He played it safe and let her go.
ON FRIDAY, Susan called Meredith to say she had a date. The man was an administrator from the hospital. He flew planes, and they were going to Dallas for dinner.
“You sound different, Suze,” Meredith told her friend, staring out the window of her classroom during planning period as she spoke on her cell phone. Susan felt different, too.
“I… Steve’s been bugging me to go out with him for a couple of months,” she admitted, “but I wouldn’t even consider it.”
“Because of Mark.”
“That. And Steve’s so different from me. He lives life by the seat of his pants, Mer, while I plan every holiday a year in advance.”
Meredith chuckled. “You do not.”
“I live pretty rigidly.”
“You didn’t used to.”
“I know.”
“He makes you spark, huh?” A picture of Mark’s face swam before her mind’s eye. Susan might have married him.
“Yeah, I think he does.”
Hallelujah.
“Now, tell me about Kelsey. Your message said you were worried.”
“Something’s up with her,” Meredith said. “But I’m so depleted I can’t get a fix on what it is.”
“How sure are you about this?”
“Ninety-five.”
“Okay.” Susan’s take-charge voice kicked in. “You have to find a way to spend some time with her. You know once you’re with her, you’ll be able to get through the noise and figure out what’s going on.”
Meredith did know that. And still she hadn’t made any attempt to see the little girl—not even on the playground or in the cafeteria. “What would I do with the information if I got it?” she asked. “Tell Mark his daughter’s in trouble? That she needs help? He’ll never believe me.”
“And now’s not a good time for that, huh?”
Mark was just about her only hope of getting through the Barnett thing. And it was a slim hope at that.
“If I thought I could be of any use to Kelsey, I’d do it anyway.” At least the old Meredith would have.
“How do you know you can’t be, until you know what kind of trouble she’s in? You might be able to help her without anyone being the wiser.”
It wasn’t her way. She always went to the parents. These children were not hers.
But until she knew…
“I’ll see what I can do,” she said, feeling marginally better.
“And in the meantime, you can spend some time with her father and figure out what’s going on there.”
Meredith glanced toward her classroom door, as if someone could have overheard her friend’s absurd statement.
“There is nothing going on between me and Mark,” she said in an urgent whisper.
“Then there should be.”