The Gift

“Sit down, young lady. You're not supposed to be wandering around. You heard what the doctor said. Bed, or at least a chair. Tommy, push your friend into a chair, please. And no, you may not take her out skating again tomorrow' They both grinned at her like naughty children, and she handed them each a freshly baked chocolate cookie. She liked having young people in the house again. She was happy Tommy had brought her home to them. It was fun having a young girl around. It reminded her that she would never see Annie grown up, and yet she enjoyed being with Maribeth, and so did John. He was happy to find them all in the kitchen when he got home from some unexpected Saturday afternoon work at the office.

“What's going on here? A meeting?” he teased them, pleased to encounter the festive atmosphere in his long-silent kitchen.

“A scolding. Tommy tried to kill Maribeth today, he took her skating.”

“Oh for heaven's sake …why not football?” He looked at him, reminded again of how young they both were. But she seemed to have survived it.

“We thought we'd try football tomorrow, Dad. After hockey.”

“Excellent plan.” He grinned at both of them, happy that nothing had gone wrong. And after dinner that night, they all played charades and then Scrabble. Maribeth got two seven-letter words, and Liz brought her up to date on the school's position about her assignments. They were willing to give her credit and equivalency, and if she was willing to let Liz give her four exams by the end of the year, they were not only willing to acknowledge completion of her junior year, but roughly half her senior year as well. The work she'd turned in had been first-rate, and if she did well in her exams, she would only have one semester to complete before graduation.

“You did it, kiddo,” she congratulated her, proud of her, just as she would have been of one of her students.

“No, I didn't,” Maribeth beamed, “you did.” And then she let out a happy little squeal and reminded Tommy that she was now a senior.

“Don't let it go to your head. You know, my mom could still flunk you if she wanted. She might too, she's really tough on seniors.” They were all in high spirits, even the baby that night. It had gotten its energy back with a vengeance and was kicking Maribeth visibly every five minutes.

“It's mad at you,” Tommy said later, as he sat on her bed next to her, and felt the baby kicking. “I guess it should be. That was really dumb of me …I'm sorry …”

“Don't be, I loved it,” Maribeth grinned. She was still elated about the good news of her senior status.

“That means a lot to you, doesn't it? School, I mean,” he said, as he watched her face while they talked about school, and not having to go back as a junior.

“I just want to go back, and move on as soon as I can. Even six months will seem like forever.”

“Will you come visit?” he asked sadly. He hated thinking about when she'd be gone.

“Sure,” she said, but she didn't sound convincing. “I'll try. You can visit me too.” But they both suspected that her father wouldn't be giving him the warm welcome she was enjoying from his parents. Just as Tommy had, they were falling in love with her. They could see easily why Tommy loved her. “Maybe I could visit next summer, before I go to Chicago.”

“Why Chicago?” he complained, no longer satisfied with just a summer. “Why not go to college here?”

“I'll apply,” she conceded, “we'll see if I get accepted.”

“With your grades, they'll beg you.”

“Not exactly,” she grinned, and he kissed her, and they both forgot about grades and school and college and even the baby, although it kicked him soundly as he held her.

“I love you, Maribeth,” he reminded her, “both of you. Don't ever forget that.” She nodded then, and he held her for a long time, as they sat side by side on his sister's narrow bed, talking quietly about all the things that mattered to them. His parents were already in bed, and they knew he was there. But they trusted them. And eventually, when Maribeth started to yawn, Tommy smiled at her, and then went back to his own room, wondering about their future.

Chapter Eight

Liz invited Maribeth to share Thanksgiving with them, late one afternoon when she was working on a history paper with her. It was an important assignment Liz had designed for her in order to get her senior credit. Maribeth was doing hours of work every night, after she finished work, and sometimes she stayed up until two or three in the morning. But she had a sense of urgency about it all now. She wanted to get all the credits she could before she went back to school. And the work Liz was giving her was going to be her ticket to freedom. She had every in [TEXT UNREADABLE], and then try [TEXT UNREADABLE]. Her father wouldn't like it of course, which was why she wanted to go to Chicago.