just read them in the checkout line at the store whenever we went to the store.”
“That’s good, that tells me a lot of stuff. We’ll see what all we can find for her tomorrow,” Roman said.
“Okay. I’m starting my letter,” she said, setting aside her coloring book and getting up to get some paper off her desk.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” Roman said, disappearing into the bathroom, already feeling better since he had a plan.
~~~
Early the next morning, Roman pulled up to the elementary school that Cristie attended. It was not set to reopen from the holidays for another four or five days so there were only a handful of cars in the parking lot. He killed the engine, then turned to look at Darcie. “You ready?”
Darcie gazed out of the window at the two story red brick building in front of her. It was connected by covered breezeways to neighboring buildings set only twenty or so feet away. “I guess,” she said.
“Hey, what did I tell you?” Roman asked.
“That this is as much my school as anybody else’s, and that if anybody gives me any trouble, to put them in their place — do not take any schnit from anybody. And to always remember whose daughter I am and hold my head up proudly!”
“That’s right,” he said chuckling. “But what I meant is that today all we’re going to do is meet your principal and teachers and get you enrolled and your schedule. There won’t be any kids here today.”
“Oh, yeah,” Darcie said, smiling brightly at Roman.
“And even if there were kids here today, you are amazing. You are going to have so many friends,” Roman told her, smiling at her and chucking her under the chin.
“What if they don’t like me?” Darcie asked.
Roman thought about it and looked her in the eye. “I’m not going to lie to you, Darcie. No matter how old or young you are, in life there will be people who don’t like you. But it’s not because of you, it’s usually because of them. Either they think you’re prettier than they are, or they’re jealous because your Mama or Daddy pays more attention to you than theirs does them, or because you get better grades, or maybe they’re just not very happy people. But none of that matters. What matters is that you like yourself, and you’re true to yourself. Never pretend to be somebody you’re not, and the right friends will always find you. It’s not about how many friends you have, it’s about the quality of the friends you have. It’s better to have only a few very close friends, than to have a hundred that you can’t depend on. But just be you, you’ll do just fine.”
“I don’t want them to know about where my Mama is. It’s not her fault,” Darcie said.
“No, it’s not her fault. And you’re right, it’s nobody’s business what’s going on in your life. If I were you, I wouldn’t tell anybody anything I didn’t want them to know, or didn’t want everybody to know, because let’s face it, most kids are going to repeat every word they hear to at least their parents, if not more people,” Roman said.
Darcie nodded as she looked out of the window at the building again. “Okay. I’m just going to tell them that I live with my Daddy and my Mama is out of town right now.”
“Okay,” Roman said.
“Let’s go,” Darcie said bravely, reaching for the door handle.
Roman got out of the truck and walked around in time to help Darcie close the door. He reached his hand down to her and she slipped her hand into his. He smiled proudly when he watched her from the corner of his eye.
Darcie took a deep breath, stood up straight, and lifted her chin in the air. “Let’s go inside,” she said.
Darcie had a death grip on Roman’s hand as she walked into the school office with him. He held the envelope with a copy of her birth certificate, and his custody papers in it in his other hand.
The school secretary was an older lady and she smiled pleasantly as they walked in. “Good morning, may I help you?”
“Yes, ma’am. I need to register my daughter for classes,” Roman said, smiling at the woman.
At the sound of the deep timbre of his voice, several other women in a neighboring office, rolled their chairs back to get a look at the owner of that voice through the open door.
“Of course.