Page 14 of Capture the Moment
“True, but this is an especially difficult time.”
Thea’s brow furrowed with concern. “Why? What’s wrong?”
He hesitated, unsure where to start. The real reason for not wanting Maisie to stay with him right now had more to do withhis off-kilter relationship with Sally than with park concerns, but there was no way he was going to bring that up with Thea. “Well, for one thing, the long winter’s been rough. All the melting snow is causing heavy runoffs, and the bears, who should have come out of hibernation by now, are late and hungry, just as the tourists are arriving. I’ve also heard rumors about potential poachers in the park.”
“Well, then,” she said, relieved. “Maisie won’t be in any danger.”
“No, of course not. I’d never let her be in any danger. But I am preoccupied. If you’d only called first...”
“Maisie can take care of herself. Just give her jobs to do. Or find someone who needs help. She’s a great helper.” Before Tim could respond, Thea put her hand on his arm, a somewhat apologetic expression on her face. “Maisie’s growing up so fast, and I thought she could use some time with you. You know how much she loves being with you.”
Tim sighed, a blend of frustration and understanding. “Thea, I love spending time with Maisie. You know I do. But you can’t drop her off without any advance warning.” He tipped his head. “School isn’t even out yet. What about that?”
Thea swept that worry away with a flick of her hand. “I’ve been homeschooling her. Didn’t I tell you that? I thought I did.”
“No. When did that start?”
“A month or so ago.”
“Why?”
“Well, when we moved, it just seemed easier to finish out the school year homeschooling, instead of Maisie having to make new friends.”
“Youmoved?”
Thea looked down at her feet. “Yeah. I was sure I told you.”
He let out a deep sigh. “Where did you move to?”
“In with a friend. Just ... a temporary spot.”
He shook his head. “Everything’s temporary with you, Thea.”
“Don’t start. I’m figuring things out.” Thea’s gaze wandered toward the mountains outside.
Tim studied his stepdaughter, caught between paternal concern and exasperation. “You’ve been figuring things out for a long time, Thea. Maisie deserves some consistency.” He scratched his forehead. “I thought the art instructor gig was working out.”
“It was. It did. And then ... it didn’t.” She looked away. “The person who hired me, well, let’s just say we had conflicting views on art.”
“Ah. Got it.” Right. In other words, something had happened and she’d been fired, or not rehired. Thea’s art could be a little ... out there. Emotive, mostly dark themes. But it was clear she didn’t want to talk about it. “So what do you think you’ll get out of this retreat?”
“My friend Rebecca said that it would help me look deep within.”
Oh boy.
Thea narrowed her eyes. “What’s that look for?”
“I know what your mother would say about that. She’d say that what you’re looking for can’t be found within. Only outside ourselves. Only in God.”
She dropped her chin and started to dig through her purse, as if hunting for something.
Tim could sense that he’d said too much. Thea was shutting down. This was her general pattern. Whenever he brought God into the conversation, she checked out. Well, too bad. Who was going to talk straight to Thea if he didn’t? He’d gone this far. He might as well go all the way. “Do you know why your mother chose your name?”
“Calathea? She said it was her favorite plant.”
“Yes. It’s a plant that symbolizes a new beginning.”
Thea lifted her head and locked eyes with him. “And that’s exactly what I’m hoping this retreat will bring me. Rebecca said it islife-changing.”
