"You are going to school with me today, right, Mommy?" asked Daisy.
"Of course I am, sweetheart," Alison replied. "I said I would, didn't I?"
It was the Friday before Easter, and Daisy's second grade class was having an Easter egg hunt.
After breakfast, Alison drove her daughter to the elementary school. The second grade classes were in the hall to the left after the entrance to the school office, and Daisy's class was at the end of the hall. Alison signed in as a volunteer at the office and was given a tag to pin to her shirt.
The students from the buses were still arriving when Alison and Daisy reached the classroom. The teacher, Mrs. Grant, called the class to attention, then smiled and welcomed Alison and Daisy.
The class spent the morning reviewing spelling words and math problems. Then it was time for recess. The students played a game of softball in the front school yard to the left of the parking lot. The egg hunt would be in the back yard.
Afterwards, the class went to the restroom and washed up, then the cafeteria for lunch. Alison sat at the table with Daisy, Erica, Kendra, Ryan, and Cody.
The children chatted excitedly during their meal, and they and Alison barely had time to finish eating their food before it was time to return to the classroom. The children rested while Mrs. Grant read a book called 'Peter Cottontail's Easter Egg Hunt' to them, and then it was finally time for the egg hunt.
Luckily, the sun was shining, so it would be outside as planned. Alison helped supervise to make sure there was no pushing, fighting, or theft of eggs.
The three boys who'd bullied Ryan the first day of kindergarten left him alone now. They'd never become friends, but Ryan seemed happy enough hanging around with Daisy and her friends, and he'd also become chummy with another little boy, Cody.
When the last egg had been found, the school day was over, so Alison drove Daisy home. After dinner that evening, Daisy asked her father if he'd gone on Easter egg hunts as a child.
"We painted eggs, but we did not hunt them," Alexei told her. "We took the eggs, along with some cakes we made, to the cemetery to leave for our loved ones who had died. I remember leaving eggs for my grandfather."
Daisy wrinkled her nose. "Sounds like you must have got Easter and Halloween mixed up!"
Alexei laughed. "Maybe so, but that was how it was done in my country when I was your age."
Zoya awakened and glanced at the clock on the wall. She'd have time to feed Deirdre before church, if she hurried. She went to the nursery, where her not-quite-seven-month-old daughter lay awake in the crib, playing with her hands and babbling to herself.
"Good morning, Dee."
"Ba ba," said Dee.
Zoya changed her diaper, then sat in the rocking chair and shifted her clothing to expose a nipple. Her daughter latched on and suckled greedily, and Zoya felt the relief as the aching in her breast subsided.
Fifteen minutes later, a fully dressed Gabe stuck his head into the room.
"Better hurry," he said. "You know what day it is."
Zoya nodded, feeling her stomach tighten in knots. What if she made a complete fool of herself?
Deirdre finished nursing and gurgled happily. Zoya dressed her in a lacy white dress with a matching bonnet and white socks with little black patent leather shoes. Then she quickly dressed herself and joined Gabe in the car.
They arrived at the church a little early. As mass started a few minutes later, Zoya recalled the last night of 1999, which she'd spent with Gabe until the early morning hours. They'd both had too much to drink. She remembered his eyes shining with lust. It'll be all right if I leave it off just this once. Nothing will happen.
After the service, she and the other three confirmants were called up to stand before Father Mahony. As she walked to the front, she glanced back at Gabe, who was holding Deirdre and staring straight ahead with a solemn face. Well, at least he married me.
Father Mahony welcomed them and made a brief speech, then asked them a series of questions.
"Do you reject Satan and all his works?"
"I do." Zoya spoke the words along with the others.
"Do you believe in God the Father, the creator of heaven and earth?"
"I do."
Father Mahony held his hands over the confirmants and prayed over them. The deacon brought the anointing oil, and Father Mahony dipped his right thumb in it and made the sign of the cross on the forehead of each confirmant. Zoya felt a deep peace settle over her as the priest's thumb touched her skin.
Afterwards, she and the others joined the rest of the congregation. Gabe gave his wife a quick hug.
"Mama's really a Catholic now, Dee!" he told his daughter, who reached for her mother.
Zoya was happy to see her father and stepmother had come.
"Congratulations, dear," Elspeth said as she hugged her stepdaughter.
"Na na," said Deirdre.
"Papa is here as well," chuckled Yuri.
Most of Gabe's family members were there. His father, Joseph, and his mother, Patricia, smiled and shook her hand and said a few words. Zoya was sure their smiles were forced. His oldest brother, Joe, smiled and greeted her warmly. Zoya had met him a couple of times before and liked him a lot. Deedee, who was always sweet and kind, embraced her. Michael, Siobhan, Eileen, Bridget, Rory, and Finbar, along with their spouses, smiled and shook her hand as well.
Zoya's heart was light as she left the church along with her husband. Maybe they will finally accept me now, she said to herself.