of $787.50. The baker explained that she was in before 8 every morning, and had stayed past 6. He gave her 10 hours for the day, since she often ate lunch while staffing the counter. At six days a week, that was a total of 20 more hours at time-and-a-half, resulting in the large gross pay.

Even without tips Maria’s pay was higher than at the restaurant. She loved working with Geoff and his mom, and the work was actually easier, as in the afternoon when there were no customers, she could sit a bit if the shop was tidy. She never sat down in the café.

The result is that she was able to give Rachael an extra $20 for groceries, and another $20 just for her. Friday would be a pizza day at the elementary school, and Bobby was ecstatic to learn that he would be able to have the $5 needed to buy a pizza.

Maria made Bobby’s breakfast, so Rachael could keep packing a bit longer. She had done a lot of her packing when Rachael had been at the hospital the night before. Rachael didn’t come down until 7:30, when Maria left for work after getting a hug from each of her kids.

Rachael got Bobby on his bus, and then waited for hers. Larissa and Mikki got on at their stop. Larissa went to the back to sit with Carla and Becca, and Mikki sat with Rachael. She was not happy.

“Our family is back together,” she noted, “but things are still rough. Dad has been sleeping on the sofa, and Danni still won’t talk to him. When he comes into the room, she will leave. Mom even took her to the beauty salon yesterday, and got her a cute feminine hairstyle. She was in a dress, so all the ladies assumed she was a natural girl, which she loved. Mom even said that Dad paid for the trip, but Danni insists that she still hates him. He drove back to Toronto this morning, and says he is going to quit his job. He intends to live here all the time. His family is more important than his job, he says. He thinks he can make a living doing photography around here. Mom isn’t so sure.”

“Wow, I wish I could come over and talk to him,” Rachael said. “But last time I was there he was pretty angry with me.”

“Oh that is all over with,” Mikki said. “In fact, after he moved back home he said that he wanted to apologize to you. He will be in Toronto for at least a couple days. Why don’t you come over after school? Danni would love to see Bobby again. She absolutely idolizes him.”

“Yeah, I guess we could do that. I can’t stay too long, though. We are packing up to move.”

At school the school was on an A schedule, with French and PE in the morning, and then the afternoon devoted to their project. PE was different. Ms. Smith juggled the teams up, and Rachael was moved to another group that had been struggling in basketball. Carly was moved to her old team. Other changes were made to the other two teams as well.

Rachael’s new team included Layla and Becca, who had been Carly’s friends when the teams were made. None of the girls were great at basketball, although three of the other girls on the team were. As a result, Layla, Becca, and Carly had gotten minimal playing time.

One of the other good players was the team captain, and Rachael accepted this. She did take Layla and Becca aside to work on fundamentals with them when suddenly Layla swore at her, and then stormed out of the gym.

“What’s that all about,” Rachael asked Becca.

“Dunno,” Becca said. “She’s been really weird the past few weeks, since the sleepover. I really don’t care. She doesn’t seem to even want to be friends with Carly and me, and we’ve been besties since kindergarten.”

“Everybody needs friends,” Rachael said as she watched the girl storm out of the gym. She then concentrated on working with Becca, who slowly started to gain some familiarity with the ball.

At the end of the class, Ms. Smith came over. “What happened to Layla? She was working with you, and then she left.”

“Uhh, I think she got ill,” Rachael lied. “I think it was female problems.”

“Oh,” Ms. Smith nodded. “I won’t mark her absence then.”

In lunch Rachael looked around for Layla, but couldn’t see her in the cafeteria. She sat down next to Robert, and unpacked her lunch.

“You have to come to the farm on Saturday,” Robert told her. “Mom is insistent. She said Bobby is welcome to come if you do. I’ll show him around the farm while you and Mom do whatever it is that she wants. But she says it is super important.”

“Well, if Bobby comes there is no reason why I shouldn’t be able to go. I will have to ask Mom, but I’m pretty sure that she will say it is okay.”

“Whew. I don’t think I was going to get dinner tonight if I couldn’t agree to get you to come. Mom was so insistent.”

“Do you know why?”

“No. She just said that it was super important.”

“You look tired, has this been keeping you awake at night?” Rachael asked.

“No I sleep like a rock. There just isn’t enough of it,” Robert said. “I have been working at two farms. As soon as I get home from school I go to help JJ with the milking at Archie’s farm. And since JJ went over there, I got more chores at our farm. But they did promise that I would be allowed to come in to movie night.”

Movie night?” Rachael slapped her head. “I forgot that I have to collect for it.”

“Here’s my toonie,” Robert slid a coin across the table. Rachael pocketed it, and then went around the hall, gathering the others.

After school Mikki again went straight to Xcuts, while Larissa and Rachael went to the primary school to pick up their brothers. Rachael had shopping to do at both DaSilva’s and the bakery, and popped into the gallery to say ‘hi’ to Paul and John. Both had heard about how the service had wound up after they left. Paul thought it was hilarious that the Reverend was struck down after prodding the Lord to do so.

“It was just a heart attack,” John told his partner, “and it is not funny. I hope he is well.”

“I think he is better now,” Rachael said. “There is a new interim pastor, a girl just out of seminary, who will be doing the service this week. I hope you will come.”

“Not on your life,” Paul said. “We think we will try the United Church downtown. That denomination is known to be more accepting.”

“Well, we will miss you,” Rachael said. “But I do wonder if you would allow the pastor to apologize. He has had a revelation, I guess, and he really wants to atone for the way he acted to you. He wants me to come along, sort of a peacekeeper, he said. What about Saturday? Not this weekend, but the next. He should be strong enough to get out by then, and I hope to be free in the afternoon. I can leave Bobby at the bakery for a few minutes, so no sticky fingers on the paintings.”

“Old Fire and Brimstone, apologizing?” Paul said. “I wouldn’t miss that for anything. I bet it will be a ‘sorry you were offended by my actions’ type of thing.”

“Yes, we definitely will be pleased to speak with him,” John said more sedately.

They picked Mikki up at Xcuts. There wasn’t any lineup today, and Ariel said she was booked for the next two weeks solid. Any people who came in for appointments were being handled while she was working on customers.

Then they went out to see Gary, who was in a much better mood now that there were no longer crowds of girls hanging out in front of the salon, interrupting his sweeping schedule. Rachael gave him another sandwich, and learned that he had been getting bananas and rolls from the stores.

“On Friday I want to take you somewhere, at about this time,” Rachael said. “I hope you can get yourself cleaned up a bit. Maybe a shave and a haircut? Do you think Ariel would give you a trim?”

The girls then headed home, with a brief stop at Miss Lajoie for the boys to play with the dogs, while Larissa and Rachael spoke with Grandpa next door. Mostly they spoke about the video, and had to convince the old man that it was not about him, but the men who had served with them.

They only stopped in for a minute at Rachael’s where they put the groceries away and then continued on towards the Stoner house.

“Oh no,” Mikki said as they got to Larissa’s house and said goodbye to them. “That is Dad’s car. He didn’t go to Toronto today. Wait. No. He was gone when I left for school. He must have had car trouble, or something.”

“Do you think I should postpone the visit?” Rachael said nervously.

“No. He said he wanted to apologize. I’m sure it will be okay,” Mikki said as they walked up the front sidewalk to the house.

“I’m home. I have company,” Mikki shouted as she came in. “Rachael and Bobby.”

“Bobby,” a high-pitched voice squealed from the upstairs, and there was a thunder of little feet as Danni raced down the stairs and didn’t stop until she was wrapped around the embarrassed looking boy. Danni was wearing red leotards and had a white mini-skirt on that looked adorable with a pink sweater. Her hair had been professionally styled. It was still very short, of course, but it had been done in a feminine pixie-style.

“I love your hair, Danni,” Rachael said. “Very feminine.”

The little girl glowed. “Momma took me to a ladies-only hair place. It was lovely, and the girl working there were so nice. They did my hair, and even painted my fingernails.” She waved her hand at Rachael. There were only a few flecks of red still on the fingers. “Momma says I can’t get them painted again until I stop biting them. But it is so hard to remember not to.”

She then looked up and saw her parents standing in the doorway. She visibly flinched at the sight of her father, and turned her back to him. “Come on Bobby, let’s go play on the Game Station.”

As the children ran to the stairs, Bob Stoner said “At least someone gets a hug from her.” You could feel the pain in his voice.

“Come in, Rachael,” he said. “I need to apologize to you for my behavior last week. I wasn’t thinking right: on so many levels. I’m better now, and hope it will get better from here. You will always be welcome in our house.” He put emphasis on the word ‘our’. “I think you are an excellent and faithful friend to my daughter. My older daughter. And I am completely in favor of you being our ‘go-to’ for babysitting Danni when Kyle and Mikki aren’t available.”

He turned to Mikki. “Your mother and I were just talking over things, and I see no reason why your friend shouldn’t sit in on our family meeting.” He ushered us all into the living room where they sat on the fine furniture.

“Your father resigned from the brokerage today,” Mrs. Stoner said. “He is going to work for them one day a week from here, and may go to Toronto once every month or two. The money from that one day, and the fact he isn’t driving to the city, and renting his apartment there, means that we will be okay financially, while he builds up his photography business.”

“That was quick,” Mikki said.

“Yes,” Mr. Stoner took over. “They thought at first I was resigning to work for another brokerage. That would mean that I would take all, or most, of my accounts with me when I changed. When they found out that I wasn’t switching out on them, they became very accommodating. I offered most of my smaller accounts to them to reassign to junior brokers. I’m going to handle the biggest accounts on my one day a week. It will be as an independent agent, not a staffer, so I will be able to actually make half what I made in Toronto in a single day. And there are income tax benefits as well.”

“Can you stay for dinner, dear?” Mrs. Stoner asked Rachael.

“No, and we will have to leave shortly,” Rachael said. “I like to have dinner ready for Mom when she gets home. It isn’t as bad as when she worked at the café, but she is still tired when she gets home from work.”

“Let me make a call,” Mrs. Stoner said, getting up and leaving, while Mr. Stoner sat and talked with the girls about photography.

Mikki had the first idea, suggesting that he take portraits of the girls who got new hair styles at Xcuts. The girls were certain that Carly would go for it, and thought that Ariel could get one of the high school girls to sit as well. They would give the girls each an 8x10 to keep, and make an 11x14 for the salon. There might even be some actual income if the girls’ parents ordered reprints for photos for grandparents and aunts.

Then Rachael gave her idea. She noted that agricultural photography was a big business that Bob probably never considered with his city roots. One idea was to rent an airplane on a clear day, and take aerial photos of the bigger farm operations in the county. These could be sold to the farmers, who usually were quite proud of their operations.

But the other half of the idea was the real money-maker. Photos of livestock are used in farm publications to publicize the farm, and to spur sales of semen and breeding rights. She had seen a framed ad from the Holstein Journal on the wall of the farm, and it was dated five years ago. It was a younger Queenie. The Jacksons might be willing to get another taken, and when the new little calf grew to breeding stature, they would definitely want one of him.

“Rachael,” Mrs. Stoner said with a smile. “I called the bakery, and convinced your mother that I had kidnapped her children and if she wanted to see them again, she would have to come over for dinner. You three are eating with us tonight. Come on Kayla, you should help me in the kitchen.”

“I’ll come too,” Rachael said, standing.

“Sit down,” Mrs. Stoner ordered. “You are company. Besides, I heard what you were talking about. Your ideas for Bob are great. Keep them coming.”

Rachael did give a few more ideas on rural photography to Mr. Stoner, but quickly the conversation changed to what was really on his mind: Danni.

“How do you do it?” he said. “She absolutely loves you. I’ve seen her give you a hug, and it just makes my heart ache that I haven’t felt that from her … for years. Even before all this happened. I guess she knew I wanted her to be a boy, and she shut me out. I was such a fool. I can see now that she is all girl, and … and … she hates me.”

With that he started to cry, slowly at first, and then strongly. Rachael’s Ron memories told her how hard it was for a man to cry like that in public, and her heart ached for the man. Finally she put her arms out, and he fell into them, sobbing.

After a few minutes Bob tried to pull himself together, and broke out of Rachael’s embrace somewhat reluctantly.

A moment later Danni burst into the room, and then stopped abruptly when she saw her father. She started to back away.

“Danni,” Rachael said. “What did you want?”

“Momma said you were in here. She didn’t say he was here. I’ll talk to you later. I hate him.”

“Danni!” Rachael admonished. “He is your father. He loves you.”

“Well, I hate him,” she said.

“Danni, stop acting like a boy,” Rachael said. The little girl froze. “Boys get mad at people and can keep it going for years and years. But girls forgive. They still feel the hurt, but they hide it and make it get smaller and smaller until it is gone.”

“Danni,” Bob said morosely. “Danielle, my beautiful daughter.”

Danni looked at Rachael, and then at her father. For a second her face had that same stern look as he had been seeing for weeks. Then it softened, and there was a smile. She ran towards him, and leapt up into his arms. “Daddy, I love you. I really do love you. But you have to promise. Never ever cut my hair. Or make me be a boy.”

Bob was crying as hard as he ever had as he hugged his little girl. “I promise, sweetheart. I was wrong. I was bad. And if you can forgive me I will love you always. And you will always be my little girl.”

Rachael backed out of the room and went to the kitchen. “I think you two need to get into the living room with Danni and her father.”

“What has he done?” Mrs. Stoner said, dropping her spoon into the pot she was stirring, thinking the worst. Mikki followed quickly, and Rachael picked up the spoon and started stirring. Bobby would be happy. It looked as though there were going to be Sloppy Joe’s for supper.

It was a full five minutes later when the family came back into the kitchen. Danni was still in her father’s arms, still hugging him fiercely. Bob walked over to Rachael and put his arms around her. “Welcome to the Stoner family, Rachael. You are now officially my third daughter. You have done the impossible. My family is whole again.”

Mikki hugged Rachael next. “You already were my sister,” she said. “Now it is official.”

Then Mrs. Stoner gave her a hug. “Happiness just follows you around. But I thought I told you that you were not to be cooking, and I find you in here with a spoon. I’ll take over.” She reached out for the spoon but Rachael pulled it back.

“Not quite yet,” Rachael said. “All four of you need to go wash the tears out of your eyes. Unless the raccoon look is something you were aiming for.”

“Oh my,” Mrs. Stoner said, looking at her reflection in the toaster. “Mikki, you and I go up to the vanity in the ensuite. Daddy and Danni: go to the downstairs bath.”

So when the doorbell rang several minutes later, it was Rachael who opened the door to her mother.

“She said she kidnapped you,” Maria laughed. “You are working as a maid and cook for them, are you?”

“There was a family crisis,” Rachael said. “It is over now, but they are cleaning away some happy tears.”

Andrea was at the door a minute later, with Mikki right behind. After greeting Maria with a hug, Andrea took the spoon out of Rachael’s hand and told her to take her mother into the living room.

“As you say, Madam. This way, Madam,” Rachael said in a maid’s voice, causing everyone to crack up.

In the living room Bob and Danni were still locked together. The little girl just didn’t want to let go of her newly accepting father. She cuddled on his lap as he explained the situation to Maria.

“Your daughter is an angel,” Bob said finally.

“She has been an angel to Bobby and I,” Maria said, as Rachael felt embarrassment redden her face. “By the way, where is my son?”

“Upstairs playing PlayStation,” Rachael guessed. “Do you want to go up and get him, Danni?”

Danni looked hesitantly. She would be quite happy to spend the rest of her life in her father’s arms, but Bobby was her protector and friend. She finally hopped down and ran upstairs, just as Andrea started to call everyone to dinner.

The two-family dinner went splendidly, with Maria and Rachael seeing the future in watching Kyle eat five Sloppy Joe’s. He had been in his bedroom online since coming home from school, and had to be updated on the changed family situation. Maria had brought dessert from the bakery to cap off a simple, but wonderful meal.

As the Cartrights were leaving, Bob Stoner almost begged Rachael to come over on Saturday for the day. He seemed sincere in wanting to make Rachael another daughter. But Rachael had to beg off, noting they had a prior invitation to the farm.

That was the first Bobby and Maria had heard of this, so it was the topic of discussion on the short walk home. Bobby was ecstatic at the idea of a farm, and Maria had no real objection, as long as Rachael was looking after her brother. She worried a bit about her young daughter spending another full day with the boy she clearly considered a boyfriend, but when Rachael explained about Mrs. Jackson’s insistence that she come, she agreed to allow it.

That night Rachael prayed.

Dear Lord

Thank you for a wonderful day. I know I did some good today. Danni is in love with her father again, which is at it should be. And he is truly remorseful for what he did. But I am worried about Layla. Something is not right there, and I need to find it and make it right.

Amen