At Home on Ladybug Farm - Donna Ball [105]
Lindsay’s voice was strong and pleasant as she said, “Noah, you remember Miss Lincoln from the Department of Family and Children’s Services.” Only the slightest hesitation before she added, “And this is—”
But Noah stepped forward. “I know who you are,” he said, and everyone stared at him. “You’re another do-gooder that thinks they know what’s best for me. Well, I’ll answer all your stupid questions and I’ll take all your tests, and I’ll use my manners and speak good English, if that’s what it takes. But if you really want to know what’s in the best interest of the child”—he slid a glance toward Lori, who had just come in the front door—“it seems to me the person to ask would be the child hisself. I mean, himself. And since I’m him—I mean, he—I can save you some time. I’m doing just fine where I’m at. Why do you want to mess with it?”
For a moment everyone seemed too stunned to react. And then Mandy smiled slowly. “Well now,” she said, “that does seem like a foolish thing to do, doesn’t it? But I wonder if you wouldn’t mind sitting down and talking with me for a while, anyway. I’ll try not to ask too many stupid questions.”
She glanced around, and there seemed to be a note of pleading in her eyes as she said, “Is there somewhere we could be alone—just for a little while?”
Lindsay began, “Um, we really haven’t had a chance to talk about our meeting this morning . . .”
Mandy repeated, “Alone? Please?”
“Yes, of course.” Bridget was the one to move. She showed Mandy to the living room. Noah accompanied them with an air of resolute determination, and Bridget pulled the pocket doors closed behind her as she left.
Lori folded her arms across her chest with a smug smile. “I’m the one who taught him to stand up for himself like that. He did pretty well, didn’t he?” Then her smile faded. “I know I probably should have told you about”—she cast a wary glance at Carrie—“the other thing, but I promised I wouldn’t. And it seemed important to keep my word.”
“It’s always important to keep your word,” Cici assured her. But even as she spoke to Lori her attention was on Carrie. “You did the right thing. Why don’t you go get a sandwich or something? You must be starved.”
“I don’t mind if I do. Ida Mae, is there any of that pie left from yesterday? Can you believe that kid walked all the way to town and back?”
“I’ll bring out some coffee,” Ida Mae said, following Lori to the kitchen. “And some pie, if she leaves any.”
Cici gestured toward the front door as they departed, and the women moved silently out to the porch.
“Carrie,” Lindsay said, keeping her voice low but urgent, “we didn’t get a chance to tell Noah about his mother. I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“Shouldn’t you be in there with them?” Bridget added, casting a worried glance over her shoulder.
“Has something happened?” Cici asked. “She seemed different from when we left her.”
Carrie gave a slow uncertain shake of her head. “I don’t know. We had a long talk on the way out here. She didn’t seem as sure about her decision as she was before. She asked a lot of questions. But there are so many emotions involved. This is the first time she’s seen her son in fifteen years and . . .” Again she shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“Is there anything we should be doing?” Lindsay asked.
Carrie replied simply, “Wait.”
And so they sat on the porch, and waited. They waited for over an hour, their ears tuned to any sound from the other side of the screen door. Ida Mae brought a tray with coffee and strawberry pie. They sipped the coffee but mostly just pushed the pie around on their plates. They didn’t talk much. When they heard the pocket doors to the living room slide open, they all stood and hurried inside.
Mandy paused outside the living room door. “Well, Noah,” she said, and extended her hand, “you’re a nice young man. Really nice. It was good to meet you.”
He replied, “Yes, ma’am. Likewise.” And he actually shook her hand. Then he said, “So. Do you think I’ll be staying here, or what?”
She hesitated before