About a month later, the school year was over - But Beth still came to spend all day at daycare along with Maggie. It was close to 5pm and knew Hershel would be picking up soon. She glanced again later and it was close to 5:30, and he was running late -which was never like him. She went and answered her landline phone go off and she answered. "Hello?"
"Hello Ms Kelley." Hershel said softly. "I'm so sorry, I've been in surgery all afternoon. I hate to ask - but could you take my girls home?" He sighed. " I wont be done here until 8 PM...I don't usually do this."
"I understand." Meredith smiled slightly, she nodded. "I'll do it, I'll give you my address." She sat down and rattled it off to him. "It's okay. I promise." She smiled. "Yes, I'm sure."
"Thank you So much - Ms Kelley. I really owe you one." Hershel smiled softly. He got off the phone and went back to work.
Meredith smiled slightly looking at the girls. "Well… Your dad called and he's in surgery. But, he gave me permission to take you both to my house, and we can spend some time there. How does that sound?"
"Better than being here." Maggie sighed grabbing her bag.
Beth was ecstatic. "I go to Ms Kelley's house!" She jumped up and down.
Meredith laughed and smiled. "Lets go girls." She said locking up the place, and taking them to her car. She took them to her place and helped them into her home and got them to play some board games while she worked on dinner. She cooked some fillet steaks she had in the freezer and never planned on cooking. She didn't know why she bought such a big pack at the time. She was glad she did now. She also made loaded brussel sprouts and baked potatoes.
"Can we have pudding?" Beth giggled snooping through her cupboards.
"Of course." Meredith smiled slightly. "Get it out, You and Maggie can make it." She said getting a bowl, whisk and some milk out.
Beth smiled and helped her sister make it. She got out gummy worms and oreos to let them decorate the pudding and make dirt. The girls laughed and had fun making it. Meredith had them clean up and wash up to get ready to eat. She walked over hearing the phone go off.
"Ms Kelley?" Hershel said slightly exhausted.
"Yes." She smiled softly. She glanced at the clock seeing it was only 6:30
"I'll be there in 10 minutes."
"Alright. Come on in when you get here. Maggie will be watching the door. Girls were hungry and dinner just got done."
"Oh..well. Alright." Hershel smiled slightly. "I'll be there soon. Are the girls behaving?"
"Always." Meredith smiled to herself. "They have had fun tonight."
Hershel chuckled slightly. " I guess Beth finally got her way."
"Yes she did." Meredith laughed softly. "See you soon."
Hershel smiled and thanked her again, then hung up and changed into his regular clothes, and drove to her house. He got there, he saw Maggie standing in the screen door smiling. He hadn't seen her smile in so long - it warmed his heart. She was crushed after Annette died.
"Come on Dad. Food is done." Maggie smiled hugging him.
Hershel was taken aback slightly, he smiled and hugged her. "I'm coming." He ruffled her hair and walked inside with her. He looked around Meredith's place as he walked in.
Meredith smiled. "Well hello."
Beth giggled and ran to him. "Hi daddy! We made pudding!"
"You did huh?" Hershel smiled and laughed. "Chocolate or vanilla?"
"Chocolate!" Beth smiled hugging him tightly. She wiggled free and got down running to the kitchen.
Hershel smiled. "Thank you Meredith. You didn't have to feed them."
"Nonsense." Meredith smiled. "You're joining us also. I made more than enough." She said walking to the dining room. "Come on in." She was still in her outfit she wore all day - a yellow button down shirt, with a black skirt that went down past her knees, but her hair was down with a bronze rose hair comb on the side to keep her hair from her eyes. She had on yellow heels.
Maggie smiled watching Meredith. She had asked Meredith to do her hair, and it was done in a french braid. She usually always kept her hair down and uncombed no matter how much her dad fought her to comb it. Beth's hair was up in a big bow braid on top of her head.
"Ms. Kelley did my hair daddie." Beth said proud. "Sissy too."
"How on earth did you girls let her do that? You kick and scream with me." Hershel said pretending to he hurt. He was glad they actually let her do their hair.
Beth giggled, "She sings, she does it." She said before taking a drink of her water.
Maggie smiled slightly. "Just wanted something different."
"Well you both look beautiful." Hershel smiled taking a seat after Meredith did.
Maggie didn't say anything she just looked down. Beth smiled and started reaching for her food then stopped. "We gotta pray." She said looking at her daddy, then at Ms Kelley. "Can we pray?"
"Of course, I always pray." Meredith smiled softly. "What one shall we do?"
Beth tapped her finger on her face for a second and smiled. "Not school one." She only liked the Johnny appleseed prayer at school.
Meredith smiled slightly. "Alright, would you like to add anything before I say amen?"
Beth nodded and smiled. "Maggie too." Maggie gave her a look and nodded.
"Alright." Meredith smiled softly. Beth was sitting next to Maggie, and held her hand plus Ms Kelleys hand, and Maggie grabbed her dad's hand and Ms Kelley's. They closed their eyes and bowed their heads. "Lord, we thank You for the food before us, the friends beside us, the love between us; And Your Presence among us…" She paused.
Beth smiled big with her eyes closed. "Thank you for making daddie working late, and us being with Ms Kelley, so we can eat her yummy foods.." She tapped her foot. Maggie smiled hearing her and spoke softly. "Thank you for Ms Kelley and my daddy and sister."
Hershel cleared his throat a bit and spoke. "Thank you Lord for this time together, and for us to get to know each other.. Thank you for allowing Ms Kelley to not be busy to take care of the girls and to take good care of 'em. Thank you for sending her to our little town."
Beth giggled hearing her dad, and Maggie tried shushing her.
Meredith smiled softly: "In Jesus name. Amen."
"Amen." They agreed and smiled.
Maggie and Beth let go, and Hershel and Meredith let go also.
They started passing out food and beginning to eat.
"Would you like wine, beer, water, soda, or coffee Mr Greene?" Ms Kelley asked pouring Maggie another glass of water.
"Water is fine." Hershel let out a chuckle listening to her rattle off her list of beverages. He smiled taking the pitchur from Meredith, filling up his glass. He then poured some more water for Beth.
"So, what did you girls do today?" Hershel asked helping Beth cut up her steak.
"I got all my homework done, with Ms Kelley." Maggie said then taking a bite of her food.
"I got to play - with puppets and did a play with Ms Kelley at daycare.." Beth smiled and dipped her steak into some ketchup and then digging into her brusslesprouts.
"That sounds like a lot of fun. What lesson did you do?" He asked watching her eat he vegtable she hated months ago and complained smelled like otis feet after helping with the cows.
"We did story 'bout Joseph and his coats." Beth said stuffing her face with the brusslesprouts.
"Dont talk with your mouth full Beth." Hershel said before taking a bite.
"But daddy! Ms Kelley..." Beth said with her mouth full and then swallowing some of it. "My tummy is hungry and so is my mouth!" She said grabbing another spoonful and eating more. She was always hungry.
Meredith smiled slightly and laughed a little taking a drink then spoke. "Beth. You can spit that food all over myself and Maggie if you keep shoveling and talkin' Would that be nice?"
Beth pouted thinking about it for a minute. Then put her fork down and shook her head. "No Ms Kelley." She glanced at her dad. "I sorries daddie." She smiled then. "I gots to color a pretty jacket."
"It's alright, Bethy." Hershel smiled slightly, glancing at Maggie then at Meredith. He turned his attention back to Beth. "You did? Do I get to see this pretty jacket?"
Beth nodded and hopped off the table and ran into the living room and brought a paper bag that was cut out into a jacket and colored. "My pretty jacket." She put it on and giggled twirling.
"What a beautiful jacket - Beth." He smiled big watching her, he was glad she was so happy. "You did a wonderful job coloring it honey." He said hugging her.
Beth giggled and hugged him more then sat down wearing the jacket and continued eating her dinner.
Maggie smiled slightly, seeing her sister so giddy. "I didn't smart mouth to anyone." She announced glancing slightly up at her dad. She had gotten in trouble a lot this past year either at school or the park, or anywhere. "I was really good."
Hershel smiled at her. "That's great. I'm proud of you, Maggie."
Maggie smiled, wiping her face slightly. She thought she was a really bad kid, and was told it by a teacher at the end of the school year and hadn't told anyone. She got up and went to her dad and hugged him tightly. "I'm not a bad kid." She whispered promising.
Beth was done eating and sat back playing with her jacket. Meredith had excused herself for a second before Maggie started crying, to go take some pepto and came back to Maggie crying. "Everything okay?"
Hershel nodded, and looked at Maggie. "Who said you were a bad kid?"
"Mrs Johnson.." Maggie said wiping her eyes, pressing her face into her dad's shoulder.
"Mrs Johnson? The librarian?" Meredith said sitting down and frowned.
Hershel looked at Meredith and then at Maggie. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I am one." Maggie said sniffling and looking down at the floor.
"Margaret Annette." Hershel said rubbing her back holding her in his lap. "You are not a bad kid, you are just having a rough time, dealing with things you aren't ready for." He looked at Meredith. "Do you know that librarian?"
"I ran into her at the store, once of twice. She' a sourpuss." Meredith grabbed some tissues and gave them to Maggie.
Hershel looked at Maggie. "You are very much like your mother. She was a lot like you honey. She took charge, and questioned everything."
Maggie sniffled more and took the tissues and wiped her eyes, she looked at Meredith. "Am I a bad kid?"
Meredith looked at Maggie, getting out of her seat, and going down to her level. "Maggie Greene, you are not a bad kid. You are sweet, and good, and kind." She pushed a piece of fallen hair from Maggies' eyes and smiled. "You are still learning, on how to handle things that are out of your control. Kids show emotions and stuff differently, honey." She rubbed Maggie's back. "You are no way a bad kid, you are a very spirited kid."
Maggie smiled slightly calming down listening to her dad and Meredith. "Is spirited good?"
Hershel smiled and laughed softly. "It is. You'll probably be a leader when you are older." He looked at Beth. "Same with that one, I can see you two doing a lot when you are older. Ms Kelley can tell also." He wrapped both of the girls in a tight hug and kissed their heads. He glanced at Meredith and mouthed a thank you.
Meredith nodded and smiled. She got up and sat down. She was done eating, she couldn't eat anymore.
Hershel and Maggie finished eating also and talked some more.
