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“Yes.”
“I’m impressed. I could never get my wife to go anywhere outdoors with Hannah, Terry and me.”
“She didn’t like being outside?”
“No.”
Again a shutter fell over his features, clearly putting an end to the direction of the conversation. A finely honed tension sprung up between them. The atmosphere shifted, and she wished the past had remained in the past. Each was uncomfortable talking about their deceased spouses.
Silence prevailed while Jared popped the last bite of bread into his mouth, then finished his water.
“How long have you lived in Crystal Springs?” Kathleen asked, needing the conversation to head in a more neutral direction.
“Ten years. My wife wanted to live near her mother. What made you move back home?”
“My family.” My need to put down roots in a familiar place, she added silently. To control the direction my life is taking.
“Family is important.”
“I’m hoping being around mine will help Mark. It’s becoming more obvious each day that my son needs more than I can give him, especially after last night at the church.”
“You don’t have just your family to help you. I’m here, too. We’ll find an answer to what’s going on with Mark. How was he after he got home last night?”
“He didn’t say much on the drive home or later. He went to his room and played his CDs—loudly.”
“You said he’s still asleep. When did he go to sleep?”
“Not until after four this morning.”
A frown creased his forehead and slashed his mouth. “When did this sleeplessness begin?”
“Six, seven, maybe eight months ago. It happened gradually. He would stay up later and later. By the end of school this year it was severely affecting his grades. He has always been a good student up until this year. He made several Ds and the rest were Cs. Do you think he’s suffering from depression?”
“That’s a possibility. Hopefully I can spend some time with him, maybe convince him to come in for some tests. Did he say anything about coming to the youth group on Sunday night?”
“He didn’t say no, which is a good thing. At least he’s thinking about it.” The oven timer went off and Kathleen removed the last loaf of bread. The aroma filled the kitchen with warmth and cozy thoughts.
“Good. Getting him involved with people might help him.”
Sitting back down at the table, Kathleen sipped at her now-cold tea. “Maybe. In the past few years my life has certainly changed. If you’d asked me two years ago what I was going to be doing now, I wouldn’t have thought this.”
“Unexpected things happen in life.” He sighed, running his finger along the rim of the glass. “I don’t let it worry me too much. My life is in God’s hands.”
Kathleen curled her fingers tighter around her empty mug and carefully placed it on the table. She used to think that until she’d lost John. “Have you ever wondered why bad things happen to good people?”
“Like your husband dying?”
“Yes.” Her chest tightened, trapping her breath.
“God has a plan for us. We don’t always know what it is. If we put our trust in Him, He will show us.”
Kathleen stared down at her mug. “When John first died, I couldn’t bring myself to pray or go to church. I only started attending again recently.” She brought her gaze to Jared’s, his image blurry. “John was such a good man. I still don’t understand why he had to die so young. A freak accident took him away just like that.” She snapped her fingers.
“Maybe John fulfilled what God had planned for him. He’s now with our Lord in heaven. That’s not a bad thing.”
“It was for me.”
“But you’re only one of God’s children. He’s concerned for all of His children.”
Kathleen wasn’t sure if she could accept Jared’s words. His strong faith obviously helped him overcome a lot of difficult problems, such as the death of his wife, but their situations were not the same.
Jared started to say something when the ring of his cell phone cut him off. “Just a minute.” He retrieved the instrument from the pocket of his shorts and flipped it on. “Dr. Matthews here.”
As he listened to the other person on the phone, the lines in his forehead returned. A frown darkened his eyes and his grip tightened until his knuckles whitened. “I’ll come home immediately.”
When he disconnected, Kathleen asked, “Is something wrong at home?”
“Hannah. She’s locked herself in the bathroom and won’t come out.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure, but from what the housekeeper said, I think my daughter has started her period.”
“Oh, I see.”
His gaze embraced hers. “You probably do see, even better than me. Hannah doesn’t respond to our housekeeper that much. She calls her the old battle-ax. I’m not sure my daughter will want to talk to me about this, and I know she won’t with Mrs. Davis.” He attempted a grin that failed. “That’s why she’s in the bathroom right now with the door locked. She refuses to talk to the housekeeper.”
“Do you think she would talk to me?”
“I don’t know. But I’m willing to try if you are.” This time his grin stayed in place. “I’m a desperate dad.”
“Well, in that case, let me come with you and give it a try. It can be a confusing time for a girl. Have you talked to her about her body changing? Did your wife?”
“No, Alice didn’t. I tried and Hannah wouldn’t listen. I gave her a book about it.”
“Did she read it?”
“I think so. But then, knowing Hannah, she may have flipped through it just to please me. She’s one girl who I don’t think is too pleased to go into womanhood. She’s still quite a tomboy. She can get dirtier than Terry when she’s playing.”
Kathleen rose. “It’s not an easy time.”
“For the dad or the daughter?”
“Both. You’re a doctor. You’re very knowledgeable about all the changes that Hannah will go through. This is just the beginning.”
Jared reached for his plate and glass and took them to the sink. “Why do you think I’m so desperate? I feel ill-equipped to handle this.”
“I know what you mean. There have been issues with my son that I felt so awkward talking to him about. But I believe young people should be kept informed, and I want to be the one informing, not some friend who may or may not have the facts right.”
Outside on the porch Jared descended the steps. “When I signed up to be a parent, I didn’t realize all that it entailed.”
“Parents rarely do the first time around.”
“How about the first time with each sex? Raising a boy is so different from raising a girl.”
“You won’t get an argument from me.”
“You see, I knew there was something about you I liked. No arguments.”
She laughed. “Don’t count on it. I love to argue when I feel I’m right.”
“Is that a warning?”
“You bet.” Kathleen lifted her face to the sun and relished the warmth on her skin. The June air was still cool, the breeze caressing. She inhaled then exhaled a deep breath, wishing the beauty of the day could wash away the turmoil churning in her stomach. “Before long summer will be in full swing, searing heat and all.” She peered toward the Ozark Mountains. “But for right now there’s still a touch of spring in this corner of Arkansas.”
“My favorite time of year.” Jared started down the sidewalk toward the corner.
“When everything is reborn,” she said, falling into step beside him.
Ten minutes later Jared turned up the walk to a two-story redbrick house with two massive oak trees in front. Kathleen paused to admire the landscape. The yard was mowed and neatly trimmed with well-tended orange and yellow marigolds by the porch.
She whistled. “What a beautiful yard. You and my dad have a lot in common. I think you’ll be a great candidate to take care of the gardens at church.”
“The housekeeper takes care of the inside. I take care of the outside. I enjoy getting out and puttering around in the yard. Makes me forget about my worries for a short period of time.”
“You see, that’s how I feel about the kitchen.”
“How does Mark feel about yard work?”
“He used to love it. He and John would spend hours working outside. Now he doesn’t want to do anything. I feel like a nag just getting him to mow our lawn.”
She followed Jared up the steps to a huge porch that ran the length of his house. A profusion of potted plants adorned it as well as a swing and natural wicker furniture with bright yellow cushions. “Do you spend a lot of time out here?”
“When I can, especially in the early morning and the evening right before the sun sets.”
“Nice times of the day.”
“It’s my quiet time.” Again his grin appeared, dimpling his cheeks. “At least the morning is my quiet time. The kids aren’t up yet. I can’t really say that about the evening. I’ve helped with many a homework assignments on that swing.”
The front door swung open and Terry hurried outside. “Dad, Hannah won’t let anyone in. Let’s call the fire department. They can rescue her.”
Jared put his hand on his son’s shoulder to stop his forward momentum. “I think they have better things to do with their time than that.”
“Then how are we gonna get her out?”
“She’s not stuck in there. She can come out anytime she wants.”
“Mrs. Davis has tried everything. She yelled at her. She tried to bribe her. Nothing’s worked.”
“Let’s go see what we can do.” Jared hugged his son to his side for a few seconds before entering the house.
Upstairs Mrs. Davis, who had brown hair streaked with gray and pulled back into a severe bun, stood in the middle of the hallway in front of what was obviously the main bathroom, tapping her foot against the brown-carpeted floor. Her irritated expression underscored her exasperated stance.
“I’ll take over, Mrs. Davis. Thanks for letting me know.”
The rotund, large woman huffed and rushed past Jared, Terry and Kathleen, mumbling about being behind in her work.
Jared approached the closed door and leaned against it. “Hannah, come out and let’s talk.”
“No! Go away. I hate being a girl.”
“I can’t do that, Hannah,” Jared said in a gentle voice. “Kathleen has come over to see you.”
Kathleen stepped closer until she, too, was leaning into the door. “I thought maybe you and I could talk woman-to-woman.”
Nothing came from Hannah for almost three minutes, then Kathleen heard the lock click and the door eased open.
“Come in.”
Kathleen went into the bathroom. Terry tried to follow. His sister blocked his way with her hands on her hips. She stuck out her lower lip, her eyes pinpoints, silently daring him to enter her domain.
“Terry, please go help Mrs. Davis now,” Jared said behind the boy.
Terry groaned but headed down the hall. Hannah immediately locked the door again. Kathleen sat on the lip of the bathtub while the twelve-year-old plopped down on the closed lid of the toilet. Her hands folded in front of her, the young girl stared at the cream-colored tile on the floor.
Kathleen waited a few minutes to see if Hannah would say anything. When she didn’t speak, Kathleen said, “I can still remember my first time. I was scared. I didn’t know what to feel. My mother is great, but she was always uncomfortable talking about things like that. I wasn’t sure what was happening to me.”
Hannah looked straight at her. “Dad gave me a book. It explained everything. That’s not the problem.”
When the young girl didn’t elaborate, Kathleen asked, “What is the problem? Maybe I can help.”
Hannah’s bottom lip quivered. “Can you stop it?”
“No, it’s a natural routine in a woman’s life.”
“But I don’t want it. I don’t feel well. I—”
Kathleen squatted in front of Hannah. “Do you have cramps?”
She shook her head. “I’m not myself. I don’t know how to describe it.”
Kathleen placed her hand over the young girl’s. “Out of sorts?”
“Yes.”
“That’s common. Our body’s hormones can affect our moods.”
Her eyes watery with unshed tears, Hannah bit her teeth into her bottom lip. “Why does this have to happen to me?”
