a lot, but when she did, she held the children’s attention.
“Mindy, that’s a beautiful yellow dress you have on today.” Beverly nodded toward the fifteen-year-old to her left. “That color makes me feel cheerful and happy. What does it remind you of?”
Darlene listened as the other children responded with words like bananas and sunshine. Ten-year-old Tina said yellow reminded her of a driving car.
“They used to live in New York, and her father drove a taxi,” Myrna whispered to Darlene.
It was all interesting, but Darlene wasn’t feeling like she had much to contribute. She’d noticed that Mindy had begun to twirl her hair between her fingers so hard that it hurt Darlene to watch. Instinctively, Darlene’s eyes darted around the room until she saw a small stuffed animal in a nearby crate filled with other toys. She waited until Rachel led everyone in a clapping game that was meant to improve hand and eye coordination. Then she slipped away.
She returned with a furry orange cat, and she put it in Mindy’s lap. “I think he needs someone to pet him,” she whispered to Mindy, now wondering if she should have just stayed in her seat. But right away, Mindy pulled her hand from around the crumpled mass of her knotted hair and began to stroke the stuffed animal. Darlene remembered when Ansley used to twirl her hair, though not as hard as Mindy. It was something she’d done until she was about nine. Darlene had learned to distract her with something else.
During the last hour of the session, Darlene interacted more with the children and joined in on the discussion. Cara didn’t have much to add, but Darlene had caught Cara staring at her a lot. She wondered what was going through the girl’s mind, and she was anxious for the one-on-one session with Cara after lunch.
The teachers left for lunch in two shifts, and Darlene took the early shift with Rachel and Beverly.
“That was a great idea to occupy Mindy’s mind with a stuffed animal. She didn’t twist her hair the rest of the session,” Rachel said as she took a bite of her sandwich in the break room.
“My daughter used to do that,” Darlene said and felt a flush in her cheeks. She wasn’t used to talking about her family with people she didn’t know very well. But she missed having other women to talk to. As she ate, she listened to Rachel and Beverly chat and soon realized she didn’t have much in common with these women—except their jobs at the school. Rachel was divorced and seemed to have a huge chip on her shoulder about men. Beverly, while sweet as she could be, was at least fifteen years Darlene’s junior and newly dating a doctor in town. Christie, who was with the children, along with Myrna and Lindsey, was also young. And of course, Myrna had decades on all of them. But they were lovely women.
Darlene wondered if she’d ever find another friend like Gina, and she was curious about how Gina was doing in her new single life. She made a mental note to give her a call.
After her lunch break, Darlene went to the smaller classroom set up for Cara’s one-on-one sessions. Myrna was already inside, sitting with Cara.
“All ready?” Myrna stood up. Cara was working a crossword puzzle. “I’m right in the next room if you need me. Just follow the schedule from yesterday. Consistency is essential.” Myrna looked at Cara. “Cara, remember Ms. Darlene?”
Cara didn’t look up, but she nodded. Darlene took a deep breath as Myrna smiled, then left them alone together.
Darlene sat down beside Cara and watched her working the crossword puzzle. It wasn’t an easy puzzle, and Darlene was surprised how many clues Cara had figured out. She waited, not wanting to interrupt and unsure exactly how to proceed. She glanced at the pile of notes she’d taken yesterday, then at the stack of books and papers between her and Cara. Just as she put a hand on the stack, Cara put her pencil down.
“Are you ready to work on some math problems?” Darlene fumbled through the pile until she found the workbook. She opened it to the page Myrna had marked, beginning where they’d left off the day before. She eased it toward Cara, who didn’t look up. Darlene picked up the pencil and offered it to Cara. “Ready?”
Cara didn’t move for a few moments, but eventually she took the pencil, did three of the six problems, and