Chapter 8 #2
He did so, explaining that he would need to leave a few things blank. “We’ve just arrived in town. Before I start work, my goal is to get us completely settled. That means finding a doctor for Lily, among other things.”
“If you’d like, I can recommend a pediatrician.”
She opened one of the desk’s drawers and pulled out a card. Handing it to him, she said, “Dr. Dickey is wonderful. My own children go to her. She’s smart as they come and gentle with her patients.”
“Thank you for the recommendation,” he said, sliding the card into his pocket. “When can Lily start at Happy Hearts?”
Smiling, Miss Debra said, “I think she already has. Would you feel comfortable leaving her with us today?”
“I really would,” he said, surprising himself. “Her backpack has extra clothes and a snack. I didn’t pack a lunch, though.”
“That’s never necessary. We provide a morning and afternoon snack, along with a healthy, nutritious lunch. Did you note any allergies on Lily’s paperwork?”
“She doesn’t have any.”
“Then I think it would be good to allow her to remain with us today.”
The woman gave Carson an orientation packet, which detailed procedures at Happy Hearts.
“Can I go and tell her goodbye?” he asked anxiously.
“Of course. Follow me.”
When they reached the Orange Room, he saw Lily was in a circle and the children were playing some kind of game.
Again, he stood in the hall while the director entered the classroom and spoke briefly to Lily.
His daughter nodded enthusiastically and then looked up at him, waving.
He waved back, and Lily turned her attention to the game again.
It was good to see joy on his daughter’s face. His anxiety melted away.
“I’ll be sending you an introductory email, along with some frequently asked questions by parents,” Miss Debra told him. “I’ll also add you to our parent text chain. We change the code to the outside door once a week. When you arrive to pick up Lily, you may use it to gain entrance into the foyer.”
She led him to a notebook sitting on the ledge in front of the receptionist’s window.
“You’ll sign Lily in and out each day when you arrive and leave.
We usually find it better if once you sign your child in, we buzz open the door and let Lily go to the Orange Room on her own.
At the end of the day when you arrive, you’ll sign her out, and the receptionist will notify Miss Andi to send Lily to the front.
It’s less disruptive that way. Her teacher will always put a brief note into Lily’s backpack about what she did today.
We also have a place on our website for parents to create an account and log in.
There are cameras in each of the rooms so that you may observe your child.
We also post, within that private page, pictures of your child each day.
I promise those will never appear on the general website.
We do everything we can to ensure your child’s privacy. ”
“I like how secure Happy Hearts is,” Carson said. “In a way, it surprises me because this is a small town. My daughter’s last preschool in Houston wasn’t nearly this security conscious.”
Miss Debra smiled sadly. “The world has changed in many ways, and we want to keep the children at Happy Hearts as joyful and innocent as we can during their time with us.”
“Then I guess I’m off,” he said, turning to the log book and officially signing Lily in for the day. “You have my cell number if anything arises.”
“We will take good care of Lily, Carson,” Miss Debra assured him.
“Thank you. This was the biggest piece of the puzzle I needed to solve in moving to Driftwood Bay. I think Lily will be very happy here.”
Carson went by the pediatrician’s office which Debra Connors had recommended.
He waited twenty minutes and then had a brief sit-down with her.
He found Dr. Dickey to be warm and nurturing, and she agreed to take on Lily as a patient, especially after he mentioned Debra Connors had recommend Lily come to this practice.
“Has Lily seen a dentist yet?” Dr. Dickey asked.
“No. I didn’t know we needed to this early. I’m Lily’s sole parent. Her mother died two years ago.”
“That must have been difficult for both of you,” Dr. Dickey said sympathetically. “Yes, it is time for Lily to see a dentist. By five, I also suggest that she see an eye doctor.”
She pulled two cards from her lap drawer and handed them to Carson. “This is who I would recommend. Full disclosure, the dentist is my husband. He’s the only pediatric-certified dentist in the Bay. The eye doctor sees patients of all ages, however.”
“Thanks for the recs, Dr. Dickey. Do you have any for me?”
She laughed. “Keeping it in the family, I could recommend my brother as your PCP.” She took one of her cards and jotted his name and address on the back of it. “There are a few dentists
in the area, but we see Dr. Melvin.” She added that name and address and then passed the card to Carson.
“I should have come to you first,” he joked. “You’re like a one-person Chamber of Commerce. Do you have a suggestion for a barber?” he asked, only half-kiddingly.
Dr. Dickey chuckled. “My cousin has a barber shop on the square. His name is Hank. He does walk-ins and appointments. That’s what you get in a small town, Carson. Everyone knows everyone and seems to be related somehow to most of the town.”
“I appreciate you taking on Lily as your patient.”
“If you would, have her previous doctor’s office forward her medical records to me.
I want to see her history and make sure she’s up-to-date on her vaccinations.
I’d also like to see her in a week once I receive this info, so I can establish a relationship with her.
You can make an appointment with my receptionist on your way out. ”
Carson rose. “Thank you again, Dr. Dickey.”
“It’s good to have you in Driftwood Bay, Carson. And by the way, my sister is Lisa Thornbach, the girls’ basketball coach at the high school.”
“She just texted me last night and said she was home from her family reunion. We set up a time to meet tomorrow. I guess you didn’t make the reunion?”
“It was her husband’s family who held the reunion out of state. You’ll like Lisa. She’s easy-going—until it comes to sports. Then she’s a killer on the court, as are her players.”
“I’ve checked her teams’ records for the last few years. She’s built a solid program. Good meeting you, Doc.”
He left the pediatrician’s office after making an appointment for Lily the next week and then called her pediatrician in Houston to have the records forwarded.
He then made stops around town, scheduling dental appointments for both of them, as well as an eye appointment and physical for himself.
Dr. Hopewell had a cancelation occur while he was filling out paperwork, so Carson stepped into the empty appointment, meeting his new PCP and finding he liked him quite a bit.
By day’s end, he felt he had accomplished a good deal and had enjoyed getting to know more residents of Driftwood Bay. He returned to Happy Hearts and claimed Lily, who was a chatterbox the entire way home, talking about Miss Andi and the Orange Room and all the new friends she had made.
“I love Happy Hearts, Daddy,” Lily said, finally winding down as they reached home. “And I get to go back tomorrow.”
“Right you are, Peanut,” he said, helping her from the car seat and going into the house.
Carson fed her grilled cheese, yogurt, and fruit for dinner, and then got his daughter into the bathtub. She played with her plastic figures from Toy Story, lining them up on the edge of the tub and then knocking them into the water, laughing as she did so.
In that moment, he knew the move to Driftwood Bay had been the right one.
For Lily—and him.
He got her into her pajamas and unpinned her hair since this hadn’t been a hair wash night.
“Let’s go wait for Miss Mila,” she told him, scurrying down the stairs.
Carson heard the doorbell ring, and his heart skipped a beat, knowing he was about to spend the next few hours with Mila Perry.