Two Daughters

Noticing the curious expression on our faces, the mother shrugged sheepishly. "I'm not supposed to swear."

The Principal nodded. "Go with Mrs. Taylor, Sabrina, while I talk to your mother."

Sabrina stood up and left the office. Nobody asked me to leave so I sat there, curious about the whole situation.

"According to his man, some girls were teasing Sabrina."

"About what?" the mother asked, but it was obvious she already knew.

"Being dumb, not having a father, about being poor..." I offered.

The mother cursed again.

"She took offense." The Principal went on.

"Why shouldn't she?" the mother snapped.

"She hit Nelly Welch so hard the girl is now in the nurse's office. Fighting isn't allowed in school," the Principal snapped.

"From the looks of my daughter, she wasn't the only kid throwing punches. And if I remember the Welch girl, she's a fat, tall creature who shouldn't be allowed out of her cage."

I fought hard not to laugh.

"Be that as it may, they're both suspended."

"Fine by me." Sabrina's mother stood. "When can she come back to school?"

"In two days." The Principal tilted her head. "Will she be upset?"

"She'll be thrilled. I've never understood why you people think it's a punishment to send kids home. The only ones who'd be worried about missing class are the ones who'd never get sent home in the first place. My problem is who's going to babysit her while I'm at work."

The Principal grimaced as if she'd swallowed a lemon. She stood up and followed us to the door.

CHAPTER 6

Sabrina was waiting for her mother outside.

"You're suspended for two days," her mother informed her. Then she turned to me and said, "I think we haven't been properly introduced Mr..."

"Paul," I said extending my hand.

She shook it. "I'm Mary. Sabrina's mother as I'm sure you already figured. You stood up for my daughter, thank you. She really needs someone in her corner. I'm afraid I can't be there for her as much as she deserves."

"Am I in trouble?" Sabrina asked once we were outside.

"Who started it?"

"Not me."

Sabrina's mother looked at me looking for reassurance and I nodded.

"I tried to walk away," Sabrina added.

I nodded again.

"That's when I got this."

She held up his right arm, where new finger-size bruises had begun to form.

Her mother rubbed her forehead.

"How about talking to them?"

Sabrina pointed to her skinned knees, then to her bloody nose.

"The girl gave you a bloody nose, then you slugged her?"

Sabrina squirmed, looked at me, and I gave her a look that I hoped meant 'you're on your own.'

"Not exactly," she finally said, and she gave her mother a short but accurate version of the events.

"Was she calling you names?"

"Some."

"Sticks and stones, Sabrina."

I knew as well as anyone that names could hurt.

"What else?" her mother asked.

"She said you..."

Her mother waited.

"I what?"

"Never mind."

"Sabrina..."

"She said you were a whore," Sabrina blurted.

I watched Mary's face and confirmed that names could still hurt.

"Not like I haven't heard that before," she said. "You're not in trouble but I am. Social Services is already after us. I can't risk us losing you because I left you alone without supervision. You know quite well I can't pay a nanny. How am I supposed to work if you're not at school?"

I cleared my throat to draw their attention and offered. "Maybe I can offer you a temporary solution."

Mary looked at me with a puzzled look on her face, then she looked at Sabrina and she moved her head up and down with a small smile.

"I just got to town and I need someone to show me around. I heard there is a lake not far from here. What I mean is that I would be thrilled to babysit your daughter in exchange for a guide. I know no good mother would trust her daughter to a stranger so, if you need references I can give you my mother's number. She's living with my sister."

I could see the gears working inside Mary's head, so I punched my mother's number, talked with her for a few seconds to explain the situation, and handed the phone to Mary.

She moved away to be able to talk in private and returned to us some minutes later.

"Your mother seems to be a very nice person. She speaks highly of you. She assured me that you would take excellent care of Sabrina."

"She's my mother. She might be a little biased."

"She said something about you raising a daughter, Paul. I don't mean to pry but what happened between you two?"

"I didn't have lunch yet. If you don't mind I'd like to invite the two of you to join me and I can tell you about my situation."

We went to a McDonald's and while Sabrina played in the playground I gave Mary the Reader's Digest version of what had happened. It was the first time I had told someone the whole story and it surprised me that I didn't get as emotional as I thought I would.

Mary was a good listener and I felt relieved at the end.

"I can't blame you for leaving. I can see how much she hurt you."

"Which one? My ex-wife or my daughter?"

"Well, I suppose your ex-wife cheating on you and leaving you for another man wasn't easy, but I was talking about your daughter, Elise."

"Elise decided that Louise's new man could give her a better life than me. What could I do? Beg her to love me? Our relationship has been nonexistent since then. Her choice, not mine."

She reached out to grab my hand. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I'd be happy to take care of Sabrina if that would help you. She's a very special girl."

"I can't pay you, Paul."

I chuckled. "I appreciate the offer, Mary, but I'm not really in need of any extra cash. However, I understand if you don't feel comfortable leaving your daughter with a stranger."

"I feel I can trust you. Besides, your mother vouched for you satisfactorily."

She smiled at me and I smiled back at her.

"I'm running out of options, Paul. I don't want my daughter taken from me by the state. Even when a kid is neglected as the result of poverty, the state gets to set its own specific definitions for neglect, they typically center on deprivation of things like a proper house, clothing, or medical treatment, which are problems almost totally exclusive to poor people."

"If I take my daughter to the playground, her dress looks dingy and stained next to the kids running around in clothes so absurdly bright they looked like something out of a cartoon. The wrong social worker might call her clothes deplorable or filthy even if it was just messy or cluttered, and that increases the likelihood that it leads to a court petition for the child's removal."

I nodded and squeezed her hand.

"My fear isn't just based on embarrassment, it's also couched in the visceral fear that people would assume I'm a bad mom because of something as simple as the clothing my daughter wears. As you witnessed, Sabrina also has problems at school. Also, my house needs lots of repairs and maintenance. I'm at my rope's end, Paul."

I looked at her and told her, "Things will get better, trust me, Mary."

I wrote down my number on a paper napkin, handed it to Mary, and said, "If you need someone to babysit Sabrina, call me. I plan to stay in town for a few days."

She called me later that night and asked me to come to her house early in the morning.

CHAPTER 7

Mary and Sabrina's house was old and needed a lot of work. The yard too. The lawn was full of crabgrass. The shrubs were overgrown, in need of a good trimming. Inside and outside, the house needed paint and repairs. No wonder Social Services were on Mary's back.

A quick inspection told me that the electric service was inadequate and the kitchen was dreadful, with old-fashioned linoleum countertops, cheap cabinets, a gas range that was an antique, a portable dishwasher, and a small refrigerator with no ice maker.

We started with the yard. Sabrina and I spent hours upon hours in that yard, planting new flowers, trimming all the bushes, mowing the lawn methodically, and yanking out weeds at the root. We managed to get the garden into a shape where we could put in flowers and some yard games I bought for her. Sabrina began to dance in the grass, and my chest tightened.

During the next two days, we became inseparable. I helped Sabrina with her homework, just as I had helped Elise. She was a smart kid. She just needed guidance and stability, two things she wasn't getting in her present situation. Her grades started to be adequate and they kept improving, as time went by.

My job as a pro-bono babysitter, handyman, and tutor became permanent. I was having dinner at Mary's house every day.

"It's the least I can do to pay you back for what you're doing for my daughter," Mary said.

Of course, I was still sleeping in my camper.

I also got some part-time jobs welding things and a steady job with the local contractor. My new boss and his wife were the owners of the only bed and breakfast in town. His name was Percy and he was a good man.

"If you are as good as you said you are you'll have a lot of work with me," Percy assured me.

On weekends, Mary and Sabrina showed me around. A picnic by the lake. Bicycle rides in the woods. Hiking some easy trails to the mountains.

We looked over the interior of the house to start working on what needed to be done. I fixed a lot of things. My new boss pitched in when necessary. He was glad to help when I explained the situation to him. That is the good thing about a small community: you know you can count on each other in hard times. I also got a new fridge and dishwasher.

"We need to work on painting the interior, starting in the kitchen."

"That sounds perfect," Mary said kissing my cheek. "I can't thank you enough for what you're doing."

I actually blushed at the compliment. I sat there admiring Mary and noting her physical attributes. She was a beautiful petite brunette with milky white skin. Her long curly hair flowed halfway down her back. Her eyes were black and full of light. I was vaguely aware that she was doing the same in return.

We smiled at each other.

"I enjoy working with my hands. I also enjoy spending time with you two. So it's a win-win. "

"Thanks again for doing this, Paul, you're a life-saver."

I made a habit of picking up Sabrina at school and drove her in my truck to her home.

The first days her classmates looked intently at me with their eyes wide open.

"Paul!" Sabrina shouted and jumped into my truck's cabin.

I focused again on being a dad even if I didn't have the title. Lots of happy memories came to my mind.

I was fascinated with everything Sabrina liked. We read stories together. We watched Pixar movies. We cooked meals together. We keep doing repairs in the house.

CHAPTER 8

"Paul, what kind of lady do you like?" Sabrina asked me one day out of the blue.

I immediately thought of Mary's dark cap of hair.

We were painting Sabrina's bedroom walls with a beautiful salmon paint with accents in a bright shade of sunny yellow. She had chosen the colors herself. She had paint on the tip of her nose, her cheeks, her hands, and her arms.

"I don't care much about looks, but personality," I answered sincerely.

However, the image of Mary's long legs and small round breasts came to my mind. I hadn't been sexually active in a long time. It was good to know I could still lust after a woman.

"Just a plain hometown girl," I added.

"There are a lot of the women like this in Middleton. How come you don't date?"

"I'm not what you'd call a great catch."

"But you'll never get married this way. Even I know you have to date before you can hit a home run."

"Where did you hear that?" I narrowed his eyes.

"I overheard some older girls at my school talking about it."

"What do you think a home run is?"

"Getting married."

I breathed out a sigh of relief. "No, it's not that."

"Then it must be sex. I wasn't sure. But you guys kind of need that, too, right?"

"What? No... Well, yes... but... You should talk with your mother about this."

"I already know about the birds and the bees, silly."

That started Sabrina on another fit of laughter that was so contagious I joined her.

"Mom said you were married before."

"Yes, I was."

"Why did she divorce you?"

"Do you know what cheating is?"

She nodded. "It's when you copy your answers from someone else in a test."

"That's right. Cheating is when a person acts dishonestly on purpose. My ex-wife cheated on me."

"She lied to you."

"Yes, she did. She went looking for another husband while she was still married to me."

Sabrina shook her head.

"Why did she do that? You're a good man. I like you."

"Thank you, Sabrina, I like you too. To answer your question, she was looking for someone who earned more money than me."

"Mom and I don't have a lot of money. People say we are poor. You were poor too?"

"We lived a bit better than your mom and you, but we weren't rich. Our lifestyle wasn't enough for her. I suppose she would say we were poor."

"Why?"

"She wanted a bigger house, a better car, diamond jewelery, designer clothing, and so on. Some women are like that. They always want better."

"Not all of them. Mom is not like that," Sabrina said, eyeing my reaction.

"Your mom is a great person."

"Do you like her?"

"I do."

"Are you going to marry her and be my dad?" Sabrina's eyes lit up.

I put my hand on Sabrina's shoulder and said, "I'm not sure your mom would want me as her husband."

"Why not?"

"I'm crabby. I have trust issues. I'll never be rich."

"You're not crabby, you're funny. You have lots and lots and lots of patience with me. Besides, who needs to be rich? We're happy."

Sabrina threw herself into my arms and painted my back in sunny yellow.

"I would choose you to be my dad in a heartbeat," she whispered in my ear.

"Thank you, Sabrina. For what is worth, I'd choose you to be my daughter."

That brought a huge smile to Sabrina's face.

CHAPTER 9

The next day, when Mary came home from work, she pulled me aside and told me in a hushed voice, "Next weekend is Sabrina's birthday."

She looked sexier in her waitress outfit than I'd thought possible

"Great! Have you planned anything?"

"Nothing special. A small celebration just the three of us. Pizza and a cake. You know she doesn't get along with her classmates. I don't want to disappoint her when no one shows up."

"Sounds good to me," I said. But it didn't.

I thought this was the end of the conversation, but I could see Mary had something else in mind.

"I'm worried about her. She should have friends. She seems lonely."

"I was a lot like Sabrina," I said glancing at my hands, which were clenched between my knees. "I couldn't sit still. I was a problem child. Did a lot of dumb-ass stuff. That's how I got my ex-wife pregnant."

Mary nodded, but I could tell her mind was still focused on her daughter.

"What happened with Sabrina's father if I may ask?"

Mary shook her head to get rid of the painful thoughts and said, "He abandoned us. You were not the only one who did stupid things when you were younger. I was a rebellious teenager. I ran away from home and hung with the wrong crowd. Then I got pregnant. He stuck around for a while, but he didn't have a regular job and drank a lot. The first time he beat me I went straight to the police. He ran away and I haven't seen him ever since. I contacted my parents, but when they knew I was pregnant they didn't want anything to do with me. They donated me this house that belonged to my grandparents to ease their conscience and gave me some pocket money."

"That was cold."

I couldn't help but remember when my own wife and daughter turned their backs to me.

Mary shrugged. "I ran away from home for a reason."

"Considering what you went through you're doing pretty well."

I became fascinated with the slight blush in her cheeks and the way the wind stirred her long hair. When the sun hit it just right, Mary's hair shone more navy blue than black.

***

I felt bad knowing that no one would come to Sabrina's birthday party. No kid deserves to spend her birthday alone. So, I decided to surprise her.

I talked with the firefighters and the Sheriff. I explained the situation to them and they understood perfectly. It wasn't a real emergency, but they'd still come to the rescue.

I also talked with Mary's boss, Red Harding. He and his chef, Tony Marino, assured me they would come.

Sabrina had blown the candles, and we were eating chocolate cake while she opened her presents. I had talked with Mary about gifting her daughter a laptop. She said it was too much, but she finally agreed when I explained to her that it would be useful to help her school work.

Mary sewed Sabrina a new dress.

Then, we saw flashing lights and heard sirens and horn-honking. Sabrina rushed outside and found a police car, and a fire truck with a big sign right across the side that said, 'Happy Birthday, Sabrina'.

Sheriff Bert Thomas and his deputy Nick Wallace walked to the house and greeted Sabrina. They gifted Sabrina a fake sheriff badge and a sheriff hat that read "Deputy."

The firefighters named Sabrina an Honorary Firefighter. It came with a uniform and a certificate.

"Wow, this is crazy!" exclaimed Sabrina. She was literally jumping up and down and it melted all our hearts. The look on her face was absolutely magical. They let her play with the equipment and she sat behind the wheel of the fire truck.

Then, Red Harding showed up along with his chef. He was carrying two big paper bags full of ingredients. The next thing we knew was that we were all making white chocolate strawberry cookies and singing songs in Italian.

Everyone stayed for cookies and cake, the police, the firefighters, Mary's boss, and the chef sang "Happy Birthday" to her, and left Sabrina with perhaps the greatest gift of all: a lesson in kindness.

What could have been a crushing disappointment instead turned into a memorable surprise.

Sabrina hugged me and murmured: "Thank you, Daddy," and my heart stuttered.

Mary smiled at me and mouthed, "Thank you."

Everyone in town, considered Mary, Sabrina and I were a happy family of three. Maybe it was time to make it official

I never thought I could love again after my heart was shattered. Then Mary and Sabrina came into my life and everything changed.

I realized I was ready to love again. I wanted to be a dad again. I wanted to have a family, a home, a life again.

CHAPTER 10

The next Monday, Sabrina and I were doing her homework when a knock on the door made me frown. I looked at Sabrina and she shrugged.

A strange woman with a briefcase was at the door.

"Good morning, what can I do for you?"

"Megan Crapper, Social Services."

For an instant, I was paralyzed with uncertainty, then I forced myself to speak. "I don't remember an appointment."

"Surprise visit," Ms. Crapper said. "We like those."

I glanced at Sabrina. She wasn't afraid of much, but I could tell she was afraid of Social Services.

I let the woman in.

"Thank you, Mr..."

"Olson, Paul Olson. I'm the nanny and handyman. Would you like to sit, Ms. Crapper?"

She took a chair as far away as she could, looked around, and wrote some notes in a folder.

"This place looks much better than on my last visit."

"I have been making some renovations."

The women nodded and scribbled something down.

"Coffee?"

"No, thank you."

I stared at the Social Services lady. She was probably in her late fifties, though you'd never know it from her bland suit and scraped-back hairstyle.

"How long have you been working here, Mr. Olson?"

"Around six months. I pick Sabrina up from school and help her with her homework" I showed her the books on the table. "Then, we do some work in the house. We painted her room together."