A Child's Wish

Meredith stood. “I still have my job,” she said. “My home, my friends.” Friend. Though she had yet to connect with Susan since her breakup with Mark on Wednesday, except through voice mail.

Ruth Barnett, walking with her toward the door, reached for Meredith’s hand and pulled her to a halt just inside the living room. “You know that he won’t be stopped, don’t you? The news, the paper, the call for your resignation, didn’t work, so he’s moving on to talk radio. If that doesn’t do you in, he’ll still keep trying. If there’s one thing I know for certain about my ex-husband, Ms. Foster, it’s that he will not lose.”

“He’s never fought with me before.” Meredith didn’t plan the words. They just slid out. With complete calm.

She hoped to God she knew what she was talking about.

Ruth Barnett looked at her for a moment longer, nodded and started to smile. “I hope you’re right.”

“For Tommy’s sake, so do I.”

“YOU COULD’VE GONE at the house,” her mom said when Kelsey climbed back in the car after using the restroom at the first gas station they came to. Her panties were wet and her jeans, too, a little bit, but she’d managed to hold most of it in.

“I know,” Kelsey told her. “I didn’t want to be late and I was sure I could hold it.”

Her mom glanced over at her and Kelsey was afraid she would figure out she was lying, but she didn’t say anything. Her eyes were a lot better now, wide awake.

Even when Meredith was half-asleep, she could tell if Kelsey was hiding something.

But Kelsey didn’t want to think about Meredith. Dad said they wouldn’t be seeing as much of her, anyway, since he and Susan had broken up.

They got to the bushes where Kelsey had to get out. She undid her seat belt as soon as they turned the corner so she could leave quick, but when her mom slowed down by the curb she grabbed Kelsey’s arm.

“You still want to see me, Kelse?”

Kelsey nodded. She did. A lot. She loved her mom. She’d get over being scared, just like she had when Mom left. And when she lost her teddy bear, Bangles, and had to go to sleep without him.

Mom smiled and it looked like she might cry. “I’m glad,” she said, her lips kind of shaky and she touched Kelsey’s face, making her feel even better than going to the bathroom had. “Because you’re the most important person in the world to me. You know that, don’t you?”

Kelsey wanted to know it. Worse than just about anything. “Yeah.”

She hoped her mom was going to hug her, but she reached under the car seat, instead, and brought out a little brown bag like the other two Kelsey had given to Kenny.

Kelsey drew back, staring at that bag.

“I need you to take this to Kenny on Monday, honey,” she said.

She couldn’t stop looking at that bag. She didn’t mind seeing Kenny. To tell him he might be in trouble. She shook her head—hard.

“I really need you to,” Mom said, her voice still soft and not mad.

Kelsey couldn’t touch that bag. She wasn’t putting it in her backpack or carrying it home. It would be there all weekend and she could go to jail because of it.

She might need to throw up instead of eat. What would kid jail be like? She wished she could talk to Josie about this, but she was afraid. Don said no one.

“What’s that stuff in the garage for?” She didn’t care, but she had a feeling it had to do with all of this.

“It’s just like we said, honey,” Mom smiled at her. “Don likes to do experiments. He was really into science when he was in school, but his parents couldn’t afford to send him to college so he became a truck driver.”

“Then why can’t I tell about it?”

“Because he uses some stuff for his experiments that you aren’t supposed to bring inside houses. You’re only supposed to use them in labs, but since he’s not in school and didn’t go to college he’s not allowed in one of those. Now take this and run before you’re late.”

Kelsey stared at the bag again.

“I don’t want to get in trouble.”

“The only way that will happen is if you don’t take this bag,” Mom said. “I know it sounds bad, Kelse, but it really isn’t. Don’s a good guy and so are his friends. It’s just like you and me seeing each other right now—sometimes you have to do things backward, but they’re still good things.”