CHAPTER Six:

   Sun shone through the window, directly onto Lauren’s face. She had gotten only a few hours of sleep, tossing and turning half the night. But she had her answer. 

   There was no way she would look after Willow. 

   A yawn escaped as she stretched. Her shoulders ached. Everything would go back to normal. Charlotte would take Willow and be off and out of her life.

   She had slept in half an hour, not bad, considering that she was so used to an alarm waking her. 

   A blue floral dress was draped across the end of the bed, the one she’d been wearing the night before. She slipped it on before risking a glance in the mirror hanging on the wall.

   Dark circles had appeared under her brown eyes, and her hair had tangled through the night. There was a red glow across her cheeks, more vibrant against her pale skin. A hint of sunburn from working in the fields. 

   She opened the door and headed for the bathroom. The house was quiet, the door still closed where her guests slept. She was glad she had time to tidy up before they woke. At least she could look dignified when she sent them on their way.

   In the bathroom, she splashed cold water over her face, then smoothed out the tangles in her hair and french braided it. 

   There was still time for her allotted morning devotional – it took fifteen minutes, but she considered shortening it to ten. 

   A lamp was still on in the living room. Lauren switched it off then sat down on the couch and pulled her Bible off the side table next to it.

   She flipped it open and read the first words that caught her eyes. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.”

   Willow is fatherless, Lauren thought. But it was entirely different to visit someone than to babysit a child and have it live in your own house. After all, Lauren was fatherless too, and who had looked after her?

   It wasn’t a good question to ask herself, given the circumstances. Her grandparents had sacrificed far more than a few weeks to look after her. 

   No, my mind is made up. Lauren closed her Bible and set it down. 

   “Lord, give me the courage to stand up to Charlotte.” She prayed silently. “You know I can’t look after Willow. I am sorry she has to have such an awful mother, I pray that you will help her to find good influences wherever they end up.” 

   It was short compared to her usual devotions, but she didn’t feel like reading more. And it wasn’t because she was worried she would read another verse that contradicted her wishes – she told herself. 

   Looking after Willow would only enable Charlotte’s irresponsible nature. She wasn’t a trustworthy woman. How could Lauren even know that she was going to do interviews – and not... who knows what?

   Lauren walked towards the kitchen. Charlotte’s shoes were missing by the door. She frowned and looked back towards the bedroom. The door was still closed. Probably Charlotte had gotten up and put them away. 

   Moving to the kitchen, Lauren pushed the window open to let in some fresh air. When she turned back towards the table, her eyes fell on a white piece of paper. 

   Dread started to fill her mind. If she didn’t pick it up, maybe she could pretend it wasn’t there. But she had to look. 

   Her heart raced as she read it. Panic started to set in. 

   “You will no doubt understand?!” Lauren shrieked as she read it. “Have fun? How dare she!”
   She ran down the hallway, sliding to a stop in front of the door. It couldn’t be true. If she opened the door and it was confirmed... 

   It was confirmed. 

   Willow sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. “Where’s Mama?” 

   “No. Please God no.” Lauren wished He’d make it all go away. He could make time turn back, and she’d never let the duo in to start with. 

   “No,” Lauren chanted over and over. “This can’t be.” 

   She looked under the bed and in the closet as if her mother were simply playing a game of hide and seek. 

   Willow’s lips began to tremble. “Is Mama gone?”

   “Just for a little while.” Lauren was on the verge of tears too. “Oh, what am I going to do?”
   She didn’t know where Charlotte was headed, so she couldn’t very well hope to chase her and catch up with her. 

   If she stood around and panicked, she’d be late for work. 

   “You’re my sister.” Willow’s curiosity distracted her from the meltdown that had nearly begun. 

   “I’m going to have to take you with me.” Lauren ran a hand across her forehead, then jumped into action. 

   She opened the suitcase and rummaged through it. All the clothes were wrinkled, and they had a faint, sweaty smell about them. Willow climbed down from the bed and crouched beside her sister. 

   Lauren grabbed a blue tee-shirt and pair of overalls. 

   “I can dress myself,” Willow stated very proudly. 

   “Not today.” Lauren pulled her pyjamas off and started to tug the shirt on.

   First Willow’s head came out of an armhole, then the shirt was backwards.

   “Alright, you do it.” Lauren jumped up and ran out of the room. She grabbed her phone and dialled Charlotte’s number. 

   It rang three times, then went to voicemail. 

   “I don’t know what you were thinking, you can’t do this. I will expect you at Tilney’s Convenience store by noon to pick up your daughter.” Lauren practically yelled into the receiver. “And if you’re not there, I’ll... I’ll...” She sputtered off and hung up. 

   She didn’t know what she’d do. Willow appeared in the hallway, her clothes rather lopsided. 

   “I need to use the potty.”

   Lauren groaned. She hadn’t thought about that. Willow was only five. Was she even potty trained? How would this go over when she was at work? The only blessing was that her boss was away. 

   “Alright.” Lauren showed her the way, then waited outside the door. 

   “I’ll call when I’m done,” Willow said. 

   “Ok,” Lauren shut the door most of the way and waited impatiently. 

   “All done.” 

   She peeked in, afraid of the mess she might find. It was only Willow, standing by the sink, waiting to wash her hands. She couldn’t reach. 

   “Very good.” Lauren helped her up onto the counter. 

   Willow beamed at her. Once she was done, Lauren picked her up – ignoring her screaming muscles, and carried her to the kitchen. 

   She scrambled together a ragtag breakfast. A few pieces of bread and an orange that she tossed at Willow. The girl caught it. 

   If Lauren was completely honest, she did think her sister was adorable. If they’d met under different circumstances – if she had a different mother... It was unfortunate things had to be the way they were. 

   Lauren stuffed a slice of plain bread in her mouth and went to the door. Willow only had grubby sandals. At least they were easy to put on. Lauren pulled on her runners and grabbed the keys. 

   “Come on, let’s go.” She held the door open. 

   Lauren glanced at her bicycle. There was no way she could safely bike with Willow. Now she’d have to drive her truck, praying it didn’t break down on the way. 

   She ran over to it and opened the door. A car seat was already buckled in. That sneaky woman. Lauren shook her head. 

   There were too many straps, and she could barely figure out how to fasten Willow in. As soon as she was sure the girl wasn’t about to go flying, they were on the move. 

   Lauren gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were white. 

   “How old are you?” Willow asked. 

   “Twenty-one.” Lauren expected she was already growing grey hairs from the stress. 

   “Wow.” Willow examined her face with awe. “That’s old.” 

   Lauren laughed, in spite of herself. It did nothing to ease the tension. What if Charlotte had dropped her daughter off for good? She could’ve hightailed it out of there just like she had with Lauren. 

   The bright sunshine seemed to mock her as she pulled up in front of the store. Already a few minutes late. 

   It was even harder to untangle Willow from the car seat, but Lauren managed it after a few minutes. 

   “You work in a real store?” Willow whispered as she watched her sister unlock the front door and shut off the alarms. 

   The lights buzzed as they turned on. Willow followed Lauren everywhere, right on her heels. Lauren brought the change out of the back room, where it was stored, and emptied it into the cash register. Then she switched the sign to open, dreading what the day would bring. 

   Willow wandered off, oohing and ahhing at everything as she explored. 

   The bell jingled, first customer of the day. Grant Stevens strode through the door. 

   “Hello Lauren,” he looked grim. 

   “Hey.” She was glad it was only him. “How’s your day going so far?” 

   He leaned against the counter. “Not the greatest. Yours?”

   “Not well.” She motioned to her tired eyes. “As you can probably tell by the dark circles.”

   “What dark circles?” He studied her face. After a moment he sighed. “Lauren, your mother dropped by this morning.”

   “What about? Turning herself in for abandoning her daughter?”

He shook his head and chuckled. “A few years too late for that.”

   “No.” Lauren ran a hand along the side of her face. “She left her daughter with me.”

   Shock registered on his face. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”

   “She’s five.”

   “I’m thinking it’s safe to assume she didn’t ask first?”

   Lauren let out a breath of air. “She asked alright. I said no. This morning, she was gone. But the girl stayed.”

   Grant’s eyes softened sympathetically. 

   “I don’t...” Lauren was on the verge of tears again, but she was interrupted by the sound of a bag being ripped open.

   The two watched as Willow plodded over to them, her fingers orange with dust from the chips she ate. 

   “Willow!” Lauren pinched the bridge of her nose and tried not to yell. “That isn’t yours.”

   Her face dropped, and she looked at Grant. It didn’t take long for her to figure out from his uniform that he was a police officer. She froze and tears began to form in her eyes. 

   “I’m sorry!” she went and hid behind her sister. “Don’t let him take me to jail.”

   Grant crouched down to her level and smiled. “Don’t worry little girl, I’m not going to arrest you.”

   Lauren pushed Willow away and went for her purse, ringing the open bag through the till to pay for it.

   “Don’t you go causing any more trouble now.” She handed it back. 

   “I won’t.” Willow’s face was sober as she turned and went to hide behind a shelf. 

   Grant stood up again and turned to face Lauren. “She’s quite the winning creature. It’s not her fault.”

   “Do you know how much harder this is going to make everything?” Lauren scowled.

   “You know what you’d tell me if I was in this situation?” Grant crossed his arms. “God has a plan in everything. You have said that through the hardest times of your life. And you’ve come through them.”

   “Yeah, well, He sure didn’t ask my permission for this plan.”

   “I didn’t know He needed it.”

   Lauren hung her head. She knew what he was saying was true, but she didn’t know how long she could hang on. She felt about ready to drown in God’s plans for her. 

   “I just don’t know what to do.” Her chin trembled. “With the debt. With Willow. I could lose the house.” 

   His eyes grew worried. “Lose the house?” 

   She hadn’t wanted to tell him. Everyone knew there were debts, but they didn’t know how much. It was too late to take it back. 

   “If I don’t pay in time, they’re taking the house.” She avoided his gaze. “Mr. Howland wanted to take it now.” 

   Grant reached across the counter and put a hand on her arm. “If I can do anything, anything at all to help.” 

   “I’m fine.” Lauren sniffed. She wasn’t fine. “Thank you.”

   Grant Stevens had known Lauren since she was a baby. He’d been two years old when she arrived. There was one thing he knew about her. She was stubborn. If she said she didn’t need any help, she would not accept it. But he would look out for her anyway. And when she wasn’t paying attention, he would find ways to lighten her load. 

   “I would offer to look after her, but you know my job doesn’t exactly allow for it.”

   “Chasing all the criminals around town is dangerous business.” Lauren managed a smile.”

   The door jingled. They both looked up. A woman wearing shades came through the door with her teen daughter. She held up a map. 

   “I’m right next door if you need me, and only a call away. Always.” Grant’s voice dropped. He left her to her work. 

   She said goodbye, then turned to the customer in front of her. The woman had the map upside down and was completely lost. Lauren had just about found the correct route when a crash sounded from the back of the store. 

   “Oh no!” the woman winced and watched as Lauren dashed along an aisle to find the problem. 

   It didn’t take long to find it. Willow sat on the floor, broken jars of jam around her feet. It splashed on her clothes, blueberries already starting to stain her overalls. She looked about two seconds from bursting into tears.

   “Willow,” Lauren sighed. 

   “I’m sorry. I ran into them by mistake.”

   Lauren reached down and lifted her out of the mess. Then she firmly held her hand and led her to the counter. 

   The woman was still waiting, her daughter had joined her with a bottle of lemonade. The map was folded up. 

   “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting, Ma’am.” Lauren finished her purchase.

   The woman looked Willow up and down with distaste on her face. “Here’s five dollars. Keep the change.”

   She grabbed the lemonade the two were gone before Lauren could blink.

   Willow stood with her head hanging. Lauren pushed past her and grabbed a mop and bucket of water from the back room.

   Then she hurried to the jam aisle. It was slowly spreading under the shelves. Lauren mopped it up, dropping the shards of glass into a dustpan. She reached further under the shelf to grab a larger fragment when the doorbell jingled again. In her rush, she cut her finger. 

   Willow obediently followed her back to the till. Obedient now that it was too late. An elderly man had come through the door, he smiled at them. Lauren reciprocated it, holding back a hiss of pain and hiding her hand behind her back. 

   He headed towards the jam aisle. 

   “Stop!” Lauren rushed over to him. 

   He looked back, puzzled, then saw the mess and understanding dawned.

   “I’m sorry, there was an accident.” Lauren shot a look at Willow. 

   “Ah.” The man smiled down at her. “Everyone makes mistakes.” 

   Lauren didn’t respond. She went back to mopping. 

   “I should know.” He picked a jar of salsa from the shelf next to her. “I’m an old violin maker, and can you believe, I still mess them up sometimes?”

   “I like violins.” Willow looked up at him with a slightly cheered up expression. “Mama’s last boyfriend played one.”

   Colour flooded Lauren’s face as humiliation washed over her. What would he think now? 

   “All my instruments are at home, or I would play you a tune.” The man seemed unbothered. 

   Lauren scooped up the last of the mess and went to the back room. She washed her hand off in the sink and wrapped a bandaid around it. Willow and the man were waiting at the till when she returned. 

   “Willow, don’t talk his ear off,” she snapped. 

   “I won’t.”

   Lauren rang the items through as quickly as she could, ignoring the expression on the man’s face. 

   “She’s just a little girl.” He spoke quietly so that only Lauren would hear him. “Give her some room to mess up. She’s still learning, still growing.”

   “Thank you for your advice, Sir.” Lauren handed him his grocery bag. “I’m learning quickly that little sisters can be a handful.”

   At least he won’t leave I’m her mother, thought Lauren. He nodded and headed out the door. Once he was out of sight, Lauren ran a hand along the back of her neck and groaned. This was not going to work. The day was already a nightmare. 

   It was clear she couldn’t keep bringing to work. But who would babysit? How could she afford it? Her eyes went to the clock.

   “God, send Charlotte back. Please.” 

   But the hours flew by, and noon passed, and Charlotte did not show up. Lauren’s hopes sank. 

   Mrs. Jepsen was the last person she wanted to see.

   “Who do we have here?” 

   “Willow.” Lauren tried to be polite. 

   Mrs. Jepsen looked between the two. “She looks an awful lot like you.” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. 

   Lauren pressed her lips together. She knew full well what the lady was thinking, and it was ridiculous. Where would she hide a child for five years?

   “She’s my sister.” Her voice was sharp. “Her mother asked me to babysit for a few weeks.” 

   Mrs. Jepsen’s head bobbed. “That’s nice of you dear. You know, you should come for a visit sometime. It must be lonely over there, and that must’ve been hard. I would be more than happy to lend a listening ear.”

   “Thank you for the offer.”

   She could be a sweet lady when she wanted, but Lauren knew that confiding in her was like posting your secrets on the front page of a newspaper. And having them printed inaccurately to top it all off. Her tales were as colourful as her clothes, she could make the most boring gossip sound like a chapter out of Robinson Crusoe. 

   No doubt, even then as she went out to her car and started talking to a friend, stories of Lauren’s misfortune were spreading. 

hg

 

   Charlotte pulled to a stop in front of a towering building. Windows reflected the clouds, and people in business suits swarmed in and out of the front door.

   The parking lot was filled with cars, but not old ones like she owned. She found an empty space and pulled into it before rereading the address. 

   Although her car looked out of place, Charlotte fit in as she walked up to the door. The sleeves of her smart silk blouse tightly clasped her wrists, and black heels peeked out from beneath her dress pants. She was certainly dressed for the job she wanted. 

   Her steps were confident as she walked towards the large sliding door. The receptionist at the counter looked up as she walked in. 

   “Hello. My name is Charlotte Quinley, I’m here for an interview.” She tapped her fingers against the wood countertop. 

   She was on time for once. 

   “They’re waiting for you right down the hall.”

   Charlotte looked around. Which hall? There were plenty? Was she supposed to guess and hope it was right? The woman noticed her confusion and stood up. 

   “Right this way.” She led her down a hallway to the left. “So, you’re applying to be a secretary?” 

   Charlotte nodded. “Yes.” The only sign of her nervousness was her trembling hands

   “It’s a great position.” They stopped in front of a door. “Good luck.”

   “Thank you,” Charlotte smiled. “I’ll need it.”

   The receptionist opened the door and peeked her head in. “Miss Quinley is here.”

   After a moment, she opened the door wider and shuffled out of the way. Charlotte straightened and stepped into the room. The doors shut behind her. 

   A long table was directly in front of her. A woman sat across from her, with a man at her side. They were both dressed formally, their collars as crisp as their smiles. 

   “Have a seat.” The lady stood and straightened her skirt before sitting again. “My name is Lucy Winters, and I’m the founder of this law firm.” 
   Charlotte pulled out of the chairs and sat. 

   “Ben Chapman,” the man said, reaching his hand out to shake hers. 

   In times past, she would’ve tried to charm her way into his good graces. But those days were over. 

   “Pleasure to meet you.” She smiled at both of them, before pulling her resume from her purse and setting it in front of them. 

   “We understand you have experience in secretarial work.” Ben laced his fingers together. 

   Charlotte nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. “Yes, I worked at a doctor’s office.” 

   “For how long?” Lucy was impressed. 

   “Four months.”
   Lucy was less impressed. Truth be told, Charlotte had only gotten the position because her boyfriend at the time was a doctor. Sure, she’d had no training for that line of work, but she’d managed to do a decent job. So long as no one called them as a reference, it looked good on her resume. 

   “Why did you leave?”

   “I...” Charlotte hesitated. “My situation changed, and I decided I wanted a better opportunity.”

   Ben nodded. It was a flippant answer, but she’d passed the test. 

   “Are you married?” Lucy asked. 

   “No.”

   “Good.” She smiled. “Marriage sometimes makes this job difficult, and we are looking for dedicated employees. Especially when it comes to children – it’s hard to work the optimum hours, especially if we’re working on a case heading to court.”

   Charlotte stiffened. “I can work any hours you want.”
   “Well, it’s good to know you don’t have anything tying you down.” 

   “Nothing is tying me down. I would like to work full time, if possible.” Charlotte was beginning to fidget. “Arrangements have already been made for my daughter to be cared for during work hours.” 

   Lucy and Ben exchanged a glance. Charlotte knew she’d blown it. Why had she even mentioned Willow? She didn’t know. 

   They asked a few more questions, but the atmosphere in the room was frostier. It was clear the only thing they wanted less than a married mother, was a single mother. 

   “Please understand, we have a lot of applications to go through.” Lucy looked down at the resume. “It may take us a while to get back to you.”
   Charlotte forced a smile and stood. “Thank you.” 

   “If you do have other employment opportunities,” Ben said, “I would suggest you consider them.”
   She nodded and hurried out of the room. The door closed behind her, and Lucy crinkled the resume into a ball and threw it in the trash.