Loving Miss Libby (19 page)

The truth was, she would gladly do that for him. 
The thought of those little kids rising so early and spending so many hours
away from home broke her heart.  They would be exhausted by day’s end, only to
have to awaken early and start over.  It would be a difficult schedule for an
adult, let alone a child.

“Miss, Libby, will you watch us play Badminton?”
Kate asked. 

“Sure,” she readily agreed.  Perhaps watching them
would distract her from her thoughts.  She focused on the children, as they
attempted to hit the birdie over the net, with little success.  No matter that
they were struggling, they were having a good time.

As much as she tried to focus on them, however,
Libby couldn’t get her mind off of Dan’s phone call.  Apparently Cherise had
‘needed’ him and he’d taken off to see her.  She was bothered by that, since
Dan obviously had feelings for Cherise.  But she detected that Dan had feelings
for her, as well.  Or maybe that was wishful thinking…

Who was she kidding?  If he ran off so readily when
Cherise called, then she was the object of his affection.  He loved Cherise.

If only she could flip some switch and sever any
sort of emotional feeling she had for Dan.  She was so confused.  He was such a
good and loving father, yet Cherise called and he left his children without any
hesitation to run off and attend to her.  Maybe he wasn’t the man she thought
he was.

Regardless, she knew that she needed to establish
emotional distance between the two of them, which meant she needed to withdraw
herself from his world.

Sure, she could talk to the children over the
fence—even allow them to continue visiting—but that was it.  There would be no
more barbecues or get togethers of any kind.  It was for the best.

School
started and Libby rarely saw the children.  Of course, she knew they were
practically living at the local elementary school, arriving at six a.m. and
returning home after 6 p.m.  She could hardly bear to think about them spending
so much time away from home, but they weren’t her kids and there was nothing
she could do about their rigorous schedule.

Her own schedule had finally resumed as normal and
she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.  Her weekends were now her own
again, and she was able to get back outside and into her yard, though she knew
her outdoor time was coming to a close.

On a Sunday afternoon, late in September, she heard
the sound of a car door closing.  She was tending to her garden at the time. 
She rose and glanced over the fence and toward the street out front.  She
spotted Dan and the kids climbing into his personal vehicle.

Was it her imagination, or had Dan cast a longing
look in the direction of her house?  Surely she was imagining it.

She watched as they drove off, and then she returned
to her gardening…

*** 

Kate gave a beleaguered sigh as she watched her dad
throw a ball back and forth to another man on his team.  Dan and several
co-workers and other friends had just divided into two teams, for an annual
softball game and picnic—commemorating the end of summer.

Kate dropped onto a bench and rested her chin on her
palm.  She glanced around, bored.  She wished they were anywhere but at the
ballpark. 

She remembered all the fun she and Marky had had
with Miss Libby and she wished Miss Libby was with them right now.

Marky joined her on the bench.  “I don’t get to play
ball,” he murmured testily.  “It’s not fair.”

“Only the adults get to play,” Kate informed.

“Duh.”

Marky glanced around, taking in the crowded ball field
and park.  “I want a snow cone.”

“Dad said you could have one later.”

Marky blew out a beleaguered breath.  “I’m bored.”

“I wish Miss Libby was here,” Kate said, sighing
wistfully.

“I miss her,” Marky said.  “I was so sure Daddy and
Miss Libby were going to fall in love.”

“I haven’t given up yet,” Kate said, narrowing her
eyes.  “We just have to find a way to get them to spend time together again.”

“Daddy misses her,” Marky declared.

“I think so,” Kate agreed.  “He’s always looking
over toward her house, and he looks so hopeful, and then when he doesn’t see
her, he looks sad.”

“I think she likes him too,” Marky said.

“How can you tell?”

“I just can,” he said with a shrug.  “She sure loves
us
.”

“I know,” Kate murmured.  “I think she might even
love us like a real mom loves her kids.”

Marky furrowed his brow.  “How would we know?”

Kate cocked her head in thought.  “Well, do you
remember when that lady lost her daughter at the park?  You know, the kid who
was hiding…”

“I remember.”

“Well, when she found her, remember how she gave her
a hug…  You know, she grabbed her and held her like she was never going to let
go.”

“Yeah.  Is that how you tell?”

Kate nodded.  “I think so.”

“Miss Libby hugged us a lot,” Marky conceded, and
then appeared to search his memory.  “Did she hug us like that?”

Kate blew out a breath.  “Not quite.”

Marky’s eyes filled with tears.  “Then she doesn’t
love us.”

Kate felt awful for making Marky cry.  She gave him
hug, but it was a sisterly hug.  Not the kind a mother gives her kid when she
thinks she’s lost her or him forever.

“I want Miss Libby,” Marky cried.  “I want her now!”

Kate angled a glance at her brother and an idea came
to her... 

***

“Kate, why is Marky crying?” Libby asked with
alarm.  She could hear little Marky wailing, calling out her name.

“I want Miss Libby!” he shouted in the background.

“Miss, Libby,” Kate implored.  “Can you come?”

“Honey,” Libby said, “where is your father?”

Kate glanced around, but couldn’t see him.  “I don’t
see him,” she said. 

It was the truth.  She couldn’t see him at this
moment in time.

“Okay, sweetie, I want you to take Marky’s hand. 
Will you do that?”

“Yes.  Okay.  I have him.”

She breathed a sigh of relief.  “Okay, good.  Don’t
let go of him.  Is there an adult nearby?  Someone you can ask for help?”

“Yes, there are adults nearby.  But I don’t know
them.  Miss Libby, I don’t want to talk to them.  Will you please come?”

“You’re at the park, on Seventh Street?”

“Yes.  That’s right.  Are you coming?”

“Yes, honey.  I’ll be right there.  Please stay
together.”

Kate hung up her father’s cell phone, which she’d
found stuffed into his shoe.  He’d changed into sneakers for the upcoming game.

“Miss Libby’s coming,” Kate told her brother,
grinning from ear to ear.  She abruptly frowned.  She was going to get into big
trouble when Libby discovered there was no real emergency.  She and Marky
weren’t lost, and their father was actually nearby, about to begin a softball
game.

She took a shoring breath, prepared to face the
consequences, and then began a surveillance of the parking lot.  She intended
to grab a hold of her neighbor the instant she showed up.  Maybe, just maybe,
she could come up with a story to keep her and Marky out of trouble.

She reached for her necklace and held the delicate
cross between her fingers.  “Forgive me, Father,” she prayed.  “I know it’s
wrong to lie, and I know I just sinned, but Father, we love Miss Libby so
much.  If only you could make her love my dad, and my dad love her back.”

She ended the prayer and then waited for Miss Libby
to arrive.  In the meantime, her dad jogged over to her and Marky.  “Are you
two having fun?” he asked, smiling.

Kate forced a smile, but Marky answered, “No!”

Dan ruffled his hair.  “What’s the matter?”

“He wants to play too,” Kate told him.

“When you’re older, sport, you’ll get a chance to
play with us.”

He wasn’t placated and folded his arms across his
chest.  He resumed pouting.

“Okay, well, you two sit here to watch the game and
when it’s over, we’ll try to be first in line for a hot dog.”

“Okay,” Marky said, slightly more agreeable.

Suddenly, Cherise bounded up.  “Hey, guys!”  She
pounded a softball into her mitt.  “Are you going to cheer us on?”

“No!” Marky said in a surly tone.

“How about you, Katie girl?” she asked, smiling.

“I’ll try,” she sighed.

“I don’t think they like softball,” Cherise said,
and then spun around and waved at a friend.  She dashed off to speak to her.

They watched her hurry off, and Kate suddenly
realized,
Cherise was here!
  Why had she forgotten that important
detail? 

She began wringing her hands nervously.  Suddenly,
someone announced the game was beginning.  Kate’s mind was elsewhere.  She had
to get to Miss Libby before she spotted Cherise and realized she and Marky
hadn’t exactly been honest with her. 

Kate constantly spun in her seat, attempting to spot
Libby.  There were so many people here, it was difficult to see anything. 
Little kids were running around, people were standing in the concession stand
line, and a group of teenagers were having pitching practice only yards away. 

Finally, Kate spotted Libby’s auburn head as it
bobbed above a group of preteens and neared the stands where they were
sitting.  “Marky, let’s go,” she said, urging him to stand.  “Miss Libby is
here.”

Together they rose and jumped down from their
seats.  “There she is!” Kate called.

Kate kept her eyes riveted on Libby as she neared,
and to her horror, she spotted a ball as it sailed directly at Miss Libby’s
head.  It hit her hard on the forehead.  And if that wasn’t awful enough, a second
ball bounced off the mitt of one of the softball players and arced toward
Libby, striking her left eye.

Kate gasped, Marky cried, and Libby went down like a
rock.

***

A crowd immediately gathered around Libby.  Kate
stood by in abject terror, holding her cross necklace, and praying desperately
that Miss Libby wasn’t dead.  Marky, beside her, cried out for his father.

When Dan pushed through the crowd and saw Libby on
the ground, he commanded everyone to back up, to give her space. 

“She got hit by a softball, and then another one,” a
spectator volunteered.

“Call 911!” he commanded, and then gingerly smoothed
the hair away from her forehead.  “Libby,” he said softly.  “Can you hear me?”

A collective gasp rose from the gathered crowd when
they saw the goose egg on her forehead. 

“What happened?” he demanded.  “Who hit her?”

A contrite teenaged boy stepped forward.  “I’m
sorry.  It was my pitch.  I didn’t mean it.  She stepped right into…”

Dan gave a dismissive wave.  “She was hit twice,” he
said angrily.  “Forehead and eye.”

The same teenager spoke up.  “She was hit by a guy
from your team,” he said with a wince.  “The ball bounced off his mitt.  It was
an accident too.”

Dan studied Libby’s face.  “Where’s that ambulance?”
he demanded.

Cherise stepped forward.  “On its way,” she said. 
“Is she breathing?”

He nodded.  “Thankfully.”

Libby began to stir at the sound of the ambulance
arriving on scene.  Her eyes fluttered open, but she couldn’t see anything
clearly.  She reached a tentative hand to her eye, but someone took a hold of
her hand. 

“No, Libby, don’t touch your eye,” Dan said
soothingly.  “It’s all right.  You’re going to the hospital and they’ll fix you
right up.”

He caught sight of Kate then, clutching her necklace
for dear life, and praying.  Marky, beside her, had his eyes closed and was
also praying.  He was proud of them.  That’s exactly what they should have been
doing.

Kate opened her eyes when she heard a paramedic say
they were lifting Libby onto a stretcher, for the ride to the hospital.  She
ventured a glance at her friend.  Her eye was purple and already swollen nearly
closed.  There was a bloody gash above it.  And if that weren’t bad enough, she
had a huge, purple goose egg on her forehead.

The weight of her guilt came crashing down on her. 
Kate began crying.  “It’s my fault.  It’s all my fault.”  She lunged forward,
to grab a hold of Libby, but strong arms shot out and pulled her away.

Libby heard Kate’s cries, opened her eyes and saw
Kate being hauled away by a strange man.  She struggled desperately to get off
of the stretcher, fighting with everything in her to get to Kate.

Unfortunately, she too was pinned by strong arms. 
Dan’s.  “Honey, please lie still,” he begged.  “You’re going to hurt yourself.”