Chapter 7 #3
Harri had been working on sight words for the past three months.
It was going well for the two of them, Anna would quiz her at any time during the time they were together and Harri seemed to know them fairly well.
She was glad that she’d gotten her some sight words that she could put around the house on things like chairs and table and other things like that.
She could see the word and what it meant easier that way.
Anna wanted her daughter to do well when she finally got into first grade.
Preschool was going to help her out in that, too.
“I’ve been thinking that Mr. Dresden isn’t going to have the right kind of snacks for me when I go to his house.
Can I take some with me so that he knows what to buy?
” She told Harri that she’d make sure to give him a list, and since he was doing them a favor by picking her up, she’d pay him to buy the snacks.
“That’s a good idea, Mommy. You’re so smart. ”
“Thank you. But you keep me on my toes, so I have to be smart. What did you want to wear tomorrow to school? It’s art day tomorrow, so it needs to be something that can get stained up.
” She picked out her shirt and shorts, and Anna cleaned up her shoes.
After she went to bed, Anna would lay her clothing out for her so that all she had to do was pull them on and be out the door after breakfast. “Don’t forget to tell Zeno thank you for picking you up for us. ”
“I think he’s going to like it.” She did too and hoped that her daughter would be good for him. “He said that we wouldn’t get into any trouble either. I told him Mommy would spank us both if we got into trouble at his house.”
“Yes, I would.” After getting dinner on the stove and things set up for tomorrow, Anna set the table for the three of them and didn’t even think that Zeno wouldn’t be there for dinner.
He’d been showing up nightly for the last week and a half, and she didn’t even think about it not happening tonight.
She wondered if that was a good idea to be used to him showing up all the time.
Then she thought that they were trying to get to know one another, and it had to be a good thing.
When he showed up at six on the nose, they were ready to sit down to dinner and eat together.
She told him about her day when he told her about his. Just like they were a real family.
After dinner, and when they were cleaning up, Harri mentioned snacks for after school.
He had an idea what she was talking about, but it wasn’t until she got into the pantry to show him what they looked like did he get it.
He knew that he was going to have to tell his parents, too in the event that they had her for the afternoon.
Taking pictures of the things with his phone, he sent them to his mom and dad, and Mom said she’d get some.
He told her not to get a great deal, as they might not have her all that often.
Mom called him, and he put it on speaker phone so that Anna and Harri could hear the conversation.
“She could come over for an evening once in a while. She’ll need to get to know us as well.
” He didn’t think of that and told his mom that she was brilliant.
“Of course I am. I’m your mother after all.
We’ll just get some of the things that she’ll have around, and you’ll know that they’re here as well. That way, we can be prepared.”
“I’m going to be picking her up starting Wednesday, and if she’s up for it we’ll come by.
I’ll have to get a car seat that we can all use.
” Mom said she’d get one too, and that way they’d have it ready for when she came over.
“Don’t go to too much expense right away.
We’re still working things out between us.
It’s working out, but I’m making sure to take things slowly. ”
“Mrs. Dresden, I can buy you a car seat for her if you want one. I offered to Zeno, but he said he’d buy one for his car anyway.
I don’t want to put you out just because I have a little girl that makes things different.
” Mom told Anna that she was excited to get to know Harri and hoped that she’d spend some time with them.
“I’d like that too, but I’m easing her into things like this.
Too much will give her a meltdown. You might think that I’m being overly protective, but it’s just been the two of us since she was born and neither one of us take well to change.
We’ll get used to it, but I’m all for easing us both into things. If that’s all right with you.”
“Of course it is. You do what you need, and we’ll follow your lead on things.
You’re right in easing us all into this.
We have to get used to having little ones around us, too.
It’s been since Darius was born that we’ve had anyone little in the house.
” His mom seemed excited for Harri to come over sometimes.
“Franklin just had a lovely thought. Why don’t you come to the family dinner on Saturday.
You’re family now, and you should get to know all my boys while you’re around.
I know that they’ll just love Harri and you to pieces. ”
“If we won’t put you out, that would be great.
” Mom was excited; he could hear it in her voice when she told her to come over at five on Saturday for dinner.
“Can I bring anything to go with the meal? I can bring juices for Harri. She’ll eat most anything and will try things that she’s never had before.
If that doesn’t work out, she’ll eat a peanut butter sandwich for dinner and be just as happy. ”
“I’ll see what we can do for her. I’m sure that the cook and I can come up with something that she’ll eat.
And we always have pie for dessert. Tell me she loves pie.
” Anna said that she loved all kinds of pies and would love that for dessert.
“Good. We’ll have pie for her if nothing else.
She and I will get along just perfectly. I hope so anyway.”
After talking to his mom a bit more, he watched Anna read to Harri.
He usually did it when he was around, but since he’d been on the phone with his mom, he’d missed the opportunity.
He left soon after the story was read, and Harri was put to bed.
He could have stayed longer, but he knew that with Anna driving to her old route until the other man was ready to be left on his own, she was having to get up earlier to leave.
He wondered how that was going over with her messing with her own schedule.
Going home, he realized that he was bored with just sitting around the house.
Since he was going to be looking at houses tomorrow afternoon, he needed to get himself ready for work a little earlier, too.
As soon as he put his uniform shirt in the washer, he found some other things that he needed to wash and had a whole load.
That was unusual for him, as he rarely did his own laundry when there was someone around to do it.
He was spoiled, he realized and decided to start doing things for himself once in a while, so that he could know how to wash things at Anna’s home if she needed him to.
After running a dust cloth over his furniture, he was ready to toss his things in the dryer and then ran the vacuum.
By the time ten o’clock rolled around, he was about as exhausted as he was when he worked a whole week.
No wonder Anna liked to do things in portions over a week’s time.
He knew that he couldn’t clean his whole house in one day again without having a nap at some point.
Laughing at himself, he was in bed by the time his clothes were out of the dryer and folded.