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Catching Fireflies(75)

By:Sherryl Woods


“You look as if you’ve had an exhausting day.”

“An exhausting few days,” Laura confirmed. “Knowing how high the stakes were for both of these girls put a tremendous amount of pressure on me to handle this well.”

“Then I’m all the more grateful that you’re taking the time to fill me in.”

“If it weren’t for you, it would have been much more difficult to settle this. I’m the one who’s grateful,” Laura told her with total sincerity. “Here’s where things stand.”

She outlined the first steps that had been taken earlier. “Frankly, I’m hoping that the Litchfields will send Annabelle away, but we may not know that for a while. Her father seems inclined to keep her right here so she has to face all the consequences of her actions.”

“There’s a case to be made for that, I think,” Paula said. “But it would be easier on Misty, if she were gone. How has Misty been holding up?”

“She’s relieved on one level, but she’s also terrified there will be fallout, that Annabelle’s friends will simply pick up where she left off.”

“Surely not,” Paula said incredulously, then shook her head. “What am I thinking? It’s entirely possible. Children and teens can be incredibly cruel. Lessons at that age aren’t absorbed all that readily, either, are they?”

“That’s my fear,” Laura admitted.

Paula thought about the situation. “You know,” she began slowly, “there is one person who might be able to intervene in this. Do you know Frances Wingate?”

“We’ve met,” Laura said, “but she retired long before I started teaching in Serenity.”

“Well, she has a very long history with a lot of parents in town. She’s well respected for frank talk and for being a tough disciplinarian. I wonder if there’s not some way we could capitalize on that respect.”

“How?” Laura asked, eager to try anything that might help ease the situation.

“Let me think about that,” Paula said. “And I’ll speak to Frances. She’s had some health issues recently, but I know she’d want to help if she possibly can. I’m thinking she might deliver a real wake-up call at a parents’ meeting, get them to take a hard look at what their kids are up to these days, both at school and online. After all, it’s the adults who bear some responsibility for letting the kids get away with this in the first place. They allow their children unlimited and uncensored internet access apparently, or something like this could never have happened.”

“Talking to the parents would be a great idea,” Laura said. “I’ll mention the possibility to Betty in the meantime, see what she thinks.”

Paula shook her head. “Let me run this by Frances first. I need to be sure she’s up to it. I’ll call you as soon as I’ve spoken to her, and we’ll go from there.”

Laura nodded. “Thanks for thinking of that. Though I’d like to believe this will all stop because Annabelle’s been caught and suspended, deep down I know better. It’s going to take vigilance to see that things improve for Misty, rather than getting much, much worse.”



J.C. had been pacing in front of Laura’s since six o’clock. Where on earth was she? He knew she must be worn out from the day’s events. He wanted to be here for her, provide whatever support she needed. He’d brought a bottle of wine and planned to order comfort food from Rosalina’s, if she’d let him.

It was nearly seven when she drove up, exiting her car with what looked like the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her expression brightened ever-so-slightly when she saw him.

“I wasn’t expecting to find you here,” she said.

J.C. gave her a rueful look. “And you’re not entirely happy about it, are you? Will it help if I tell you I’m here to offer aid and comfort and then go on my way?”

She seemed intrigued by his response. “Aid and comfort? Explain, please,” she said as she led the way into the building and unlocked her door.

“Wine,” he began, extracting the bottle from a bag. “Pizza and salad from Rosalina’s.” He held up their take-out menu. “See, I came fully prepared.” He pointed to his last surprise, the one he thought might trump all the others. “And chocolate decadence cake from Sullivan’s.”

Her eyes widened, and she immediately reached for the box. “Gimme.”

Grinning, J.C. held it aloft, out of her reach. “Not until you’ve had a bath or shower and relaxed with a glass of wine, while I take care of ordering the main course.”