A Sister's Forgiveness (4 page)

Tessa was sure that things with her parents weren’t anywhere near as bad as they had been with the Clintons, but still…

Of course, she wasn’t really an only child in the usual sense. Her mom and Aunt Emma were so close that it really was like having two moms plus siblings in the form of her cousins, Sadie and Matt. The two families did practically everything together, and the three kids were back and forth between the two houses so much that they kept clothing and other personal items at each other’s houses.

Of course now Aunt Emma was upset with Mom, with good reason as far as Tessa could see. What had given her mom the idea that taking Sadie for her learner’s permit behind Aunt Emma’s back was anything like a good surprise? Tessa saw it as evidence of her mom’s desperation. She had a pattern of going overboard when stuff was going on that she couldn’t control, like whatever was happening with Dad. And because Aunt Emma was her mom’s best friend as well as older sister, Tessa had to believe that she would understand and eventually everything would be all right. Still, in her humble opinion, it had been a really bad move.

She sat in the backseat of the car, watching her parents for signs of healing. Surely the sunset on the beach, if not the tradition of the annual family gathering, had given them pause for thought. She waited, hoping the silence was a sign of calm rather than indifference. As usual her mom made the first move.

“Nice day,” she murmured in a voice Tessa knew was for her dad’s ears only. Once upon a time, he would have glanced over at her and grinned, maybe taken her hand in his, even kissed her knuckles. They had always been touchy-feely that way, to the point that sometimes Tessa felt as if they had forgotten she was even in the car. But not tonight.

Tonight he just kept driving.

Her mom turned in her seat, restrained by the seat belt from making full eye contact. But her smile was that fake one that she used when she was nervous. It dawned on Tessa that her mom was as mystified as she was by the chasm that stretched between the occupants of the front seat.

Okay, so she had to do something—anything to break the tension. What would Chelsea do? She tried to imagine what the former president’s daughter would have said to her parents. Would she have chattered on about her life? Or would she…

Mom was talking—something about being ready for the first day of school—a topic that Tessa understood was of far greater importance to her parents than it was to her. Even her dad…

That’s it. I’m starting a new school. Dad’s starting a new job there.… Instinctively she knew that Chelsea would focus on the obvious connection among the three of them—school.

And lo and behold, it worked—sorta, kinda—at least with her mom.

Chapter 4

Jeannie

O
nee again she had messed up. And although she truly believed that Emma had forgiven her, Geoff was a different matter. Leaving Jeannie out of the family circle while they all watched the sunset was about as clear a sign as he could have given her that things between them were not good. She didn’t think for one second that it was intentional. Geoff was just terrible at hiding his true feelings. If he was upset, she knew it, and if he was upset with her, then he would usually take the easy way out and focus all of his attention on Tessa. The tension in the car was so thick it would take a chef’s knife to cut through it.

Jeannie drew in a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and sent up a silent prayer. “It was a nice day,” she ventured as Geoff steered the car around the maze that was St. Armand’s Circle until they reached the turnoff that would take them across the Ringling Bridge toward home.

He made a sound that could be interpreted either as agreement or indifference.

Silent treatment alert
, Jeannie thought and turned in her seat to talk to Tessa. “Have you got everything you need for tomorrow, Tess?”

“Pretty sure I do—at least everything on the list the school put online.”

“Excited?”

Tessa shrugged. “You know how it is, Mom. Starting a new school year is always a little exciting.”

“Well, it’s a blessing that you’ll have Sadie there to show you the ropes.”

Up to now, Tessa had attended the small Mennonite school that Jeannie and Emma had attended as kids. It was the one piece of her past that Jeannie had insisted on keeping after she and Geoff joined the more liberal branch of the faith. At the little Mennonite school, students of all ages worked at their own pace, moving from level to level as they completed the required work. Jeannie had such wonderful memories of her years there, and when she realized that Tessa was a shy, studious child, she had persuaded Geoff that attending her old school—at least until Tessa was ready for high school—would be an advantage.

“Dad?” Tessa leaned forward so that her face bridged the space between her parents.

“Hmmm?”

“If it’s okay for the first day, I’d like to bike to school with Sadie.”

Geoff chuckled, and Jeannie felt herself relaxing slightly. Leave it to Tessa to put him in a better frame of mind. “Not cool to arrive with the vice principal?”

Tessa giggled. “Not cool at all, but very cool to arrive with one of the popular kids.”

“I’m crushed.” He sighed dramatically, and Jeannie and Tessa both laughed.

Suddenly the tension that had held them all captive evaporated like the morning fog as Geoff pulled the car onto their driveway. Together they piled out and started unloading the picnic supplies and lawn chairs and other equipment they had hauled to the park. Tessa ran ahead of them to put away leftover food in the kitchen while Jeannie and Geoff took care of storing the lawn chairs in the garage.

“Looks like rain,” Geoff said, checking the western sky that still held a hint of light.

“Smells like it, too,” Jeannie agreed as she slipped her hand into his. “Maybe it will cool things off.” She felt his fingers tighten on hers.

They stood together looking up through the giant fronds of a cluster of palm trees toward a starless sky. “Is Emma okay?”

Jeannie didn’t need to ask what he meant. “She was upset—rightly so. Oh honey, I realize now that I shouldn’t have agreed to take Sadie, but I was sure that Lars was trying to find a way to convince Emma. He’d already signed the paperwork. He didn’t want to disappoint her, and neither did I.” She shrugged. “It just seemed like…”

Geoff sighed and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close and kissing her temple. “Honey, by now you know that how things may seem to you may not always be the way they are for others. I mean, Emma must have had her reasons for delaying this, and even if you don’t agree…”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just that sometimes Emma can be so strict—our folks were that way. You’d think that would make a difference—that she would understand that in this day and age Sadie needs…”

“Sadie’s not your child, Jeannie. I know that you love her—we all do. What’s not to love? She lights up a room, but it’s up to Lars and Emma to decide such things. They’re her parents.”

“You’re right.” She hugged him, and then trying to cling to the lighter mood, she added, “You’re always so wise. I’m sure that’s why the school board named you vice principal.”

Geoff groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

“You’re going to be great. The kids already love you, and the teachers and staff have great respect for you. You can’t lose.” She smoothed back his hair and saw the shadow of doubt cross his features. Geoff had always been her rock. “Why do you think Tessa turned out to be such a great kid? It’s because of the example you set for her.”

“She also has you… and Emma.”

“But you…”

His smile won out over the worried frown as he shrugged off her compliment. “So, here you are sending the two of us off to conquer new challenges,” he said.

“That’s right, and frankly I think we’d all better get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.” She stood on tiptoe to kiss him, and she couldn’t help being a little disappointed when he released her after a quick peck on the lips.

“Coming?” he asked as he started for the house.

“In a minute.” She watched him go inside, heard the television come on. Things were better, she thought. Just not what they had been. She felt the first drops of rain and lifted her face to them before going inside.

Tessa had already put everything away in the kitchen, and Jeannie could hear her daughter upstairs in her room. In spite of assuring them she already had what she needed for school on the drive home, Jeannie had no doubt that Tessa was double-checking her backpack. When she was satisfied, she would come downstairs, set the backpack on the straight wooden chair by the back door, and then come to the den that did double duty as Geoff’s office and the family’s television room to kiss them both good night.

Jeannie took out a gift-wrapped package she’d been saving for this occasion and set it on the chair. Then she went into the den and perched on the arm of Geoff’s chair while they watched a sports report together.

As she had predicted, only moments passed before Tessa came downstairs. “What’s this?” she asked, coming into the den and blocking the television as she held up the present.

“Well, look at that,” Geoff said. “Somebody left me a present.”

“Dad, it has my name on the card.”

“No kidding. So, are you going to open it or just wave it around all night?”

Grinning, she carefully untied the wide satin ribbon then rolled it around her fingers and laid it aside. She then opened each taped section of the wrapping paper, pressing the paper flat as she laid it on Geoff’s desk.

“At this rate, we won’t need to set the alarm because you’ll still be opening your present when it’s time to get up,” Jeannie teased.

“The ribbon and paper are part of the gift,” Tessa reminded her. “You taught me that.” She laid aside the top of the box and then spread the white tissue paper inside. “Oh my,” she whispered as she lifted out a handmade journal and an old-fashioned fountain pen. “I love them.”

“We thought maybe you might want to start a new journal,” Geoff said, clearing his throat as if it had suddenly filled with emotion. “And the fountain pen was your grandfather’s.”

Geoff’s father had owned a small newspaper back in Iowa where Geoff had grown up. After Tessa was born, her grandfather had written her a series of letters with this, his favorite pen. He’d sent a letter to her on every birthday until his death a year earlier, when the pen had been given to Geoff. “Now it’s your turn to write,” Geoff told her.

“But write what? I have nothing to say.”

“How about letters to us?” Jeannie suggested.

“You’re kind of right here, Mom.”

“I know, but you could write letters to us that we could read later—like when you’re off to college or on your wedding day or when you have your first child or…”

“Stop it, Mom,” Tessa said laughing. “You’re going to have me living my whole life before I’m out of high school.”

Geoff was laughing as well. He looked at Jeannie the way he used to look at her when they were courting. His eyes twinkled with that same surprise and curiosity that fueled her interest in him from their first meeting. She looked from Geoff to Tessa and grinned. For the first time in weeks, she felt sure that everything was going to be all right for them.

Geoff held out his hand for Tessa’s new journal and flipped through the pages. “That’s a lot of blank pages,” he said. “I figure you’ll have it filled up by…”

“…Tuesday,” Jeannie said, knowing that when Tessa started any new project, she became single-minded about finishing it.

“I’m going to start tonight,” Tessa said when Geoff handed back the book. She clutched it to her chest, her eyes sparkling. “Thank you so much—it’s perfect.” She started up the stairs then turned back. “And, Mom. No peeking.”

“Me?” Jeannie asked, pointing to herself. “Why would that even cross your mind?”

Both Geoff and Tessa rolled their eyes.

“Promise?” Tessa said, and it was clear that she was asking for a serious commitment.

“Promise.” Jeannie placed one hand over her heart.

Satisfied, Tessa blew them both a kiss and hurried off to her room.