Chapter 44
Sandra reviewed Manuel Garcia's contract one final time before sliding it across her desk toward him.
The afternoon light streaming through her office window caught the worry lines etched around his weathered eyes, and she felt her heart clench with sympathy for the hardworking electrician who'd become caught in someone else's criminal scheme.
"Mr. Garcia, I want to assure you again that your business practices are completely ethical," she said, her voice firm with conviction.
"The excessive costs appearing on Mrs. Patterson's contract aren't your responsibility. Blackwood Luxury Custom Homes is inflating your legitimate bid by a large margin, which they can do, but if there is a concern, it is between the home buyer and the builder. In this case, that’s Mr. Blackwood. "
Manuel's calloused hands gripped the contract as he nodded slowly. "But what happens now, Ms. O'Neill? If Mrs. Patterson complains to Blackwood about me overcharging, will they stop using Garcia Electrical?"
"I've spoken with Mrs. Patterson and explained that you're not responsible for the inflated costs," Sandra said carefully. "I have documentation proving your bid. If she approaches Blackwood about the discrepancy, the evidence will support your integrity."
Manuel gathered his papers with careful movements, the respect in his voice unmistakable. "I appreciate everything you've done, Ms. O'Neill. My family and I are grateful."
After he left, Sandra sat staring at the closed door, her mind churning with frustration.
She'd uncovered systematic fraud, but proving it and protecting innocent contractors like Manuel from the fallout were entirely different challenges. She’d turned the evidence over to Terry and Colt, and it was up to law enforcement to decide how to handle the situation.
Her phone rang, jerking her from the dark thoughts. The caller ID listed Baytown Middle School. Surprised, she answered. “Hello?”
“Sandra?”
“Emma? Is everything okay?" Sandra straightened in her chair, immediately alert.
“I’m calling from the nurse’s office.”
Emma’s voice was so soft that Sandra strained to hear what she was saying.
"Sandra, I hate to ask, but I need a favor. I... um... started my period, and I’m cramping pretty bad. I don’t want to ride the bus home because I bled through my pants a little. The nurse says it doesn't show much, but I don’t want to get on the bus.”
“Oh, honey, of course I’ll help. Have you talked to your dad?”
“No… I… was hoping you could just pick me up.”
“Sweetie, let me call your dad, and then I’ll come to you. Stay in the nurse’s office, okay?”
“Okay. Thanks.”
She called Terry, glad he answered immediately.
“Sandra? Are you okay?” he rushed.
Hating that he thought she might have another emergency, she hurried to reply. She relayed Emma’s situation, then said, “I wanted to get your permission to pick her up. And since it’s the end of the school day, I can just pick up Toby as well. I’ll take them to your house.”
“Fuck, babe, I would go get her, but I’m stuck in a meeting—”
"Terry, it's completely fine," she said gently. “She called me because I think she wasn’t quite ready to have this conversation with you.”
He sighed heavily. “I get that. This is when I wish her mom were closer," Terry said, his voice heavy with frustration. "I hate putting this on you, Sandra. I don't want you to feel like we’re using you."
"Using me?" The word came out sharper than she'd intended. "What does that mean?"
"I just feel like ever since we've been together, I've had to rely on you for things with the kids. The conference weekend, today with Emma, all the times you've stepped in when I couldn't be there."
Sandra felt irritation spike in her chest. "There's nothing wrong with that, Terry. I've always volunteered to help."
"I know, but I don't want to take advantage of you."
"Where is this coming from? We both said we want this relationship to continue, and it hasn't escaped my notice that you're a single dad. If I didn't want to be involved with your kids, I wouldn't be dating you in the first place."
Terry was quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, more vulnerable. "I just look at you and how different you are from their mom, and I feel guilty."
"Instead of feeling guilty, why don't you try feeling happy?" Sandra's voice gentled despite her frustration. "Because that's what I feel when I'm with all of you."
"Damn, I've pissed you off," Terry said with a heavy sigh.
"You think?" Sandra replied with a chuckle, but her tone had lost its sharp edge.
They both sighed, the sound carrying across the connection like a shared acknowledgment of the stress they were both under.
"Look, Terry, I don't know where this anxiety of yours is coming from," Sandra said, forcing her voice to remain calm.
"If I were in the middle of something and couldn't pick up the kids, I'd say so.
And if you couldn't do it either, we'd find a friend who could. I know Emma hates riding the bus if she’s embarrassed, so I can step in and pick her up. It's all good."
"Thank you, babe. Everything's coming to a head with the Blackwood case, but I can't make the final pieces fit. We finally decided to call Harry in for questioning, and I need to be here for that."
"And that's where you’ll be," Sandra said, her anger dissolving into understanding. "You take care of your business. I'll get the kids home, pick up takeout on the way, and talk to Emma before going back to work."
"Thank you. I love you, you know."
"Good thing you do," Sandra replied with a smile in her voice. "I love you, too. Just make sure I'm on the pickup list for both kids."
“By the way, Sandra? You once called me a real-life hero…”
“I remember.”
“Well, heroes come in all shapes and sizes. To me… to my kids… you are a real-life hero to us, as well.”
Her voice caught, and she blinked several times to wipe away the moisture gathering.
After goodbyes and hanging up, Sandra grabbed her purse and walked to Portia's desk.
"I'm leaving to pick up Emma and Toby from school, then I'll get the kids dinner and take them to Terry's.
After that, I'll come back and work a couple more hours. "
Portia looked up with concern. "You don't need to come back tonight. Work from home if you want."
"Actually, that sounds perfect," Sandra said, already feeling the appeal of comfortable clothes and a glass of wine. She returned to her office to pack files and her laptop into her oversized bag.
She pushed through the Legal Aid office doors into the late afternoon sunlight, her mind already shifting to Emma's needs and how to make the girl feel better about her first period experience.
The parking lot felt different, too quiet and too exposed, and Sandra found herself scanning the area as she hurried toward her rental car.
As she pulled into the school visitor parking space, her phone rang as she turned off the engine. Patricia's name appeared on the screen.
"Hi, Patricia," Sandra answered, surprised by the unexpected call.
"Sandra, Terry told me what happened with Emma and that you're picking her up." Patricia's voice carried unusual hesitation. "I wanted to call and... well, I'm not sure what I wanted to say, actually."
Sandra could hear genuine concern mixed with uncertainty in Patricia's tone. "She's going to be fine. It's just her first period, and she's embarrassed because she had some spotting on her clothes."
"That's what Terry said." Patricia was quiet for a moment. "Should I call and talk to her? Or would you prefer I wait and have Emma call me when she gets home?"
The question hung between them, and Sandra could sense Patricia struggling with something deeper than logistics. "What would you prefer?" Sandra asked gently.
Another pause, longer this time, before Patricia's voice came back smaller, more vulnerable than Sandra had ever heard it.
"Honestly? I have no idea what to say to her about this.
I know that makes me sound terrible, but I've never been good at emotional, nurturing conversations.
Would you mind talking to Emma about it? "
Sandra felt her heart clench with sympathy for both Patricia and Emma. "Of course. I'd be happy to talk with her."
"I'd prefer for you to handle it," Patricia said, her voice carrying relief and something that might have been gratitude. "You're better at this kind of thing than I am. Emma needs someone who can make her feel normal and supported, not awkward and clinical."
"Patricia, I’ve said this before… you're not a terrible mother," Sandra said softly. "We all have different strengths. Emma knows you love her."
"Thank you," Patricia said quietly. "For saying that, and for being there for her when I can't be. I mean that."
After they hung up, Sandra sat in the car for a moment, feeling a strange mix of sadness and gratitude.
Patricia's honesty about her limitations was both heartbreaking and refreshing, but it also highlighted how much Emma and Toby needed the kind of everyday emotional support Terry had always given them.
Sandra walked through the front doors into the familiar chaos of a school office near dismissal time. Her attention immediately zeroed in on Emma sitting in one of the plastic chairs near the nurses' station.
The girl's eyes were slightly red-rimmed, and when she looked up to see Sandra, her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment. Sandra recognized the expression of universal mortification in a young girl who felt everyone in the entire school knew about her personal business.
Sandra approached with a gentle smile, keeping her voice low and matter-of-fact. "Ready to go home?"
Emma nodded quickly, clearly wanting to escape before anyone else noticed her sitting there.
Sandra signed her out at the front desk while Emma gathered her backpack, both moving with the efficient silence of people trying to avoid unwanted attention.
“We’ll wait in the car for Toby to get out since there’s only about ten minutes until the bell rings. ”
They walked to the small sedan without speaking, but once outside, Sandra gently placed her arm around Emma's shoulders. The girl immediately leaned into her, some of the tension leaving her rigid posture.
"You okay?" Sandra asked softly as they settled into the car.
Emma's voice was small when she replied. "It's so embarrassing. I felt crampy during math class, and I was afraid to get up because what if everyone saw? Then I had to ask to go to the nurse, and Mrs. Henderson gave me this look like she knew exactly what was wrong."
Sandra started the car but didn't put it in drive yet, sensing Emma needed a moment to talk. "You know that getting your period is completely natural, and there's absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about."
"Yeah, but it doesn't feel natural. It feels awful and messy and like my body is betraying me."
Sandra turned to face Emma fully, her voice warm with understanding. "I know it feels that way right now, but here's the thing… society has taught us to be ashamed of something that's actually pretty amazing. Your body is showing you that it's healthy and working exactly like it's supposed to."
Emma's expression remained skeptical, so Sandra continued.
"But you're also right that it can be painful and inconvenient.
And society makes it worse by treating periods like they're something to be laughed at or mocked.
People make jokes about women being moody or act disgusted if someone bleeds through a pad.
It's all pretty misogynistic when you think about it. "
"Misogynistic?" Emma asked, perking up slightly at the word.
"It means prejudiced against women. Like when people say women can't be leaders because they might make emotional decisions during their periods, or when they treat natural bodily functions like dirty secrets.
" Sandra shrugged. "The reality is that getting your period means your body is healthy and functioning normally even though it can be kind of sucky sometimes. "
Emma giggled at Sandra's casual use of "sucky," and some of the tension finally left her face. "The nurse gave me supplies. Mom had already talked to me about it a few years ago, so I knew what to expect. But she's never around when I actually need her."
The last words came out with a trace of irritation that made Sandra's heart ache.
"Growing up is messy and complicated and sometimes uncomfortable," Sandra said. "But it's also pretty wonderful. You're becoming the person you're meant to be, and that includes all the awkward parts."
"Thanks for coming to get me," Emma said quietly. "I really didn't want to ride the bus home feeling like this. And I didn’t want to call dad.”
"Of course. It's my pleasure, sweetheart. And you should know that your dad would have come," Sandra said, forcing herself to focus on Emma.
"That’s fine. He’s not bad when it comes to girl stuff," Emma said, wrinkling her nose. “But it’s still kind of awkward."
"He loves you enough to be whatever you need him to be."
They pulled up to the elementary school just as the final bell rang, and Sandra climbed out to watch a stream of children pour out of the building like water from a broken dam. Toby spotted her immediately and broke into a run, his backpack bouncing against his shoulders.
"Sandra!" he shouted as he yanked open the door and threw himself into the back seat. "Did you get a new car? This is different! I don't have to ride the bus! Wait, is this car smaller than yours?"
"My car's still in the shop getting new tires," Sandra said, keeping the explanation simple. "Your dad said I could pick you guys up and get burgers and fries for dinner."
"Yes!" Toby pumped his fist in celebration. "This day just keeps getting better and better!"
Sandra grinned, thinking the same thing. As they pulled away from the elementary school, Emma chatted quietly about her day while Toby bounced in the back seat with excitement about dinner plans. She had to admit… burgers and fries sounded perfect.