Baby lingered with her parents that week, and when it was time to leave, Katie and Chris remained in Saratoga Springs. Baby agreed to stay with Susan until the divorce had gone through. Thankfully, Josh had readily agreed to a divorce from her, but when she informed him that she planned to retain full custody of Kathleen and Christopher, he had lost all sense.
"Okay, Katie and Chris are officially attending school at Byrd T. Elementary this year," Baby breathed with a sigh of relief. Susan leaned over, and stuck the gummy pink eraser of a pencil down on the paper, smacking her chewing gum continuously. Her straight red hair was pulled up high on her head, and her light blue, sleeveless halter top fit snugly as she leaned over the mosaic tiled countertop and studied the papers that Baby had thrown down.
"Yep," she replied, blowing a large bubble and popping it with her teeth. "Now, I guess, all you have to do is take that up to the school this weekend, before school starts next week." Baby just nodded as she pulled her curly blonde hair high up on her head with her hands and exhaled loudly. The late August heat was stifling for this far north, outside of Albany, New York. Baby watched the heat drift in squirming clouds past the red stucco wall outside.
Rolling her neck around, she tied her baggy shirt around her tiny waist and walked over to the porch where Susan had laid down to sunbathe. She leaned up against the railing and spoke, all the while chipping rusted black paint from the railing. The hot black bar dug into her bare stomach as she leaned against it, staring at nothing.
The radio blared from inside the house, the tones of Denise LaSalle's Trapped by a Thing Called Love floating on the airless afternoon waves.
"Don't you ever get tired of lying here?"
"Nope."
"So, do you want to come with me to good old Saratoga Springs this weekend?"
"Nope."
"Alright, suit yourself."
Baby picked herself up and walked back to her bedroom of one month to pack a small weekend bag, along with a few gifts for Katie and Chris.
"Hey," Susan yelled back to Baby. "Have some fun while you're there, for me, kay?" Baby smirked to herself as she walked off, shaking her head.
"Can I help you?" Two beady eyes stared up at Baby through thick glasses. This would have been comical had it not been reality. The old woman smacked her gums as she peered up at Baby, head cocked, looking as if she couldn't wait for her retirement benefits to kick in. Baby heard the door open behind her, but didn't care to glance behind.
"Um, yes, I'm here to see Principal Whitson, about the transfer of Kathleen Houseman and Christopher Houseman." The wrinkled old face just blinked at her. Suddenly, it jerked sharply to the left, almost spasm like, and then continued to stare at her blankly. A soft touch on Baby's shoulder surprised her; she came close to jumping out of her skin.
She turned, and felt her jaw unhinge slightly at what stood behind her. Bright blue eyes, a sharp nose and jaw line, framed by striking shaggy blonde hair completed the look of a California surfer boy, who seemed strikingly out of place in a grey suit and baby blue tie in Saratoga, New York. His crisp, starched white shirt stood out against his neck and hands, which were graced with a swarthy tan. Baby thought her legs would drop from under her when he spoke; his voice was deep and low and seemed to flow over her like honey.
"I'm Principal Whitson, and you must be Ms. Houseman." He smiled. Baby just nodded. "Please, come into my office and we can talk business." Baby nodded again, and allowed him to take her arm and lead her to the office.
"So, Ms. Houseman—" Baby regained her voice.
"Please, call me Frances." Principal Whitson smiled.
"Well, in that case, it would be my pleasure to call you Frances, as long as you would do me the honor of calling me James." Baby's smile grew on her face.
"Certainly."
A half hour later, Baby and Principal Whitson had finished filtering through papers and Katie and Chris were ready to begin first grade at Byrd Elementary. Baby glanced down at her purse, then at the clock, then at her watch. For some reason, she was not in any hurry to leave. In fact, every intuition told her to stay right where she was. Finally, James looked up from the paper work and smiled.
"Done." Baby noted the way his smile brought up the corners of his eyes, and the laugh lines appeared. She enjoyed watching the way he smiled with his whole being. James shuffled the papers on his desk, knocked them once or twice to place them together, and slid them into a file cabinet on the wall. Walking back over to the desk, he faced Baby, his face open and honest.
"Frances, do you mind me asking a personal question?" Baby shook her head. "I noticed earlier that you weren't wearing a wedding ring. Are you, by any chance—"
"I'm in the middle of a divorce," Baby replied quickly, shame lighting her face as she stared down at the brown carpet.
"Oh," James whispered. "Well, then, I guess it would be inappropriate for me to ask you to discuss business matters over coffee tomorrow afternoon then?" Baby looked up in surprise as a small twitch in James' eye warmed her heart.
"As long as it's only business," she whispered, a coy smile playing upon her lips.
"Well then, say, tomorrow afternoon, 2:30, at Headway Cafe, on 34th street?"
"I'll be there."