The Fallout (The Therapist #3) - W.S. Greer Page 0,30
Emily shouts. “My mommy said I could have a party for my birthday. My first birthday party ever. Are you going to come, Mrs. Lane? Please!”
“As long as your mommy says it’s okay, I’ll definitely be there,” I answer, although I know it’s less than likely I’ll actually attend a seven-year-old’s birthday party, even with her mother’s permission. “Is your mommy inside?” I ask.
“Yes, and Daddy’s on his way,” Emily answers.
“Great,” I say, and just before I start to walk towards the front door, Gina Waters steps outside, followed by Martin pulling into the small driveway. Both parents step toward me with smiles on their faces, and the three of us convene in front of their home, all of us shaking hands.
“Hi, Mrs. Lane,” Gina greets me, as does her husband, and the three of us proceed inside.
This home visit will be short and sweet. Over the past two years, I’ve built up a rapport with this family, and I’ve come to know and understand them. They've moved out of low income housing and into a new apartment in the past year, and I know what to expect here. They were never abusive to their daughter, just struggling to care for her financially. So, there are no issues of safety that stand out to me. The rules of the house are standard and straightforward for any parent with a seven-year-old, I would think. Emily’s room isn't fancy, but it’s better than the one she had before her father got his job as a truck driver.
The living room furniture has been upgraded a bit since the last time I was here. A new coffee table now rests in the middle of the small room, and a new brown loveseat sits next to the gray couch that’s been there a while.
I look at the Waters’ mismatched furniture as a good thing instead of a bad one. If Martin was still being irresponsible with his money, he would've gone out and purchased all new furniture the minute he was handed his first paycheck at his new job. Instead, they've broken their purchase into smaller pieces, a showcase in being financially responsible, and I label it as such in my report.
When the inspection is over, the three adults sit at the oval dining room table while Emily plays in her room with the door closed. Through the door, I can hear her carrying on a conversation with her dolls about the prince she’ll marry as soon as he comes to pick her up from school. In the dining room, I write and talk at the same time.
“Well, I think everything looks great, as I expected it would,” I tell the happy couple. “You guys have done such a wonderful job pulling yourselves up by your bootstraps and making things better for your family. I know people say that a lot in America—pull yourself up by your bootstraps—but most of the time, people don't even have boots, let alone bootstraps to pull themselves up by. You two basically made yourselves boots to wear and started working hard to make things happen, even when all of the odds were stacked against you. I’m truly impressed by both of you. I know we met in somewhat difficult circumstances, but you guys have always been my favorite family.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Lane,” Martin answers, smiling. He has dark brown skin and a long, thick beard, which would intimidate ignorant people who are afraid of Black men, but Martin is a teddy bear with a great spirit. “Yeah, I remember how surprised we were when you showed up, but we also understood. That was an extremely difficult time for us. I’d been fired and arrested on the same day a couple of months before you came, and it was tough. We persevered, though. We did it together.”
Gina smiles and reaches over to take her husband’s hand. “Yes we did. I didn't know how things were going to turn out for us after Martin was arrested. The criminal justice system isn’t kind to Black men, even if all you were arrested for is stealing bread out of a convenience store. Nonetheless, Martin showed them all how hard he could work if given the opportunity. His hard work and dedication paved the way for our family.”
“I can't take all the credit, though,” Martin interjects now, and I marvel at the love that passes between the two of them as they look at each other. “Gina started her own daycare business as soon