[Second Chances 02]California Dreams

by Morris Fenris

  “I hope so. She was also coughing a little bit when I put her down, which is unusual for her. She’s always been extremely healthy, even when I caught a cold, she usually managed to fight off my germs without any complications.”

  “Wait until she starts preschool,” Jane offered with a smile, “She’ll be subjected to everyone else’s germs and probably be sick the entire semester with one thing or another.”

  “Thank you for that encouraging word!” Grace told her ruefully.

  Jane laughed, “Just telling you to prepare for the worst and if she happens to be healthy a week or two, count your lucky stars.”

  Grace smiled, “I’ll do that.” Wiping her hands on her apron, she surveyed the plates of finished cookies and other treats they had made to feast upon at Samuel’s house. “We’re all going to need a New Year’s diet after eating all of this!”

  Jane laughed, “That’s what tomorrow is for. Making a new resolution so that is can be broken before February arrives.”

  “That’s the truth. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever managed to keep a New Year’s resolution for more than a week or so. Isn’t that sad?”

  Jane shook her head, “Not really. That’s why I made a resolution five years ago, to never make another New Year’s resolution. I haven’t broken that one yet.”

  Grace laughed, “Oh, that’s good! That’s really good! So good in fact, I’m going to borrow it tonight. Imagine, never having to feel depressed again because I broke one of those stupid resolutions I shouldn’t have made to begin with. Oh, I can feel the stress leaving my body already.”

  Jane laughed with her, “Feels good, doesn’t it?”

  Grace nodded, “Yeah.” Glancing at the clock, she asked, “What time did you tell Samuel we’d be coming over?”

  “Around 3 o’clock? I wanted to give Daniella plenty of time to finish her nap. I told her about Lucky and I figure she’ll wear herself out tossing a stick for her. That dog never seems to get tired of playing fetch.”

  “Daniella loves dogs. I was thinking maybe after she gets settled in at school I should look into getting one, but then I calculated how many hours a day we’re gone, and it just wouldn’t be fair to an animal to leave it alone all day, every day!”

  “That’s probably a wise choice right now. Maybe when she gets a little older and can help care for the animal, you could revisit the idea. I had a dog while I was growing up and knowing that it was my responsibility to make sure he had plenty of water and food each day really taught me responsibility.” Jane thought back to the small terrier her father had brought home one afternoon when she was nine.

  She had named him Klutz because his feet seemed to be a bit too big for his body, and when he ran, he ended up rolling tail over nose more times than not. He was the most awkward dog she had ever seen, but had become her best friend and confidant during her teenage years. She loved that dog and had cried for days when he got sick and had to be put down during her senior year of high school.

  Kenneth had offered to buy her another dog, but she had refused, saying she didn’t want the heartache that came along with it. Looking back, she should have taken him up on his offer and would have if she had known he would be dead within a few years. At least she would have had someone besides her pillows and the wall to listen to her cry out her frustration and anger at being widowed so young.

  Shaking off those depressing thoughts, she nodded absently when Grace announced she was going to go wake up Daniella. She made a conscious effort to focus on the upcoming evening and decided to go freshen up before it was time to leave. Samuel was opening his home to them for the evening and she couldn’t decide if she was more excited to see live fireworks over the ocean, or the man she would be viewing them with.

  So far, since arriving in San Diego, she had spent some part of each day with Samuel Drackett, and she was starting to look forward to that. Last night they had only spoken on the phone, and several times it had seemed that Samuel wanted to tell her something, but then he would start a new subject and the moment would be lost.

  Maybe tonight she would finally hear what he seemed reluctant to tell her. Maybe sometime tonight she would find time to tell him that she was becoming emotionally involved in their friendship and would welcome the chance for it to become more.

  Chapter 16

  The fireworks over the ocean were awesome! Daniella managed to stay awake until midnight, which surprised all three adults. The little girl had spent a solid hour throwing a stick for Lucky, and then collapsed on the sand, the dog lying next to her as they recovered their energy.

  Jane and Samuel never found time to talk alone, but at the stroke of midnight, he had turned her into his arms and kissed her soundly upon the mouth. The way Jane figured it, that action spoke volumes in and of itself.

  Jane had returned his kiss and then been grateful when Daniella interrupted them demanding her turn. “Princesses should always be kissed first,” she had instructed them.

  Samuel had played along and dutifully apologized and made amends, “Your humblest apologies, my lady.” He offered her a gallant bow and then dropped to one knee, taking her hand and placing a kiss upon its back.

  Daniella had found his antics so funny, she had fallen over in her tiredness and laughter. The moment had brought the evening to a close, but on an upbeat note and without the awkwardness that often came between two people after they shared their first real kiss.

  Jane and Grace had gathered their dishes together and taken a very sleepy princess home. They had then stayed up talking late into the night about the upcoming week and making plans for each day that included both Daniella and Samuel.

  When 3 a.m. finally rolled around, they both headed off to bed, hoping that the little princess asleep down the hall would stay that way until at least noon.

  They both got their wish, as Daniella didn’t voluntarily wake up and when 2 p.m. came and went, Grace finally forced her to get up and eat some food. She was starting to grow concerned about her daughter’s health. After discussing it once again with Jane, she decided to make an appointment with the pediatrician if her symptoms worsened or she became any more lethargic.

  The next few days passed in a blur of activity with Grace getting ready for the upcoming semester, Jane trying to check off as many activities as she could on her bucket list, and Daniella preparing to attend preschool come Monday morning.

  On Saturday, they cleaned the house together and then decided to tackle another item on Jane’s bucket list. Samuel had driven up north to take care of some paperwork associated with the Quintana brothers case and wouldn’t be back until late, so they had the entire day to themselves.

  They made a trip to the zoo where Daniella informed anyone within earshot that she wanted to take all of the baby animals’ home with her. Her continual chatter made the three hour walk around the zoo memorable. The question word of the day was “Why” and she used it in regards to everything.

  Why do the baby giraffes walk so funny? Why can’t I feed and swim with the seals? Why do snakes look so creepy? Why? Why? Why?

  Grace had the patience of a saint when it came to her daughter, most days. Today however, Daniella was cranky which had put Grace into a cranky mood. When their time at the zoo was over, Jane had never been so glad to head home.

  Daniella had become even crankier the longer the afternoon dragged on, and after three hours, both women had given up trying to placate the whiny little girl and called it quits.

  Daniella had promptly fallen asleep on the way home and been hard to rouse once they arrived home. Jane had carried her inside, lying her down on her bed and removing her shoes. “All of that walking wore her out.”

  “Me too. I forgot how spread out everything is. And we only saw the first half of it.”

  “Well, I don’t know about you,” Jane told her as they arrived home, “but I’m heading for a long soak in the bathtub.”

  “Oh, that sounds heavenly. Go ahead. I’ll put her to bed and th
en I may take a bath myself. There’s always plenty of hot water since I had one of those Forever Hot Water Systems installed.”

  “How about I make us some dinner once I get out?” Jane offered.

  Grace readily agreed, “I could eat, especially if you’re cooking.”

  “Good.” Jane headed straight for the tub in the guest room.

  Grace headed for her own bedroom. Maybe Daniella will wake up in a better mood.

  Grace finished her shower and was just exiting her bedroom when she heard the phone ring. Picking up the receiver, she was pleased to hear her sister’s voice on the other end.

  “Grace, are you there?”

  “Yes. Happy New Year!”

  “Happy New Year to you too!” Sara said with a laugh. “Did you guys watch some real fireworks? Jane mentioned something about them in her last email to Trent.”

  “We did. Samuel invited us over to his place and we watched them shoot them off over the water. Your niece was a real trooper and even managed to stay awake until midnight.”

  “Oh, don’t tell me that. She’s growing up too fast.”

  “Yes, well she starts preschool on Monday.”

  “Can I talk to her for a few minutes?” Sara asked, not having talked to Daniella since they had returned from Montana.

  “Sorry, she’s still asleep. Jane and I took her to the zoo today and it completely wore her out. She didn’t even make it back to the primates. She was really cranky before we left.”

  “Is she still not feeling well?” Sara asked, concern in her voice.

  “I don’t know. Some days she’s her normal active self, and then other days it’s like she can’t seem to get enough sleep. And she seems to be injuring herself a lot.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, for instance, the night we arrived back from Montana, I was drying her off after her bath and she had several bruises over her spine.”

  “What? She didn’t injure herself at all while she was here.”

  “I know. That’s what she said. But now she has several bruises on her arms and legs, and no one seems to know how she got them. Even her. She’s also back to taking a nap every afternoon.”

  “What about school?”

  “That’s another issue. In order to secure her spot in the class, she has to attend a minimum of three days per week, and they meet all day long.”

  “Have you taken her to the doctor yet? Maybe she’s got some bug or something.”

  “No. I thought I’d see how she did over the next few days and then make an appointment if she doesn’t seem to turn the corner.”

  “That sounds like a good plan. Well, Trent just got home. We’re headed to the church for a meeting about the new center.”

  “Are you getting excited?” Grace asked, happy that her sister had found something meaningful to do in Montana.

  “A little bit. The entire town seems to be behind the idea. Anyway, that’s a discussion for another day. Have a good day tomorrow. Is Jane going to church with you?”

  “Yes,” Grace replied, “Samuel’s coming along as well. He’s been attending one of the mega churches in the area, and when the subject came up over New Year’s Eve, he mentioned that he really liked the feel of the church up in Castle Peaks. I told him about the small little church Daniella and I have been going to and he asked if he could join us.”

  “That’s great. I think that’s one of the things I like most about Castle Peaks – the people and the community feeling. I never had that in San Francisco. Not even close.”

  “So, everything’s good with you and Trent?”

  “Yes. Everything’s perfect,” Sara replied with a sigh in her voice. “Oh, Trent’s telling me that if we don’t go now we’re going to be late to our own meeting. Love ya!”

  “Love you too. I’ll tell Daniella you called. Maybe she can call you tomorrow and tell you all about her first day of school.”

  “Yes! That would be great. Bye!”

  Grace hung up the phone to see Jane walking towards her with two plates in her hands. Reaching out to take one of them from her, she sniffed appreciatively before asking, “What’s this?”

  “One of my favorite comfort foods – grilled cheese. There’s tomato soup on the stove as well.”

  Grace giggled, “My mom used to make this for us when she couldn’t think of anything else to cook.”

  Jane got a cup of soup for herself and then took her seat, “I thought maybe Daniella would eat when she woke up.”

  “She probably will. I’ll let her sleep a little while longer and then wake her up. She needs to take a bath tonight as well. Tomorrow’s Sunday and we never seem to have enough time in the mornings for extra things.”

  “I’m excited about church tomorrow. How big did you say the congregation was?”

  After dinner Grace woke up a very sleepy little girl and gave her a bath. After eating half a sandwich, Daniella crawled up on the couch between the two women and fell back to sleep.

  Grace left her sleeping on the couch for a while as she and Jane finished watching a movie. When it was over, she picked her daughter up, told Jane “Goodnight,” and headed off to bed. She was looking forward to church the next day and hoped that Jane and Samuel were made to feel right at home.

  Chapter 17

  When Monday rolled around, Daniella was clingy and tearful about going to preschool. A fact that alarmed Grace since her daughter had never been shy and had been looking forward to going for weeks.

  “Sweetie, you’re going to meet all kinds of new friends at school today. Do you remember what I told you about your teacher? Do you remember his name?”

  Daniella was being stubborn and refused to answer. Her bottom lip was pushed out; she had a defiant look in her eye, and was trying valiantly to ignore her mother.

  “His name is Mr. Simpson. Do you remember when we went to visit him? His wife was there with the baby kittens?”

  “I ‘member you wouldn’t let me have one!” came the reply.

  Grace sighed in frustration, “Daniella, I explained that as did Mrs. Simpson. The baby kittens weren’t old enough to go to new homes yet. Besides, a kitten would be very lonely if it had to stay home by itself all day long.”

  Daniella relaxed her lip a little and nodded, “But I wanted one of them. They were soft and cuddly…”

  “Maybe Mrs. Simpson will bring in more kittens when they’re born.” Teresa Simpson was the wife of the preschool teacher, Brad Simpson. She ran the local animal shelter for cats, and was never in short supply for litters of kittens. She operated a no-kill shelter, and was always trying to find homes for her borders. Bringing the kittens by the school several times a year was very effective.

  Brad was the grandson of the school’s founder, Matthew Simpson, and after graduating from school with a doctorate in early learning techniques, he had been given the opportunity to start a preschool as a feeder program for the regular school grades. The program had been extremely successful and some parents went so far as to place their children on the waiting list right after birth.

  Grace had been thrilled when she received the call that they had a space for Daniella in the spring semester. She had immediately said “Yes” and started making preparations for her daughter to start Kindergarten at the age of four.

  Today was the first day in her daughter’s educational journey, and she was stumped at her lack of enthusiasm for the adventure. “Daniella, it’s only for a few hours and then I’ll be back to pick you up. Could we try it just for today and see how it goes?”

  Grace hated bargaining with her daughter, or pleading, but there were only a few minutes left before the class began and she didn’t want her to be late for her first day.

  When Mr. Simpson approached her, she sighed in relief that she wouldn’t have to fight this battle alone. “Good morning, Miss Daniella. I’ve been looking forward to having you in my class for several weeks now. Thank you for coming today.”

  Brad winked at Grace and
waited for Daniella to respond. She looked at him and then at the children filing into the building behind him, seeing several other kids about her age.

  Brad could sense her interest and moved in to seal the deal, “Wouldn’t you like to come in and join us today? We have a very special guest coming by later.”

  Daniella’s eyes lit up and she asked, “Is your wife bringing more baby kittens?”

  Brad leaned down to her level and whispered something in her ear, before rising back up to his full height and saying, “Remember, that’s a secret. No one else can know what I just told you.”

  Daniella’s eyes were as wide as saucers and she was suddenly vibrating with energy. Grabbing Grace around the knees, she gave her a brief hug and then darted for the door to the building. Grace was stunned and watched her daughter disappear in a flash.

  Turning to the teacher, she asked, “Okay, I have to know what you told her. And please, don’t tell me your wife’s bringing in more kittens. I was reminded about how mean I was when we visited and I wouldn’t let her bring one of them home with us.”

  Brad laughed and shook his head, “Not to worry. A friend of mine from the zoo is bringing by a few friends.”

  “Really? The kind that walk on two legs or four?” Grace questioned.

  “Relax, momma. He’s bringing several helpers with him and cages.”

  “Cages? Exactly what is he bringing with him?” Grace was curious to know.

  “Monkeys. We’re studying primates and he’s bringing in some monkeys.” Brad smiled at her expression. “I promise they’re perfectly safe and the kids won’t be handling them or anything. Just watching them act up.”

  Grace smiled already imaging the chatter that was going to consume her evening. “Do me a favor, please?”

  Brad nodded, “Sure. Let me guess, make sure Daniella understands that monkeys are not pets and she can’t have one?”

  “Oh, you’re good. That’s it exactly. I’m already the bad guy about the kittens. I don’t know if she’d ever forgive me if I had to be the bad guy over something as exciting as a monkey.”