Homecoming Day Page 5

  He went back to the boxes and pulled out the pieces of a highchair. It was much easier to put together than the crib. Twenty minutes later, he carried it to the kitchen. “Where should this go?”

  Laura smiled. “It’s great, isn’t it? How about we put it here.” She gestured to the side of the table. “I normally use this chair, so it will be close. I bought a little cloth cushion for it. It’s somewhere in all those boxes and bags.”

  “I’ll find it. JT will holler at both of us if you try going into that room while she’s painting.” He paused. “She thinks she’s dumb.”

  “Pardon?”

  “I was talking to JT about leaving her options open by getting good grades, and it was easy to tell from her response that she doesn’t think she could get good grades, even if she tried. So her philosophy seems to be, why bother?”

  Laura chewed on her lip. “I’ll talk to some of her other teachers next week. She still has detention with me. I’m pretty sure she’ll be serving it until Thanksgiving, or after. I thought her teachers could tell me areas she needs help in and we could work on them while she’s my captive.”

  Laura looked fierce. Determined to help JT, even if JT didn’t want the help. She reminded him of Allie. His wife had gone into social work, filled with ideals, ready to save the world.

  Seeing that same sense of commitment in Laura made him feel closer to her. “I hate to see any kid this lost. When they feel that it’s hopeless…well, that’s when we see them at the station. I don’t want to find JT down there again.”

  Laura tore some lettuce and put it into a huge wooden bowl. “There’s something about her, isn’t there?”

  “She reminds me of me,” he admitted.

  “Really?” She seemed surprised at the comparison.

  Seth remembered what it felt like to think no one cared, to believe he had no future. “She’s in pain. I’m no psychiatrist, and I don’t know why, but I can see it. And I understand it, too. Every day since Allie died, I’ve hurt. It’s like this gaping wound that scabs over, but the scab keeps getting ripped off. It’s stupid things. Like holidays.” Christmas was less than a month away. That was one of the most excruciating holidays. But all of them were hard.

  “A certain song,” Laura added. “The smell of his cologne as you walk through a store.”

  Seth nodded. “Going out on a starlit night…Allie loved the stars. She could name all kinds of constellations and would point them out to me and tell me their stories. I’ve never been able to see them like she could. When the scab comes off, it leaves me bleeding again. Makes me feel so alone. I see that in JT.”

  “Jay and I used to fight about the remote. Not really fight. It was one of those couple’s mock-battles. We’d laugh as we jockeyed for control. Now, every time I pick it up, I wish he was here. I’d…”

  She didn’t need to finish the sentence because Seth got it. “Both of us understand pain and loneliness. Maybe that’s why we’re so drawn to JT and her problems.”

  “I hadn’t thought of it that way.” Laura looked thoughtful.

  “I know why we hurt…we’ve both lost people we love. I’m not sure why she maybe feels this way. But I think when we figure that out, we’ll be able to figure out how to reach her.”

  “So, we’re allies?”

  Seth liked the term. “That’s a perfect way to describe us. Allies. For JT’s sake.”

  “I’ll talk to her teachers on Monday and maybe we’ll have some clue.”

  “Maybe the school’s counselor?” he suggested.

  “I can give it a try.” She paused. “Thanks for this.” She waved her hands between them. “Defining us as allies. It makes me feel better.”

  He must have looked confused, because Laura continued, “I’ll confess, I haven’t let myself really think about it, but in the back of my mind, I thought maybe you were here because of Jay’s dad.”

  “He’s not the reason. He did ask me to let him know if you needed anything, but was actually very specific about not wanting me to feel like I was in the middle. He didn’t want me spying on you. We’re allies. He’s my boss. They’re two different and distinct relationships.”

  Laura seemed relieved. “Good. Thanks. You can tell him that I don’t need anything from him or his wife. You can assure him of that.”

  Whatever was between the chief and Laura, it was clear that it ran deep. “Pain and anger. You, me and JT—the three of us seem to have it in spades. Hopefully, we’ll figure out what caused JT’s and help her get past it.”

  Was there hope for them, as well?

  THE BABY’S ROOM WASN’T completely done, but, with Seth and JT’s help, it was close. Laura went into school on Monday with some of her old optimism. She would find a way to help JT. She got a copy of JT’s schedule in the office, and one-by-one, tracked down her teachers.

  JT’s science teacher handed her a stack of worksheets that JT could do for extra credit. JT’s math teacher, while not offering up glowing comments did say that she did well with the pre-algebra questions in class, but she struggled with word problems.

  Her French teacher said her spoken vocabulary was above average, but her written knowledge of the language was almost nonexistent and she gave Laura some flashcards to work with.

  Laura found JT’s English teacher at her desk during the her lunch break. She didn’t know Debbie Lutz well. Debbie was older and had a different clique of teacher friends than Laura did, but they’d always been on good terms. She knocked softly on the open door to draw her colleague’s attention. “Hey, Deb.”

  Debbie set her sandwich down and motioned Laura in. “Laura. Did you need something?”

  Laura took the chair next to Debbie’s desk, grateful to be off her feet. “I’m here to talk to you about JT Thomas.”

  Debbie grimaced. “What did she do now?”

  “Nothing. She’s serving detention with me and I wanted to get a feel for her schoolwork, and thought we could sort through a few of her problem areas.”

  “Well, I’m glad you only intend to work on a few of them, because if you intended to work on all of them, it would be a full-time job. The girl is one of the most uninspired students I’ve ever had—she’s belligerent, insufferable, rude…”

  Laura felt herself bristle at Debbie’s obvious dislike of JT. “Fine. You don’t like her. But my question is, what can I do to help her succeed in English?”

  Debbie shrugged. “Nothing. She’s hopeless.”

  “So, that’s it? That’s your teaching plan? Write her off before she’s even reached the end of her first term of her freshman year?”

  Debbie nodded. “Exactly. You’re young and still idealistic, but take it from someone who’s been teaching longer than you—sometimes there’s nothing you can do for a student. Then the best thing to do is to cut them loose and concentrate on the students you can help.”

  Laura rose to her feet with more ease than she had in months. Her anger-induced adrenaline fueled her mobility. “I am not that young or that idealistic. Any idealism I once had died six months ago with my fiancé. And even now, at my most jaded, I would never write off a student. It’s lazy, Debbie. If that’s truly how you feel about teaching, maybe you should consider retiring before you do any further damage to the students.”

  Debbie stood as well and looked as if she was winding up for a response, but Laura didn’t wait to hear it. She was too angry. Too…

  She stormed out of the room.

  Her adrenaline, though, could only take her so far. Still, she made her way to the teacher’s lounge and found a dark-haired stranger pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Bad day?” she asked.

  “No,” Laura snapped and realized this poor stranger had nothing to do with Debbie Lutz’s lack of professionalism. “Sorry. It’s actually been a productive day. Fine, even. The last few minutes, not so much.”

  Laura sank into a vacant chair and forced herself to take a deep breath and calm down.

  The woman nodded and joined Laura at
her table. “Trouble with a student?”

  “Sort of. It led to talking to a particular teacher whose attitude was far more troubling.” She extended a hand. “I’m Laura Watson.”

  “Eli Keller.”

  “Eli?” The name niggled at her. “Possibly related to Lieutenant Seth Keller? He mentioned an Eli.”

  “He’s my brother-in-law. You know him? He mentioned me?”

  Laura felt it was probably better for Seth if she didn’t repeat his comment comparing his pregnant sister-in-law Eli to the equivalent of a house.

  “He’d mentioned you’d had a baby.” Laura patted her own huge stomach. There, that was diplomatic. “But he didn’t say anything about you taking a job here.”

  “I’m not. I run the teen parenting program in Whedon. I’m here for a meeting with the other directors. They’re in the next room talking. I’m supposed to be on a bathroom break, but stopped in for this.” And she waved her cup. “I’m surprised that Seth even mentioned me at all.” She shook her head as if realizing she was talking out of turn and changed the subject. “So, what teacher had you so annoyed?”

  The fact that Eli didn’t work here made Laura feel more comfortable asking advice from her. “I have a student, a freshman. She’s been in nonstop trouble since September. I went to ask her English teacher about her and…” Remembering the conversation made Laura’s blood boil. “She told me the girl’s a lost cause and I should let it go. Well, I won’t.”

  Eli frowned. “I work with pregnant girls and teen moms. Their parents, teachers and classmates think of them as lost causes. I won’t. I’m there to help them stay in school, find whatever resources they need to make that happen. After they graduate, I try to encourage them to continue their education at colleges, or tech schools. That’s our job. To teach. To prod. To do whatever it takes so our kids succeed. Never mind this teacher. Be there for your student. Be ready to lend an ear, a hug, or to kick butt if need be.”

  “I’m an art teacher.”

  “And once upon a time, I’d have been called a Home Ec teacher. Now I’m a Consumer and Family Science teacher. Doesn’t matter what label they use. It’s the teacher part that matters. No, I take that back. It’s the heart part that matters. You care for this girl. That matters. If anything is going to reach her, that will.”

  Laura agreed. She liked this woman, Seth’s sister-in-law. “I’ve been wondering about her reading.” She felt more confident now that she’d said the words aloud. “Her math and French teachers both mentioned something about it.”

  “Frankly, I think the most direct approach is best. Ask her. Flat out. When I have a girl I suspect is in trouble, that’s my approach. Head-on. I don’t wait for them to come to me.”

  The advice made sense. “Thanks.”

  “Anytime. About Seth—how is he?” Eli quickly added, “We don’t see much of him. I know Zac worries.”

  “He’s good.” Laura remembered his talk of scabs that never really heal. “He’s helping me with this student.”

  “Friends?” Eli asked.

  Laura thought about it. They’d defined themselves as allies, but friends worked, too. “Yes.”

  “Good. Everyone needs to feel as if they have someone in their corner.” Eli got up and rooted around in her bag. “Here’s my card. Call me if I can do anything for you, this student or for Seth.”

  “Thank you, so much.”

  “Anytime.” Eli started toward the door, then stopped and turned around. “How exactly did my name come up in conversation?”

  “Uh, he was reassuring me that I wasn’t the biggest pregnant woman he’d ever seen.”

  Eli Keller started laughing. “No, you’re not. I was huge. Big as a house.”

  “I think the term they used for me was McMansion.”

  Eli laughed even harder. “How long until you’re due?”

  “Only a few weeks left.”

  “Good luck. A baby changes everything. I can’t believe my Johnny’s two already.”

  If Eli Keller was any indication, Zac came from a nice family. Laura couldn’t help but wonder what had happened with them and Seth. Why didn’t they see much of him?

  She got through the rest of the day and was determined to follow Eli Keller’s advice and ask JT straight out if she had problems reading, but JT had a dentist appointment after school and only stopped in long enough to tell Laura she’d see her tomorrow and make up the missed detention.

  Laura mulled over JT’s circumstances, and was thankful when Seth called that night. He was working second shift, but he’d taken to checking in with her most evenings. She didn’t want to admit that she looked forward to those conversations.

  Discussing JT with Eli had been nice, but saying the words to Seth made her tension over the matter ease. “Both her French teacher and her math teacher mentioned problems with vocabulary. She’s so smart, but what if she’s having problems reading? That would explain why, despite her intelligence, she’s floundering in school.”

  “That would explain her reaction when I asked for help with the crib instructions,” he mused. “So what are you going to do?”

  “I’m not an English teacher, and this isn’t my specialty. I know more about teaching basket weaving than reading. But I talked to another teacher and—”

  She was going to tell him about meeting Eli and her suggestion, but he interrupted. “Hey, sorry. I’ve got to go. We have a call.”

  “No problem. Bye.”

  She’d speak to him about Eli next time she saw him. What she wouldn’t tell him was his sister-in-law’s comments about his relationship with his family. His difficulties with them were his, as her difficulties were with hers.

  They were allies, but they weren’t close enough to go butting into each other’s lives.

  That’s what she planned to tell him.

  The baby kicked, and she chose to believe it was in agreement.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  THE NEXT DAY, LAURA was ready when JT came into her classroom to serve her detention. The girl was in all black, including a black pair of combat boots. She threw her books on a desk, but before she could sit down, Laura motioned her to the front of the room.

  “What’s up, Ms. Watson? Hey, I wanted to know if I could come do more work on the mural. I have this idea—”

  Laura nodded at the chair next to the desk.

  “Before we talk about the mural, JT, we have to talk about another topic.”

  The girl looked nervous. “Did I do something else?”

  “No, nothing like that. It’s…” Laura hesitated. Part of her wanted to ease into the subject, but instead, she jumped in head-first and handed JT a book. “I’d like you to read the first page to me.”

  JT glanced at the book, then at Laura. “Why?”

  “Because I asked you to.”

  JT passed the book back to Laura. “Read it yourself.”

  “That’s how you reacted the other day when the lieutenant asked you to read the instructions to him. And when I talked to your teachers—”

  JT looked furious. “Why did you talk to them?”

  “Because I’m worried about you. We’re in your third month of high school, and you seem to be floundering. You’re passing your classes, although not by much. Mostly D’s and two very low C’s. Your French teacher said she was very pleased with your spoken vocabulary, but your written vocabulary wasn’t nearly as good. Your math teacher said you did great on equations, but had trouble with word problems. Do you see the theme? I do. So, JT, do you have difficulty reading?”

  JT kicked the side of Laura’s desk. Her heavy boot made a thud that reverberated. “I’m not stupid.”

  “No one said you were,” Laura said gently. “But little things you’ve said and done lead me to believe you might be having a problem.”

  “Yeah? Well, if I’m so stupid and can’t read, how’d I make it to the ninth grade?”

  “If I had to guess, I’d say you’re very smart and learned a bunch of tricks that
have helped you get by. That maybe when you’re asked to read something you don’t feel comfortable with, you get mad and cop an attitude.” She pointed at the book on her desk. “Anger is a great way of deflecting a problem.”

  “First, you’re a reading expert, now, you’re a psychiatrist? Gee, it must be nice to know it all, Ms. Watson.”

  “Being snarky might work with other people, but I’m not backing down, JT.”

  “You talked about my math and French teachers, but how about my English teacher? I bet Ms. Lutz didn’t tell you I had a reading problem. Bet she said I was a waste of time.”

  Laura didn’t respond because although Debbie hadn’t used those exact words, in essence that’s what she’d said.

  “How come none of my English teachers ever said something? None of ’em, ever.”

  “I don’t know. But I’m saying something. I noticed. And I’m not going to let you pretend this away.”

  JT glared at Laura. “I can read fine.”

  Laura handed the book back to her. “Then read the first page.”

  JT shook her head. “I don’t have to prove anything to you. I don’t owe you anything.”

  “No, you don’t have to prove anything to me, and you certainly don’t owe me anything, but I’m not going to stop nagging until you read a page out loud to me.”

  “Why do you care?” JT burst out and jumped to her feet. “I’ve been trying to figure it out and can’t. Are you some do-gooder, or are you trying to find something to do since your baby’s daddy died? I’m not some distraction for you.” She paced to and fro in front of Laura’s desk.

  JT’s remark had been a direct hit, but Laura wouldn’t let her own pain dissuade her from what needed to be done. “JT, nothing, and no one could distract me from the pain of losing my fiancé. You’re not some charity case, some cause for me to focus on. This is me, caring about you. This is a teacher who’s concerned about a student. Read the page.” She picked up the book and held it out to JT, waiting.

  “No.”