“Charlie, help the girls get cleaned up in the bedroom while I straighten up the living room. Leanne, can you pick up the decorating bag and place the items on the counter? They’ll have to be washed.”
Leanne began picking up the markers. “I’m sorry, Willa. I should have paid more attention to what they were doing.”
Sissy made no attempt to help her sister. Her stubbornness, surely a result of the traumatic adjustment she was going through. It had to be hard on the girl losing her mother, then her uncle, and then being forced to live with the woman who had killed him.
“Are you finished with your homework, Sissy?”
“As much as I can do on my own. I’m not good in chemistry.” She snapped the computer closed, carelessly tossing it onto the couch.
“After I finish dinner, I could help you…”
Sissy snorted. “How could you help me? You’re a stupid, fat cow!”
Willa flinched, but she didn’t let her expression betray her hurt.
“A friend of mine is very good in chemistry. I could call her and ask if she would be willing to help,” Willa offered.
“Who?” Sissy asked suspiciously.
“Rachel Adams.”
“That’s Jace’s cousin.”
Willa saw the first spark of interest in the girl since she had moved in her home. Leave it to a male to accomplish what I can’t, Willa thought.
“Yes. Would you like me to call her?”
Sissy tried to unsuccessfully appear disinterested. “Whatever.”
“I’ll call as soon as I finish picking up.”
Sissy began to put away Charlie’s game controllers then helped Leanne without Willa having to urge her. When the living room was done, and she had settled the little ones in the backyard to play with the cat she had adopted, she placed the call to Rachel.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Rachel, this is Willa. I hate to ask, but I have a favor if you’re not too busy.”
“Not at all. What do you need?”
“I was wondering if you would be able to help Sissy with her chemistry homework tonight. I know it’s an imposition at this late notice.”
“I’m sitting here, bored to death while Cash is working late at the factory. I can be there in thirty minutes.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Thanks, Rachel.”
“No problem. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
Willa hung up and glanced at a waiting Sissy. “She’ll be here in thirty minutes.”
Sissy nodded then went back inside the house without a thank you, wearing the same expression of dislike that she constantly wore.
Willa played with the children outside for twenty minutes then hustled them inside so she could finish dinner.
She was wiping Caroline’s face off when the doorbell rang. She went to answer the door, but Sissy was already opening it.
“Hi, Rachel. I really appreciate you helping Sissy.”
Rachel came inside with a bright smile on her face, relieving Willa of the thought that she had possibly put her out.
“I was only watching some television, Willa. I don’t mind at all.”
Willa left Rachel and Sissy alone as she went to the kitchen, afraid she would draw a sharp comment from Sissy. She let the children play at the table with the Play-Doh she kept on hand for the girls to keep them busy when she was baking so as not to disturb the tutoring session.
She fixed dinner plates for the children, sitting at the table with them while they ate. The younger girls played with their food more than they ate, but Willa didn’t force them to finish their food. Charlie finished his plate, even asked for seconds. The children were each so different it kept Willa on her toes to keep them satisfied.
When Charlie finished, she took them upstairs and readied them for bed. The girls were yawning, while Charlie was fighting bedtime. Willa let them all lie on her bed and put on their favorite show as she lay and watched it with them. Chrissy fell asleep, cuddled next to her, while Caroline and Charlie watched the program.
Once it was over, she put the girls in bed before checking on Charlie. She pulled his covers up from the bottom of the bed, covering the boy who was staring up at her.
“Willa, I’m sorry I gave the girls the bag. I wanted to play my game, and they were bugging me.”
Willa smiled down reassuringly at the sleepy-eyed boy. “It was Sissy and Leann’s responsibility to watch you and the girls. You’re a little young to be a babysitter. But I do want you to be more careful with what you give them, Charlie.”
“I will. I promise.”
“I’ll take that promise and give you one in return. I won’t leave the girls with you anymore without a responsible adult.” Willa made the vow to herself and Charlie, always learning from her mistakes.