article once,” Michelle said. “Puget Sound cranes can recognize human faces and somehow they tell other cranes about certain people. So if somebody is mean to a crane, the whole flock learns about it.”
“I know,” Gabby said, glancing at the nearby birds with more than a little fear in her eyes. “Scientists thought that only crows had facial recognition, but they’ve realized our cranes have it, too. They’re special.”
“Interesting. How do you know that?”
“I’m smart.”
“And modest.”
Gabby grinned.
“Okay, so one crane tells the other cranes and somehow everyone in the flock knows about the latest gossip.” Michelle shrugged. “Obviously they associate you with food, which is why they’re hanging around, trying to intimidate you into giving up your cookies.”
Gabby’s eyes widened. “You’re right. Because when I read out here, I usually bring a snack. Do you think if I stopped having food around, they’d stop bothering me?”
“Sure. They’d figure it out. You’re not the only smart one here.”
Gabby tilted her head. “Does your leg hurt?”
“Pretty much all the time.”
“You were injured in the war, right? That’s what Mom said. That you were protecting our country.”
Michelle shifted, not sure what to say to that. Carly being nice made her uncomfortable. Michelle was old-school. Enemies should be clearly defined, like in cartoons.
“I was serving, yes.”
“That was really nice of you. Thank you.”
Despite her resistance to the compliment, she found herself touched by the girl’s sincerity. “You’re welcome.”
“Next time I come out, I’ll bring a chair so you can sit down.”
Michelle smiled, pleased by both the gesture and the proof that Gabby wasn’t afraid of her anymore. She had enough demons to deal with. Especially ones that involved another little girl in a faraway place.
“I’ll bring a book,” she said, “and we’ll read together.”
Ten
“S he’s so annoying.”
Carly made the pronouncement while stacking dishes in the sink and running water over them. Robert had joined them for dinner as he did at least once every couple of weeks. She appreciated the adult conversation and the chance to cook for someone with more adult sensibilities than Gabby, but there were times when she missed having a girlfriend to rant to. Robert was a typical guy. He had trouble simply listening and mostly wanted to fix the problem.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to have a job.”
“And job security,” he said from a chair at the tiny kitchen table.
“That, too. That more than anything.”
With her raise and careful planning, she could grow her nest egg. And if Michelle really did mean for her to work fewer hours, then she could get serious about getting her associate’s degree in business.
“She’s going to be different,” Robert said. “It’s been ten years and she’s been through a lot.”
“I know.”
“She’s wounded.”
Carly sighed. “I should be more patient.”
“You’re not the only one figuring it all out.”
She wasn’t thrilled with him taking Michelle’s side, but knew he was actually being reasonable.
“It is a lot to take in,” she admitted, plunging her hands into the soapy water and scrubbing the first plate.
The rhythm of the familiar work relaxed her. There were too many evenings when she’d grabbed food from the kitchen and brought it back to have a quick dinner with her daughter before starting the evening ritual. Whatever else might be going on with her day, Carly was there at night.
The amount of love she felt for her child continued to surprise her. She hadn’t been pleased to find herself pregnant—things with Allen had been difficult even before the wedding. She’d thought about breaking things off. But getting pregnant had made that impossible. She’d been terrified of being alone and had made what she thought was a deal with the devil to keep that from happening.
She would marry a man she knew wasn’t good for
“I know,” Gabby said, glancing at the nearby birds with more than a little fear in her eyes. “Scientists thought that only crows had facial recognition, but they’ve realized our cranes have it, too. They’re special.”
“Interesting. How do you know that?”
“I’m smart.”
“And modest.”
Gabby grinned.
“Okay, so one crane tells the other cranes and somehow everyone in the flock knows about the latest gossip.” Michelle shrugged. “Obviously they associate you with food, which is why they’re hanging around, trying to intimidate you into giving up your cookies.”
Gabby’s eyes widened. “You’re right. Because when I read out here, I usually bring a snack. Do you think if I stopped having food around, they’d stop bothering me?”
“Sure. They’d figure it out. You’re not the only smart one here.”
Gabby tilted her head. “Does your leg hurt?”
“Pretty much all the time.”
“You were injured in the war, right? That’s what Mom said. That you were protecting our country.”
Michelle shifted, not sure what to say to that. Carly being nice made her uncomfortable. Michelle was old-school. Enemies should be clearly defined, like in cartoons.
“I was serving, yes.”
“That was really nice of you. Thank you.”
Despite her resistance to the compliment, she found herself touched by the girl’s sincerity. “You’re welcome.”
“Next time I come out, I’ll bring a chair so you can sit down.”
Michelle smiled, pleased by both the gesture and the proof that Gabby wasn’t afraid of her anymore. She had enough demons to deal with. Especially ones that involved another little girl in a faraway place.
“I’ll bring a book,” she said, “and we’ll read together.”
Ten
“S he’s so annoying.”
Carly made the pronouncement while stacking dishes in the sink and running water over them. Robert had joined them for dinner as he did at least once every couple of weeks. She appreciated the adult conversation and the chance to cook for someone with more adult sensibilities than Gabby, but there were times when she missed having a girlfriend to rant to. Robert was a typical guy. He had trouble simply listening and mostly wanted to fix the problem.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to have a job.”
“And job security,” he said from a chair at the tiny kitchen table.
“That, too. That more than anything.”
With her raise and careful planning, she could grow her nest egg. And if Michelle really did mean for her to work fewer hours, then she could get serious about getting her associate’s degree in business.
“She’s going to be different,” Robert said. “It’s been ten years and she’s been through a lot.”
“I know.”
“She’s wounded.”
Carly sighed. “I should be more patient.”
“You’re not the only one figuring it all out.”
She wasn’t thrilled with him taking Michelle’s side, but knew he was actually being reasonable.
“It is a lot to take in,” she admitted, plunging her hands into the soapy water and scrubbing the first plate.
The rhythm of the familiar work relaxed her. There were too many evenings when she’d grabbed food from the kitchen and brought it back to have a quick dinner with her daughter before starting the evening ritual. Whatever else might be going on with her day, Carly was there at night.
The amount of love she felt for her child continued to surprise her. She hadn’t been pleased to find herself pregnant—things with Allen had been difficult even before the wedding. She’d thought about breaking things off. But getting pregnant had made that impossible. She’d been terrified of being alone and had made what she thought was a deal with the devil to keep that from happening.
She would marry a man she knew wasn’t good for
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