“Congratulations!” It was that rush of having helped someone accomplish something worthy that got Cal up every single morning of his life. “If you ever need anything, or there’s anything I can do to help, you have my number.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.” At the door, Shane turned. “You know, a lot of teachers offer to be there for you, to give you all the help you need, but you’re the only one I’ve ever had who really has supported me every step of the way. As many of your classes as I dropped, you never gave up on me.”
“Because you never gave up on yourself,” Cal said. The point was critical. He’d done nothing more than support the decisions Shane had made. The effort had come from him. “If you were willing to give yourself another chance, who was I to tell you you couldn’t?”
Shane chuckled. “Another chance?” he said. “Try seven of them. Hell, even my own dad gave up on me.”
Shrugging, Cal said, “Some of us need to try more times to succeed, but the ultimate success is no less valuable. Book learning is important, but you graduate with an understanding far more valuable to you in life. You know now that the important things are to not give up on yourself and to keep trying.”
Cal’s words rang in his ears after the young man left. He’d had another student on his mind all morning. And for most of the night before, too.
Morgan had been scheduled in court two hours ago. Surely the hearing wasn’t still going on. But she hadn’t called.
Surely, if she’d won, she’d have called.
And if she hadn’t, she had to believe in herself as Sammie’s parent and keep trying. Money might be able to buy a judge, but it couldn’t buy love.
Why hadn’t she called?
Rather than waste more time asking questions for which he had no answers, Cal pulled his cell phone out of the pouch on his belt and pushed the speed dial number he’d programmed a week or two before.
The phone rang. And rang some more. After eight long rings, his call was diverted to voice mail.
“Morgan? It’s Cal. Just wanting to know how things went this morning. I’ll have my phone on all day. Call when you can.”
With a frown on his face, he hung up.
* * *
CAL WAS STILL FROWNING when he left Wallace just after three that afternoon, wondering what he’d find when he got to the elementary school. Would Sammie still be there waiting for him? He hadn’t been told otherwise.
Morgan hadn’t called at all. And when he’d tried her a second time, he was sent straight to voice mail.
Was she purposely avoiding him? Had she taken the whole day off or just the morning?
Had her phone’s battery died?
No, she had a backup battery. And a car charger, and a wall charger in her purse, too, so she never had to worry about being disconnected from Sammie. Had she told the court that this morning? Told them how Sammie factored in to every single move that she made every single day? Hell, according to Sammie, she hadn’t dated in years because she wasn’t going to risk a negative fallout for Sammie.
Parking in the lot outside Sammie’s school, he strode down the walk like he belonged there. Headed toward Julie’s office the same way. A swell of relief at the sight of the boy told him how much he was wrapped up in Morgan and her son. That was something he’d have to take care of later. At that moment, Julie was approaching him. With a motion of her head, she showed him into a private office.
“Sammie? Could you give me just a second alone with Dr. Whittier?”
She knew something. And by the look on her face it wasn’t good.
“Jeez, Ms. Wallace. I want to know about court, too.”
Julie’s gaze faltered and Cal said, “Just for a second, Sammie, okay? Your mom probably wants to tell you about it herself.”
“Okay.” Sammie didn’t sound happy, but he didn’t dawdle as he walked
over to where the school nurse sat ready to engage him in conversation.
“Have you heard from her?” Cal asked immediately. Morgan’s reasons for today’s silence ceased to matter.
Julie shook her head. “I was there for most of it,” she said. “For all of her parents’ testimonies and some of Morgan’s. Then, in the middle of hers, the judge called a recess and I had to leave to get back here. I just took the morning off.”
“How did it look from what you saw?”