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Authors: T. L. Haddix
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don’t know what is. I’m going to go into town tomorrow and talk to Mr. Napier at the Board of Education. A couple of my professors at Berea wrote reference letters for me, and they thought he might be convinced to take me on as a teacher despite my not having graduated, given the circumstances.”
Chin propped on her hand, Eliza studied her daughter. “You’ve gotten so mature the last couple of years, I hardly know what to think. I was so busy with your daddy these past few months, I’ve not had any time at all to spend talking to you. Whatever happened to that boy you were going with at school? You’ve not mentioned him at all since you’ve been home.”
Sarah shrugged. “You’ve had more important things on your mind. And as to that boy, he… Joey is a nice young man, but he isn’t for me. He, um, he kissed me, Mama. And I didn’t feel a thing.” She felt her face flush, but she needed to talk to her mother about it. “I really thought he might be the one, but then he kissed me, and all I could think was that I’d waited that long to be kissed and it was like being licked on the mouth by a dog.”
She’d caught Eliza mid-sip, and coffee splattered everywhere as her mother erupted into coughing laughter. When she could speak again, Eliza was still chuckling. “Oh, Sarah. Never say you told the poor boy that.”
Grimacing, Sarah blew out a breath. “No, but I think he figured it out. There wasn’t any way to tell him without hurting him. I felt so vain, breaking up with him because of the way he kissed. But I remembered you and…”
“You remembered seeing me and your father, and you want that. Is that what you were going to say?”
Sarah nodded. “Yes. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Either for mentioning your daddy or for wanting what we had. It’s my fervent prayer that all my children will know such a happy marriage.” She stood and stretched. “After you speak to Mr. Napier, if he doesn’t have anything for you, you might want to swing by the library. I know they were looking for someone there a few weeks ago. If they haven’t found anyone, it might be a good fit for you until you can find a teaching job.” She placed a soft kiss on Sarah’s forehead and gave her a brief hug. “I’m going to bed. Will you be up soon?”
Sarah got up and moved to look out the window over the sink. “I don’t know. I’m actually thinking about taking a walk.”
Eliza frowned. “This late? It’s nearly nine o’clock.”
“Yes, but the moon’s full, and it’s almost as bright as day out there. Plus, since that warm air came in today, it’s almost pleasant. I won’t need more than a heavy coat to stay warm. I’ve not had a chance to go walking since I got home, and I’m feeling a little caged in, to tell the truth.”
Her mother narrowed her eyes. “Well, come upstairs with me first, if you insist on going out tonight. I want you to take a pistol with you. If we really have been hearing a wolf, you don’t need to be out there unprotected.”
Once Eliza had outfitted Sarah with one of her father’s pistols, she made her promise to stop on her way back in. “Just let me know you’re alive, okay? Else I’ll worry.”
“Okay, but it could be a while, an hour or two, before I come back,” Sarah warned, checking the pistol to make sure it was loaded. Thanks to her father’s tutelage, she was comfortable handling the gun.
After going back to her room to don sturdy pants, her walking boots, and a heavy coat, Sarah set out, the gun safely holstered on her belt. She had tucked a blanket into her old book bag and was looking forward to getting out of the house for a while. As she had mentioned to her mother, the moonlight was so bright, there wasn’t any need for a flashlight. If it had been much brighter, Sarah would have been able to read a book outside if she’d been so inclined.
She headed up the familiar path around the craggy outcropping of rocks, across the
Chin propped on her hand, Eliza studied her daughter. “You’ve gotten so mature the last couple of years, I hardly know what to think. I was so busy with your daddy these past few months, I’ve not had any time at all to spend talking to you. Whatever happened to that boy you were going with at school? You’ve not mentioned him at all since you’ve been home.”
Sarah shrugged. “You’ve had more important things on your mind. And as to that boy, he… Joey is a nice young man, but he isn’t for me. He, um, he kissed me, Mama. And I didn’t feel a thing.” She felt her face flush, but she needed to talk to her mother about it. “I really thought he might be the one, but then he kissed me, and all I could think was that I’d waited that long to be kissed and it was like being licked on the mouth by a dog.”
She’d caught Eliza mid-sip, and coffee splattered everywhere as her mother erupted into coughing laughter. When she could speak again, Eliza was still chuckling. “Oh, Sarah. Never say you told the poor boy that.”
Grimacing, Sarah blew out a breath. “No, but I think he figured it out. There wasn’t any way to tell him without hurting him. I felt so vain, breaking up with him because of the way he kissed. But I remembered you and…”
“You remembered seeing me and your father, and you want that. Is that what you were going to say?”
Sarah nodded. “Yes. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Either for mentioning your daddy or for wanting what we had. It’s my fervent prayer that all my children will know such a happy marriage.” She stood and stretched. “After you speak to Mr. Napier, if he doesn’t have anything for you, you might want to swing by the library. I know they were looking for someone there a few weeks ago. If they haven’t found anyone, it might be a good fit for you until you can find a teaching job.” She placed a soft kiss on Sarah’s forehead and gave her a brief hug. “I’m going to bed. Will you be up soon?”
Sarah got up and moved to look out the window over the sink. “I don’t know. I’m actually thinking about taking a walk.”
Eliza frowned. “This late? It’s nearly nine o’clock.”
“Yes, but the moon’s full, and it’s almost as bright as day out there. Plus, since that warm air came in today, it’s almost pleasant. I won’t need more than a heavy coat to stay warm. I’ve not had a chance to go walking since I got home, and I’m feeling a little caged in, to tell the truth.”
Her mother narrowed her eyes. “Well, come upstairs with me first, if you insist on going out tonight. I want you to take a pistol with you. If we really have been hearing a wolf, you don’t need to be out there unprotected.”
Once Eliza had outfitted Sarah with one of her father’s pistols, she made her promise to stop on her way back in. “Just let me know you’re alive, okay? Else I’ll worry.”
“Okay, but it could be a while, an hour or two, before I come back,” Sarah warned, checking the pistol to make sure it was loaded. Thanks to her father’s tutelage, she was comfortable handling the gun.
After going back to her room to don sturdy pants, her walking boots, and a heavy coat, Sarah set out, the gun safely holstered on her belt. She had tucked a blanket into her old book bag and was looking forward to getting out of the house for a while. As she had mentioned to her mother, the moonlight was so bright, there wasn’t any need for a flashlight. If it had been much brighter, Sarah would have been able to read a book outside if she’d been so inclined.
She headed up the familiar path around the craggy outcropping of rocks, across the
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