Ellipsis
Page 22
I smile as she approaches and stand to greet her. I yearn for her to be comfortable around me, to wipe away any hint of awkwardness she might feel at knowing I knew her deepest secrets. She smiles back nervously and I can’t help it; I move toward her and embrace her in a hug.
“Hi, Callie. I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time,” I confess.
She blushes and admits, “I’ve wanted to meet you too.”
Morris points to a chair and suggests she has a seat. He’s much more familiar with her than me, and I can see how at ease she is with him. I understand that trusting men can’t come easily to this child, and I know it speaks a lot about Morris and the kind of man he is. I don’t really need anyone else to convince me of his decency; I see and feel it every day, but it’s still touching to watch.
“Morris tells me you’re doing great in school!” I say brightly, hoping she still feels safe with me.
She nods and admits, “I guess I am; I try not to focus too much on grades, my counselor says it’s more important I focus on feelings and reactions. But it seems like the more I focus on those feelings and how I react, the better my grades get.”
“Smart counselor and smart girl,” I observe. “And… your family? I understand there’s going to be a change?”
At that, she smiles widely and nods her head. “Yeah, the Polinskis are going to adopt me! We go to the courthouse in two months to make it official, but they say they already consider me to be their real daughter. They said they’d planned to foster kids short term, but ended up with me first and decided they could never get a better one.” She laughed. “I know they’d probably have done this with whatever other kid they might have gotten first, but I’m the lucky one, so I will take it.”
I prod for details about her new life and smiles as she shares stories about life on the horse farm, what it feels like to suddenly have a little brother, and her funny early attempts at learning to drive the tractor. The child who had texted me, almost a year before, had been a broken porcelain doll. She’d been placed precariously on the edge of a shelf, ready to tumble down into the abyss. The child who sits here now is a confident, healthy girl who sounded eager to wake up each day.
As if she were reading my mind, she spoke frankly. “You know I probably would be dead if it wasn’t for you.”
“Oh, I don’t know, you’re stronger than you knew you were. I think you might have managed to pull yourself out, anyway. I’m so glad you turned to me, though, and we could get you out of it.”
She glanced at Morris when I said the word ‘we’ and asks eagerly, “Is he your boyfriend now?”
I chuckle and reply, “I guess you could say that.”
She grins at that news. “Really? Yay!”
I smile back at her and it feels awkward to bring this up, but I want her to know how important she is to me. “You know, I just wanted to say, we really saved each other. Talking to you, helping you, that all really helped me too. And it’s more than that. That one night, I was in such a dark place. If you hadn’t pushed me to call 911, I might not even be here today.”
She looks confused for a moment. “911? I don’t remember that.”
Mom call 911 now. It’s not time. Please...
It’s been almost a year, I reason. She’s been through a lot since those difficult days. Perhaps if I prod her enough, she will remember that text. I look at her sweet young face, sunkissed from her hours on horseback. Her eyes are a guileless green, flecked with bits of gold, they’d seen the very worst of humanity, but she hasn’t given up. They house no deception. I feel Morris’s hand tighten over my own during the momentary silence, and I smile up at him before turning back to her. Maybe she’s just forgotten. Or maybe she hadn’t texted me. Do I really want to know?
“I don’t know, Callie; it’s been so long, I’m probably confused. Anyway, tell me all about these horses you love so much.”
She breaks into a huge smile and tells us about the first time she rode Lucky Lady, and I looked back over at Morris. He’s also smiling widely, nodding along at her story. His joy in reaction to her joy sparks a glow around our entire table. He glances at me, and the smile changes to something else. This smile is softer, and it doesn’t quite conceal the hint of desire.
Callie pops another California roll into her mouth and closes her eyes to enjoy the sheer pleasure. After swallowing, she smiles and declares, “Sushi is life!”
Morris throws his head back and laughs deeply, and affirms, it is indeed life. As I watch him, warmth fills my belly and with chopsticks in my hand, I reach for a sushi roll. I stuff the life into my mouth and I look back up at him, covering my mouth with my hand, unable to contain the laugh that emerges. I am struck with certainty. I am in love again. With sushi, with Morris, with life.
#
AFTERWORD
The Richmond School of Art and Design is fictional, as are the K-12 schools named in this novel. Artist Ben Hamilton is also fictional- although I'd like to think his prototype exists out there somewhere. Mabel's in Powhatan is very much real, and I highly recommend the Sprinkled Donut Crazy Shake.
While this story is fictional, the themes of child abuse, bullying, and gun violence in schools are entirely too real. The prevention heroes are the thousands of real teachers and social workers who have answered their calling to serve our children. The difference they make in a child's life and the life of every person that child comes into contact with- isn't fiction.
About The Author
Kristy spent her childhood as a Navy "brat" and her adult years first as a service member and then as a Coast Guard wife. A lifelong wanderer and now empty nester, she's set permanent anchor in Virginia Beach, Virginia with her husband and that most rascally of rascals- her cat Percy. When not plucking away at her keyboard or eagerly devouring every book she can get her hands on; she enjoys theater, beach combing, hiking, wine tasting, and obsessively planning the next journey.