“I’m so sorry I almost crashed into you. I’m having one of those mornings.”
Ms. Ricker waved her comment away. “Don’t worry about it. I know the feeling.”
Libby stepped into line and shifted from one foot to the other. “Do you ever try to use the pastries here as a way to earn points with the kids? I bet it works.”
Ms. Ricker pushed her hair out of her eyes and chuckled. “Oh, it definitely does. I like to have a variety too. I don’t know if you know this, but they’ve got vegan and gluten-free options. Of course, you have to call ahead to reserve those, but I usually don’t have any issues.”
Libby stepped forward with the line. “Really? I’ll have to remember that.”
Ms. Ricker’s eyes darted around before they settled on Libby again, and she smiled further. “Oh, you definitely should. I can put in a good word for you if you’d like.”
Libby offered her a small smile. “I appreciate that, but I think I’m good, Ms. Ricker.”
“It’s Charlotte, please.”
Libby’s smile widened. “I appreciate the help, Charlotte.”
Charlotte cleared her throat and clasped her hands behind her back. “I hope it’s okay that I’m asking this, but how is Annie? She seemed a little down when I spoke to her the other day.”
“Summer school is taking its toll on her,” Libby replied with a sigh. The line moved again, and she took another step forward. “To be honest, I’m not really sure how to help her.”
Charlotte frowned. “I understand that she came to live with you a year ago.”
Libby nodded and clutched her purse tighter. “She did.”
It had been a year of sullen silences, stony looks, and one-sided arguments. A year of many sleepless nights and hours spent at the fertility clinic, sneaking glances at her phone. Of allthe scenarios she imagined when Annie’s case was first brought to her attention, having to constantly check on her wasn’t one of them.
It was exhausting, time-consuming, and unsustainable.
Libby spent too much time chewing on her bottom lip and bouncing her knees up and down at the principal’s office. And she wasn’t even sure it made any kind of difference, considering the indifference Annie treated her with.
“I don’t want to overstep, but I think you’re doing a really good job,” Charlotte said, the words tumbling out of her in a rush. “I can’t imagine being able to handle a situation like that…where the kids come from troubled homes, or they’ve been through some kind of tragedy…”
Charlotte’s words touched something in her, and they made some of the knots in her stomach loosen.
It felt good to know she wasn’t fighting against the current unacknowledged.
It felt better than Libby thought it would to know that someone out there could see how hard she was trying.
“I didn’t think I could do it either,” Libby said after a brief pause. “But it’s very rewarding.”
And she had a refrigerator full of pictures of the kids she’d fostered. All of them were healthy and happy now.
Libby could only pray that Annie would end up being the same.
“I know it’s not much, but I can keep an eye on her in school if you’d like,” Charlotte replied after a quick look around the bakery. “I mean, I do that anyway, but I’m happy to pay close attention.”
“She loves you.” Libby was two customers away from the front of the line, and jazz music continued to play through the overhead speakers. “But I don’t want to get you in any kind of trouble…”
Charlotte waved her comment away. “It’s no trouble. I love Annie. She’s a good kid, and I think with a little bit of structure and discipline, she could go a long way.”
Libby moved to the front of the line, and with a smile, she gave her usual order. When she moved to the glass display, Charlotte was still next to her. She picked up the box, and the two women stepped outside into the early morning sun. Libby shifted the box from one arm to the other and peered at Charlotte.
“I completely agree… I really want to help her and help guide her, you know?”
Charlotte patted her hand. “Absolutely. And God bless you for trying. Like I said, Annie is a good kid. Other than structure and guidance, she also needs time and patience.”
Libby nodded. “I hope you’re right.”
