play right now, ask Kirsten to play for me. I need to talk to Candace’s mom.”
Lucy’s smooth forehead wrinkled in thought. “About what Candace said before. Do I have to be sad that Frank is dead to go to his funeral? ’Cause I’m not very sad, just a little bit.”
The corners of Dot’s mouth twitched as if she was trying to stifle a smile. “You can be as sad as you want to be, Lucy, whether that’s a little or a lot. If you want to go to the funeral, I’ll take you. Can you be ready about nine-thirty?”
Lucy nodded. “Tell Kirsten I’m going so she can remind me to get up on time. I don’t get up very early on my day off. I like to sleep in.”
“I’ll do that. And now we should let you three go back to your domino game,” Dot said. She got up from the table and went behind Candace, putting her arms around her daughter for a hug while she sat. “Goodbye, sweet girl. If you change your mind you can come with Lucy tomorrow.”
Candace shook her head, concentrating on the dominoes in front of her. “I told you, Mom. I have to work tomorrow. And I don’t want to go. Good night.” She looked up quickly at her mother and smiled a little. “Sleep tight.”
“Don’t let the bedbugs bite. See you in the morning light,” Dot answered back. “But only if I get here before you go to work. I’ll go talk to Kirsten. I’m letting them go back to the game now, Tina.”
“Good. I have to get ready for bed soon,” Tina said. “It’s still your turn, Lucy.” In a moment the women at the table were again concentrating on their game. We went across the room to where Kirsten sat, looking like she was grading a stack of papers.
“Do you teach?” I asked her, motioning to the papers.
“I sub some. I’m getting my teaching credential so I can go full-time. Plus some of the clients here benefit from a brush-up once in a while, so I bring worksheets home at night for them, too.”
Dot filled her in on the plans for the morning and afterward Kirsten showed us to the door.
When we got into the car, Dot didn’t start up the engine right away. I turned to ask her what was happening and it surprised me to see that she was crying. “Okay, what’s up?” I asked, patting her hand. It was unlike her to cry and I needed to know which part of what happened in the house had upset my friend so much.
Chapter Nine
D ot got more composed after she sat for a minute. She took the tissue that I had pulled from the box sitting between our seats. “What part of all that got me upset? There were several things, to tell the truth. Candace didn’t react the way I expected her to at all. And Lucy wanting to go with me…I didn’t expect that, either.”
She used the tissue again and sighed. “Even some of the sweet things about tonight upset me. The way Candace slipped right into our little bedtime rhyme. I miss having her close to me, but I know she’s so much better off where she is. I still worry, though. Doesn’t every mother?”
“I know I do. Almost every parent I know worries about their kids. Edna was worrying about Dennis when he was over forty and she was in her seventies. I don’t think it stops.”
“Until we’re dead,” Dot said wryly. “Then at least we can give the worries over to Jesus the way I have so much trouble doing in this life. Struggling with that always makes me think that I could be so much better as a Christian.”
“I have a feeling that everybody has problems like that. Now, should I drive home or are you up to it?”
Dot used her tissue one last time and put it down. “I’m up to it. That little bout of tears caught me by surprise, I guess. But it’s over now and we can get on with other things. I better get us home if we’re going to get up and ready for that funeral tomorrow.”
“Do you want me to go with you and Lucy? If you like, I can do it.”
“But it would mean that you’d have to cut class, and maybe miss a little work, right?” Dot started the car
Lucy’s smooth forehead wrinkled in thought. “About what Candace said before. Do I have to be sad that Frank is dead to go to his funeral? ’Cause I’m not very sad, just a little bit.”
The corners of Dot’s mouth twitched as if she was trying to stifle a smile. “You can be as sad as you want to be, Lucy, whether that’s a little or a lot. If you want to go to the funeral, I’ll take you. Can you be ready about nine-thirty?”
Lucy nodded. “Tell Kirsten I’m going so she can remind me to get up on time. I don’t get up very early on my day off. I like to sleep in.”
“I’ll do that. And now we should let you three go back to your domino game,” Dot said. She got up from the table and went behind Candace, putting her arms around her daughter for a hug while she sat. “Goodbye, sweet girl. If you change your mind you can come with Lucy tomorrow.”
Candace shook her head, concentrating on the dominoes in front of her. “I told you, Mom. I have to work tomorrow. And I don’t want to go. Good night.” She looked up quickly at her mother and smiled a little. “Sleep tight.”
“Don’t let the bedbugs bite. See you in the morning light,” Dot answered back. “But only if I get here before you go to work. I’ll go talk to Kirsten. I’m letting them go back to the game now, Tina.”
“Good. I have to get ready for bed soon,” Tina said. “It’s still your turn, Lucy.” In a moment the women at the table were again concentrating on their game. We went across the room to where Kirsten sat, looking like she was grading a stack of papers.
“Do you teach?” I asked her, motioning to the papers.
“I sub some. I’m getting my teaching credential so I can go full-time. Plus some of the clients here benefit from a brush-up once in a while, so I bring worksheets home at night for them, too.”
Dot filled her in on the plans for the morning and afterward Kirsten showed us to the door.
When we got into the car, Dot didn’t start up the engine right away. I turned to ask her what was happening and it surprised me to see that she was crying. “Okay, what’s up?” I asked, patting her hand. It was unlike her to cry and I needed to know which part of what happened in the house had upset my friend so much.
Chapter Nine
D ot got more composed after she sat for a minute. She took the tissue that I had pulled from the box sitting between our seats. “What part of all that got me upset? There were several things, to tell the truth. Candace didn’t react the way I expected her to at all. And Lucy wanting to go with me…I didn’t expect that, either.”
She used the tissue again and sighed. “Even some of the sweet things about tonight upset me. The way Candace slipped right into our little bedtime rhyme. I miss having her close to me, but I know she’s so much better off where she is. I still worry, though. Doesn’t every mother?”
“I know I do. Almost every parent I know worries about their kids. Edna was worrying about Dennis when he was over forty and she was in her seventies. I don’t think it stops.”
“Until we’re dead,” Dot said wryly. “Then at least we can give the worries over to Jesus the way I have so much trouble doing in this life. Struggling with that always makes me think that I could be so much better as a Christian.”
“I have a feeling that everybody has problems like that. Now, should I drive home or are you up to it?”
Dot used her tissue one last time and put it down. “I’m up to it. That little bout of tears caught me by surprise, I guess. But it’s over now and we can get on with other things. I better get us home if we’re going to get up and ready for that funeral tomorrow.”
“Do you want me to go with you and Lucy? If you like, I can do it.”
“But it would mean that you’d have to cut class, and maybe miss a little work, right?” Dot started the car
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