In His Eyes

“I don’t care. I don’t want any company.”

“She doesn’t mean it,” he said, looking at Ellene with contrition in his eyes. He turned and bolted up the stairs, and Ellene waited, listening to the commotion from above.

Finally it quieted, except for a child’s sobs. Ellene’s heart wrenched at the sound.

Co

Ellene felt at a loss. “What do you do?”

“Let her cry it out. I don’t know what else to do. To be honest, once in a while I’d like to give her a good spanking, but that’s not what she needs.”

His comment sparked her curiosity. “What does she need?”

“A mother to give her more attention than I can.”

Ellene felt a shudder course through her, and she clasped her handbag tighter to her body. The sorrow she felt for Co

“She’s in time-out with threats of no TV.”

“No TV? I suppose that’s a good punishment.”

He nodded. “Caitlin’s shy and hasn’t made friends around here yet. TV’s her major form of entertainment.”

As he stepped forward, a disconcerted look registered on his face. “I really apologize for all this.” He extended his hand. “I didn’t even take your coat.”

Ellene slipped it from her shoulders and handed it to him.

“Have a seat. I’ll make some coffee.”

“You don’t need to do that,” she said, rattled by the child’s problems and her own sensations.

Ellene’s emotions flew to opposite poles—pity and envy. If she and Co

While Co

“I want to make things better for Caitlin,” he said, sinking into the chair across from her. “She’ll make friends eventually, once she starts school here. Aunt Phyllis will be good for her. Caitlin needs a woman in her life, and even though…”

Co

“I shouldn’t be yakking so much,” Co

Ellene hadn’t heard them, except she understood his frustration. “I feel for you, Co

“And being a single parent is even bigger.”

Ellene nodded, not knowing what else to say. They gazed at each other until she became uneasy. “I suppose we should get down to business.”

“Right. The business.” The scent of coffee filled the air, and Co

Hot chocolate for Caitlin, Ellene guessed. Co

Co

He stood a moment listening, then shrugged. But in a moment, footsteps sounded on the steps, and Ellene’s gaze shifted back to the staircase opening. In a heartbeat, a spindly child, dressed in pink sweat-pants and shirt paused in the doorway. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and an occasional hiccup let Ellene know she was controlling her sobs.

When she inched into the room, she headed straight for Co

“Can you say hello to Ellene?” Co

She didn’t raise her head but curled even closer to Co

Co

He grasped his mug of coffee and headed for Ellene. “I suppose you don’t approve.” He passed the chair and sat on the couch.

She frowned, wondering what he meant.

He gave a slight tilt of his head toward Caitlin. “Forgiving too quickly.”

Forgiving too quickly. The words shot through her as her father’s words pierced her thoughts. The Bible teaches us to forgive so that God will forgive us our mistakes. “I don’t think you were wrong.”

He gave her a questioning look, as if he wasn’t sure if she meant it, then turned toward Caitlin. She’d grasped the mug of chocolate and was blowing on the top. Co

Caitlin noticed, but hesitated.

“Hi, Caitlin. I’m glad to meet you,” Ellene said, watching the child’s unsteady journey with her hot drink.

Caitlin gave her a shy look, then moved closer and finally settled beside Co

Ellene took a sip of the coffee, surprised that Co

No ifs. She clinched her jaw, struggling to gain control of her thoughts and let her question slide. She focused on Caitlin, wishing she could do something to bring a smile to the child’s face, something to help her relax. “Do you know why I’m here?”

Caitlin shook her head as she glanced toward her dad.

“I’m here to fix your new house for you.”

“I don’t want a new house,” she mumbled.

Her response startled Ellene. She figured most kids would love the excitement of moving to a new house. “You don’t think it’ll be fun to have new adventures and make new friends?”

The child looked away, never letting her gaze land on Ellene. “I don’t want new friends. I hate it here.”

Ellene flinched again at the child’s vehemence. “Why?”

The simple question seemed to stump the girl. She looked down at the floor, then into her cocoa mug and shrugged.

“I’d love to live on an island,” Ellene said, knowing that she’d stretched the truth a bit. She’d enjoy the island in the summer.

Caitlin gave her a wary look, but for the first time, had finally looked into her eyes.

Ellene’s chest tightened at the visual contact. “Your daddy—” The word hurt to say. “—can take you in a boat in the summer, and you can go swimming on the beach. And in the wintertime, you can—” Can what? Freeze to death was all she could think of.

“Tell Ellene what we’re going to do with your bedroom,” Co

Caitlin shook her head. “I don’t want a new bedroom.”

Hearing the child’s plaintive voice, Ellene felt rocked with compassion and set her cup on the table. She and Co

Ellene’s mind spun with actions. Not confident in her tack, she rose. “Why don’t you show me your room? Maybe you could tell me what another girl might like if she lived in this house. I bet you have good ideas.”

The child studied her a minute, and to Ellene’s amazement, she stood, eyed her dad and then headed toward the stairway. Ellene gave Co