Finding Libbie

by Deanna Lynn Sletten

  Libbie nodded as Jack kissed her softly on the cheek. “I love you, too,” she whispered.

  Libbie walked toward the dark house and opened the French door in the kitchen. Slipping inside, she turned around and saw Jack still standing in the bushes at the edge of their property. She made her way quietly up the back stairs. Everything was silent and dark up there. She took her key from her pocket, opened her bedroom door, and went inside. Then she flicked her bedroom lights twice so Jack would know that she was safely inside the house.

  Libbie ran to her window and looked outside, but it was too dark to see if Jack was still there. Exhausted from the emotional turmoil of the night, she went to bed and fell asleep quickly.

  As Jack lay in bed that night, he thought about the wild-eyed look on Libbie’s face when she’d told him he’d only make things worse if he spoke to her mother. He’d never seen her look anything but happy. But tonight she’d been shaking and scared as she’d cried in his arms. He’d wanted to protect her from her pain. He would have gladly taken her home to the farm if he’d thought it wouldn’t have made things worse for Libbie. But he knew he couldn’t, and it had been hard for him to watch her return to her house. He hoped she was okay.

  He knew from the incident at the gas station that Libbie’s mother didn’t like him. But it seemed to him that she’d reacted too severely over them going steady. And to cause Libbie so much pain was cruel. It was difficult for him to understand a mother acting that way, since he was used to his own mother being so kind and loving.

  Well, she’s going to have to get used to me, because I’m not going away.

  Jack’s love for Libbie went far beyond puppy love. He knew, even now, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He was working hard at school so he could learn his trade well and earn a living to support them. He was never going to be rich; he knew that. But he could still give Libbie a good life, if she’d have him.

  As Jack fell asleep, his thoughts were of Libbie and how he’d take care of her and keep her safe for the rest of her life.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Abigail didn’t leave her bed for three days after her outburst, claiming she was too distraught to get up. Gwen came over every day to care for her and to cook dinner for the family. This wasn’t the first time Libbie’s mother had taken to her bed after an outburst. It actually happened quite often, and usually after a family quarrel or upsetting news. Libbie always thought her mother did it to get attention or to sway her father to give in to whatever demands she had made. But this time, she knew it was because of her, and she felt guilty for making her mother sick. It also didn’t help that Gwen gave her reproachful looks every time their paths crossed.

  Everyone tiptoed around the house so as not to disturb Abigail. On the fourth day, Abigail reappeared, looking tired but acting as if nothing had happened. This behavior had always baffled Libbie. How could her mother be so angry that she became sick and yet pretend that all was fine just a few days later? It made no sense, but she was relieved that her mother wasn’t angry with her anymore—at least for the time being.

  No one questioned Libbie about her comings and goings or whether she was spending time with Jack. It was as if things had returned to normal, and she didn’t dare question it. She kept Jack’s ring out of sight, and that seemed to keep her mother pacified.

  As the homecoming celebration and dance drew near, Libbie went to her father to ask if it was okay if Jack escorted her. She’d been nominated for Homecoming Queen, and Carol had been nominated as part of the court. But if Libbie couldn’t go with Jack, she’d already decided she wouldn’t go at all.

  “Of course you can go with him, kitten,” Randall said, as if the incident at dinner had never occurred. “Why don’t you have Jack stop by here before the dance so we can finally meet him properly? I’m sure your mother would like to take pictures, too.”

  Libbie doubted very much that her mother would want to take pictures, but she didn’t tell her dad that. “Thanks, Dad,” she told him, kissing him lightly on the cheek before leaving. Maybe he’d talked her mother into accepting Jack as her boyfriend. She hoped so. At least now she felt free to enjoy planning for homecoming and going with Jack.

  Jack stood nervously outside the Wilkenses’ front door. He adjusted his tie for the tenth time, and then ran his hand down his suit jacket sleeve, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles. He’d had to buy a new suit for homecoming. He’d grown over the summer, and his arms and legs were too long for the suit he’d worn the previous spring to the prom. He’d even splurged on new dress shoes. Libbie was worth it, though, and he felt proud to be escorting the new Homecoming Queen to the dance. He just had to get through meeting her parents without having a heart attack.

  Taking a deep breath, Jack rang the doorbell. A moment later, a tall, slender man with dark hair and friendly brown eyes answered.

  “Hello. You must be Jack.”

  Jack relaxed a bit at the man’s friendly greeting. He extended his hand. “Yes, sir, I am. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Wilkens.”

  Randall shook his hand and moved aside to let him inside. “Come in, Jack. Libbie will be down in a moment.” He smiled. “You know how girls are, always making us men wait.”

  Jack smiled back and entered the house. He glanced around as he followed Mr. Wilkens through the large entryway to the back of the house and into the family room. It was just off the large kitchen, and the French doors leading out to the backyard stood between the rooms. They had passed a formal living room on the way there.

  “Please, sit down,” Mr. Wilkens said, pointing to a sofa. “Can I get you something? A Coke, maybe?”

  “No, thank you. I’m fine.” Jack sat down gingerly. He placed the box that held Libbie’s corsage on the coffee table in front of him. Mr. Wilkens sat down in a recliner opposite him and lit up a cigarette. Jack wondered if Libbie’s mother would make an appearance. He wanted her to see that he was a decent person, despite the fact that he was a farm boy from the south end of town.

  “I hear you work at Rick’s Shell Station. He’s your uncle?”

  Jack nodded. “Yes, sir. I work there in the summer and on weekends during school. I also help my father with his cabinet business.”

  “Yes, I’ve seen your father’s work. He does a fine job.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Mr. Wilkens suddenly stood up and looked across the room. “Abbie, dear. I’m so happy you were able to come down. I hope your headache is better.”

  Jack turned and saw Mrs. Wilkens standing there, staring directly at him. He quickly stood, bumping his knees into the coffee table.

  “Yes, I’m feeling better,” she replied, but her eyes were locked on Jack the entire time.

  “You know Jack, don’t you, dear?”

  Mrs. Wilkens looked Jack up and down very slowly before replying. “Yes. Hello, Jack,” she said coolly.

  Jack swallowed hard. “Good evening, Mrs. Wilkens. It’s nice to see you again.”

  She only nodded and then walked past him toward her husband. Mr. Wilkens offered her a cigarette and then lit it for her. She stood there, staring at Jack with those cold, sharp eyes, occasionally puffing on her cigarette.

  Jack wasn’t sure what to say. His palms were sweating, and he was growing hot in his suit. He’d known that Libbie’s mother was a formidable figure, but he hadn’t realized how absolutely scary she could be. He stood up straighter and tried to remain calm. He was at least a head taller than her, but her glacial stare made him feel two feet tall.

  “Ah, there she is,” Mr. Wilkens said, smiling toward the doorway.

  Jack turned and saw Libbie. All his anxiety drifted away as he gazed at her. She looked stunning in a long sapphire-blue satin dress. Her hair was pulled up with delicate wisps framing her face, and she wore white gloves that went up to her elbows. She truly looked like royalty.

  “You look beautiful,” Jack said, forgetting her parents were in the room and walking over to her. He reached for
her hands and held them as their eyes met. She smiled, and his heart skipped a beat.

  “Yes, kitten, you look lovely,” Mr. Wilkens said, coming over to them. He had picked up the box with the corsage in it. “I believe Jack brought this for you.”

  Jack reluctantly let go of Libbie’s hands as the magic of the moment faded away. He took the box from Mr. Wilkens and opened it, showing Libbie the flowers inside—a delicate white orchid with baby’s breath tied with a sapphire-blue ribbon.

  “Oh, Jack. It’s so pretty. Will you pin it on?”

  Jack nodded and took the corsage out of the box. Carefully, he pinned it to her dress, all the while feeling her parents’ eyes on him.

  “Look, Mother,” Libbie said excitedly. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

  Mrs. Wilkens snuffed out her cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table and walked over to her daughter, a forced smile on her face. “It’s lovely, dear,” she said stiffly. “You will make a gorgeous Homecoming Queen.” She gently hugged her daughter before pulling away and standing off to the side.

  Jack noticed that Libbie either chose to ignore her mother’s stiffness or she was just used to it. Maybe that was as warm as Mrs. Wilkens ever was. At least her coldness hadn’t dampened Libbie’s spirit. She was smiling brightly at Jack.

  “Are you ready to go?” Jack asked.

  “Yes, just let me grab my wrap.” Libbie went into the entryway where the staircase was and lifted a lace shawl off the stair rail.

  “We’ll be right behind you two,” Mr. Wilkens said cheerfully. “We can’t miss our baby girl being crowned Homecoming Queen.”

  Jack turned to Libbie’s father and offered his hand. “It was nice meeting you, Mr. Wilkens.”

  “Nice meeting you, too, Jack. We’ll see you in a little while.”

  Jack looked over at Libbie’s mother, who was glaring at him. “Nice seeing you again, Mrs. Wilkens,” he said.

  She only nodded.

  Jack turned, and there was Libbie, her eyes sparkling at him. He smiled and escorted her out to his truck.

  Later, as the homecoming program commenced, Jack stood near the back of the high school auditorium with Larry by his side. Libbie and Carol were up on stage wearing their crowns and having their pictures taken with the entire court for the yearbook and newspaper. The whole community had turned out for the coronation, so every seat was filled. Libbie’s parents had showed up, as well as Gwen and Walter, and they were sitting at the front near the stage. Jack had met Gwen for the first time that night, and by the cold gaze in her eyes, he knew immediately that she didn’t like him any more than Libbie’s mother did.

  Jack’s mother had brought Jan to watch, and they were sitting somewhere in the mass of people. Jan had been starry-eyed about Libbie being named queen, and Jack knew she hoped to one day be just like Libbie.

  “You should be standing up there beside Libbie as Homecoming King,” Larry said to Jack. “You’re just as good-looking as Ron.”

  Jack looked sideways at Larry. “Uh, I’m not sure if I like you thinking that I’m good-looking, but thanks.”

  Larry laughed. “You know what I mean.”

  “Well, you could be up there, too,” Jack said.

  “Yeah, if I was rich,” Larry snorted. “They don’t vote for the poor kids.”

  Jack nodded. Unfortunately, it was true. The popular kids were usually the rich kids, too.

  “You and Carol are still together, though. She must have finally told her parents about you.”

  “Yeah. They don’t seem to have a problem with us dating. I think they actually like me. Can you imagine that? I’ve been over there a few times for dinner,” Larry said.

  “They should like you. You’re a nice guy,” Jack said.

  Larry snorted. “I’m not all that nice, and you know it. But I can be polite if I have to be. You, on the other hand, are a nice guy. It’s a shame that the Ice Queen doesn’t like you.”

  Jack shook his head. “I doubt she ever will. And Libbie’s sister seems to have it out for me, too. But it doesn’t matter. We’re together whether they like me or not.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Larry said. He glanced up at the stage. “You sure are a lucky guy, Jack. I mean, Carol is really pretty, but no one can hold a candle to Libbie. She’s in a whole other league. All the guys are jealous of you, you know that?”

  Jack turned to Larry. “Are you?”

  “Nope. I’m not a sappy romantic like you. I’m never settling down and getting married. Marriage is a trap.”

  Jack laughed and slapped him on the back. “Right. You just keep on saying that until the right girl comes along.”

  Later that night, as Jack danced with Libbie in his arms, he knew for sure that he did believe in marriage, because for him the right girl—the only girl for him—had come along.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Jack and Libbie’s senior year flew by. The holidays came and went quickly, and at the end of January, Jack turned eighteen. Libbie cried the day he went to the courthouse and signed up for Selective Service. He had no choice—it was the law, and their country was in the middle of a war in Vietnam. But Libbie fell to pieces, believing that she’d lose Jack to the war and he’d never come home. It took him hours to calm her down, and for days afterward, she cried at the mere mention of Vietnam. With every boy in their senior class coming of age for the draft, it was hard not to talk about it. Jack did his best not to mention the war so as not to upset her, and in March, when Larry signed up, they only discussed it when Libbie wasn’t around.

  The world was changing around them. Nixon had become president that year, and although he spoke of the de-escalation of troops in Vietnam, neither boy felt safe from being called up. Students were protesting the war all around the country, and some were even being killed in the process. And the United States was planning to send a man to the moon. It all seemed surreal to the teens in the small Minnesota town, where, for most, the biggest problem was choosing a college or who to take to the prom in May. For Jack, the prom was not a problem at all. He’d have the honor of escorting Libbie, and he had a surprise for her, too.

  Not another word had been said by Libbie’s mother about the two dating, although Libbie had told him that her mother became upset easily these past few months and often took to her bed for days. Her sister, Gwen, cared for Abigail when this happened, and Libbie also helped, often preparing dinner for the family on the days her mother was incapacitated. Libbie had learned a lot about cooking while visiting the farm and enjoyed it, so it wasn’t difficult for her to simply heat up the dinners that Sandra prepared.

  At times, Jack noticed that Libbie’s behavior was a bit erratic. She’d be excessively cheerful one moment and then depressed the next. Sometimes, they’d be at a movie or hanging out at the burger place with Larry and Carol, and she’d go from happy to crying in an instant. It would take Jack a long time to calm her down after these episodes. If Carol was around, she’d help. Afterward, Libbie would apologize profusely to Jack, saying she didn’t know why she was so emotional. Jack attributed her behavior to the tension she was experiencing at home. It didn’t happen often, but it worried him that she was under so much stress that she’d break down that way. But his mother told him not to worry too much.

  “She’s a teenage girl with a stressful home environment,” Bev had said. “Hormones are jumping all over the place. She’ll be fine when school is out and she can concentrate on her future.”

  Jack thought his mother was right. Libbie was always happy when she came out to the farm and could relax and not worry about her mother or have her sister berating her. He would do his best to help her through this trying time.

  Spring came in April, melting the snow. Libbie turned eighteen, and her birthday was celebrated with as much pomp and circumstance as the prom. Her parents had a big party for her at their house, and even Jack’s parents and Jan and Ray were invited to the event, although Jack knew it was at Libbie’s insistence they be included. Though t
he evening was chilly, paper lanterns had been strung around the outdoor patio, and a huge table of food and goodies was set up in the room just inside the patio doors. All of Libbie’s friends attended, and when the cake was served, everyone sang “Happy Birthday.” Libbie’s parents gave her a beautiful gold heart-shaped necklace with a diamond inset. Jack couldn’t afford anything as extravagant—he’d been saving his money for something more meaningful and had given her a delicate gold bracelet with a sparkling star charm on it. He knew how much she loved the night sky, and he hoped it would remind her of all their evenings together, gazing up at the stars.

  By early May, when it was time for the prom, the trees were budding and the ice had melted from the lake. This year, Jack and Libbie’s class would be catered to by the eleventh-grade students, and all they had to do was show up and have a good time.

  Jack had been planning this night for weeks. He wanted it to be perfect for Libbie in every way. When he picked her up, her father was friendly and her mother was at least cordial. This year, Jack had rented a tux, with black pants, a white jacket, and black cummerbund and bowtie. When he’d put it on and looked in the mirror, it had struck him how much he’d grown up over the past year. High school was almost over, and then his adult life would begin. He only hoped it would all turn out the way he planned. Tonight would be the deciding factor.

  When Libbie came downstairs, his heart flipped. He’d seen her dressed up many times, but tonight she was more beautiful than ever. She wore a floor-length sleeveless pink satin dress with white-lace overlay and a wide pink sash around her waist. The color made her skin glow, bringing out the natural pink of her cheeks. Her blond hair was pulled up high with loose tendrils framing her face. And when she smiled, her eyes lit up. Jack felt at that moment that he was the luckiest man in the world.