Jubilee's Journey (Wyattsville #2)(84)

Having Ethan Allen has brought me a great deal of joy, more than I ever dreamed possible. But having Ethan didn’t mean I had to move away from my friends. If you don’t think friends are important, just try doing without them. If it wasn’t for Clara and the others, I’d still be walking around this apartment like a dead person.





There’s a spot in my heart that wants to tell Anita, These kids belong to you, go ahead and take them. That would be an easy out. It’s an answer that satisfies my selfish soul but puts those two sweet children in a place that a blind man could see wouldn’t be good for them. I watched the way Anita looked at Jubilee, and it wasn’t something you’d expect from a loving aunt. If she feels that way about Jubilee, I can’t imagine how she’d react to having Paul as well. When I come face to face with the reality of measuring my own happiness up against their well-being, it’s a pitiful comparison.





I know the responsibility I’m taking on, but I’ve still got a good chunk of Charlie’s insurance money and if I’m prudent about spending, we’ll be okay. At least I think we’ll be okay. As for the part about leaving my friends, I’m not ready to think about that right now. I’ll do what I’ve got to do, and once it’s done then I can think about wallowing in my own sorrow.





Future Plans



The next morning as Olivia and the three children sat at the breakfast table, she told them of her plan.

“I’m pretty sure your Aunt Anita will agree to having you live with me,” she explained. “So once I get her okay, I’ll start looking for a larger place.”

“That’s real generous, Missus Doyle,” Paul said, “but I wasn’t really counting on living with Aunt Anita. I figure—”

Jubilee interrupted with a giggle. “You’re supposed to call her Grandma!”

Paul began again. “Okay, Missus Grandma—”

“Just Grandma,” Olivia cut in. “No missus.”

“Okay, Grandma. What I was trying to tell you is that I can care for Jubilee on my own. I’ll be getting a job and—”

“A full-time job?” Olivia exclaimed. “What about school?”

“I don’t figure on going back to school.”

“If he ain’t going,” Ethan Allen said, “I ain’t going either.”

Olivia grimaced. “There’s to be no more talk about not attending school. It is not a matter for discussion, and that’s that!” She turned to Paul and asked, “Have you already graduated high school?”

He shook his head sheepishly. “I fell behind and missed a few years.”

“Then there’s no question about it,” Olivia declared. “You’ve got to go back to school, because without an education—”

“I appreciate your kindness, but I’ve got responsibilities.”

She looked at the newcomer; he had the stature of a man but the face of a boy. At a time when lads his age were swinging at a baseball and chasing after pretty girls, Paul was stepping up to the plate ready to be both mother and father to Jubilee. It was unfair. It was something that should never be asked of a child. “Ah, yes, responsibilities,” Olivia murmured.

“I made a promise to Mama and Daddy—”

Olivia cut in. “I made a promise too. I promised Charlie I’d care for Ethan Allen.”

Paul nodded. “Then you can understand why I’ve gotta do this.”

Olivia said nothing for a few moments; she waited to let thoughts settle in and sprout new ideas. Finally she spoke. “I think there’s a way we can both fulfill our responsibilities if you’re willing to listen.”

Paul looked across and gave a slight nod.

“My taking care of Ethan Allen and your taking care of your sister means making sure they’re happy, right?”

Paul nodded again.

“Well, as you can see, they’re pretty happy being together, so I’m thinking that if you’re willing to stay, they could both keep right on being happy. And I’d be happy to have you to help out with some chores Ethan Allen’s not capable of doing.”

Olivia knew there was nothing Ethan was incapable of doing, but she had to find a way of making Paul feel necessary. The boy had his daddy’s pride, and it was something that stood in the way of anything that remotely resembled charity.

Paul furrowed his brow. “I’m not so sure—”

Before he could give voice to an objection, Olivia suggested they give it a try and see how things worked out.

After a fair bit of back and forth, Paul finally agreed. “Just for a while,” he said and suggested Olivia might want to remain in her apartment since he was none too sure they’d be there on a permanent basis.

“I’m fine with sleeping on the sofa,” he added.

“We’re going to be here for a few weeks anyway,” Olivia explained, knowing she’d need time to find a place. Then there’d be all that packing and moving. She could already imagine the farewell parties and the unabashed tears that would flow. Not from Jim Turner maybe, but certainly by many of the other residents and Olivia herself.

After breakfast she handed Paul a five-dollar bill and asked if he would take the kids to the park and get lunch at the coffee shop on Williams Street. “I’ve a lot to do,” she said, “and it would be a big help if the kids were out of my hair.”