A/N: Thanks to you all for the amazing reviews that just keep on coming! I can't even wrap my head around all the support and love you have for this story. Shout-out to the fab guest reviewers, to whom I cannot reply directly, and to all of you who reblog on tumblr and leave such kindness in my Inbox on a regular basis. To those who keep sending your guesses about the endgame of this fic, keep 'em coming! I've got a tally list for death requests, pregnancy requests, and more. This fic will go at LEAST six more chapters, and then we'll see where we are ... who knows? As long as you're still enjoying it, I am making no definitive plans.
This chapter is lengthy and is only partially beta'd (hugs to brenna-louise!) as I went back afterwards and added a bunch of stuff. It is a smattering of everything, but the biggest chunk is Daisy's team meeting. I've lost count of how many of these things I've attended as an educator and, if you're in the UK, your system is likely different to what you'll read here. If you've got questions, shoot me a message - I'm happy to answer them.
Chelsie on! xx
CSotA
Monday, March 16, 2015 - early a.m.
Charles's mind was miles away as he rubbed Elsie's back dry with the soft bath sheet. He was present enough to be gentle, but she could tell just by his touch that he was preoccupied.
"Penny for them?" she said quietly. "As if I didn't know."
"I'm sorry, love," he said, dropping a kiss to her shoulder.
"Don't be - you'll be fine today," she encouraged. "Just, you know … count to five before speaking, perhaps?"
He looked down and noticed the teasing in her eyes and, underneath it, her unwavering support and devotion; seeing it all was almost his emotional undoing.
"I love you," he rumbled. "So much."
"Oh, Charlie," Elsie whispered, tilting her head up for a kiss that he readily gave.
"And I shall try to think before I speak to that horrid woman, I promise. But if she comes out with any unkind words about you, I will not be responsible for my actions."
"She won't," Elsie said, shaking her head. "Not with Edith there. At least, I don't think she will. And especially not if Daisy's there. No, you should be fine."
Charles started to help her on with her underwear but got distracted, depositing kisses all over her body.
"Charlie, you shouldn't."
He stood and placed his forehead on hers. "I know, I'm sorry."
"Me, too," she sighed. "And I know that after the physical therapist leaves today I will be even less comfortable than I am now."
Charles looked at the clock atop the medicine chest.
"We are ahead of schedule," he murmured hopefully. "By about half an hour."
She looked at the clock disbelievingly. "How is that even possible?"
"You woke me up early," he whispered, trailing his hands down her hips and smiling as he heard her moan, knowing her resolve was crumbling with alarming rapidity, as was his own. "God, I miss you sometimes, even though you're right here."
"Mmm ... Do you think Daisy's awake?"
Charles shook his head. "At five forty-five? Not a chance," he said.
"Charlie?" she gasped as his hands continued to wander.
"Please, Els," he begged, bending to place a hot, open-mouthed kiss to her breast, desperate to see her come undone before him.
"Charles!" she said more forcefully, and he stopped. "Could you shut the door?"
He smiled and turned to do so, and then he gave her his undivided attention once again.
"I thought you'd never ask," he said, gently pulling her body against his as his lips came crashing down on her neck.
Charles dropped Daisy off at school with a promise to see her again in three hours for her meeting. She gave him a peck on the cheek and bounded in, meeting Tommy on the front step.
"Hey, Daisy. How's it going?"
"Okay," she said quietly, scanning their surroundings to verify that they were relatively alone. "You coming over today?"
"Yeah, your father said he'd give me a ride. How's Ms. Hughes?"
"She's happy you're coming," Daisy said honestly. "And she's terribly bored stuck at home."
"Home?" he asked, and Daisy blushed a bit. He felt as though he'd caught her out somehow, but didn't want to pry - he didn't need Ms. Hughes and Mr. Carson thinking he was nosing around in their business, and figured he'd get his answer that afternoon, anyhow.
"For now," Daisy managed.
"Okay. See you here at the end of the day, then?"
Daisy thought Tommy looked a bit apprehensive. She nodded and smiled at him, and it seemed to calm him a bit.
"Alright. See you later, Daisy," he said, turning and heading down the sixth-grade hallway.
Jimmy was waiting by his locker, giving Tommy a strange look as he started to twirl the knob to his combination.
"She's talking to you," Jimmy observed.
"Yeah," Tommy said. "Kind of has to, really, as we'll be working together starting this afternoon." He never bothered telling Jimmy about that day at the movies, and didn't feel the need to explain it now, either. It was like one sweet secret that he was keeping for himself, something thought back upon during the nights when the rest of his life wasn't going so great. Although, he told himself, things are better now.
"That farm thing? Still doing stuff there, then?"
Tommy pulled himself back to the present. "Yeah, Ms. Hughes can't do anything at all, really, and it's a big place."
"I miss her," Jimmy admitted, and Tommy raised his eyebrows. "I do!" Jimmy insisted. "That new guy in the nurse's office is awful."
"Agreed," Tommy sighed, remembering back to when he'd pop in and chat with Ms. Hughes about this and that, on the days when he needed a bite to eat and even on the days he didn't. He realized how much he was looking forward to seeing her, and he smiled.
"Tell her I said 'hi,'" Jimmy said.
"I will," Tommy answered as they headed to class. "Absolutely."
"Alright," Beryl said, plopping down at the dining room table in a huff. "What was so important that you couldn't wait to tell me?" She looked at Elsie, and then watched as Charles came into the dining room to join them. He stood behind Elsie and placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it, his face completely devoid of emotion.
Beryl looked from him to her friend and back again. "Oh, God," she muttered, "please don't tell me it's bad news …"
Elsie watched as the color drained from Beryl's face and immediately regretted the words she'd used when calling the woman that morning, things like 'vitally important we see you today' and 'tell no one I've called' and 'private conversation.'
"Oh, no, Beryl! Nothing's bad! In fact … everything is wonderful, I think," she said, laying her hand over Beryl's arm and squeezing it.
Beryl looked down and saw the ring, and her jaw dropped.
"No!" she whispered, her eyes flying once again back to Charles's face, trying to process the fact that the ring was not a diamond solitaire, and yet ... yet ... his face showed nothing but hints of amusement and pride, and she knew. "You never did!"
"He did - twice," Elsie admitted. "We discussed it weeks ago, actually, when I came home from the hospital."
"But … you never said ... that is definitely new, though," she insisted, pointing at the ring. "I'd have seen it the other day ... I ... I ..." Her mouth clapped shut and eyes flew back and forth between them once again as she tried one more time to speak coherently. "You're not kidding me?" she asked, her eyes welling with tears that she absolutely refused to shed.
"The ring is new, yes, as of Saturday night," Elsie said. "And, no, we aren't kidding. We had to tell Daisy and Becky first, of course."
"So no one else knows yet?" Beryl asked, and she spotted the guilty look on Elsie's face. "Elsie?"
"Well, almost no one," Elsie admitted sheepishly. "Edith and Isobel know, but only because they guessed in the most uncanny of ways. And now you, and Daisy and Becky."
"And how did Becky take the news?" Beryl asked, hopeful.
"Very well, indeed," Charles chimed in. "We told her we had something important to speak to her about, and she informed us that she hoped we were getting married."
"Well, you can't get much easier than that," Beryl said, wiping her eyes furiously as she fought a losing battle with the tears. "And Daisy is happy, no doubt?"
"She is ecstatic," Charles said. "I just can't believe it."
Elsie looked at Beryl, expecting the woman to start screeching any second, but she was pleasantly surprised.
"I can believe it," Beryl said, reaching over to squeeze Elise's hand and meeting her gaze. "I'm so very happy for you, love. You deserve this big git and his sweetheart of a daughter. You. Deserve. This. Don't ever forget that."
A tear spilled down Elsie's cheek as she shook her head. "I don't know why," she said, "but I'm not going to complain."
"So," Beryl began, a smile lighting up her face, "big wedding? Catered? Cake? Whatever you want, Els, you know I'll make it happen."
Elsie put her hand out as if to stop the woman. "I know - we know, and we've not really had a chance to discuss it. Charles has to tell his family, of course, and I need to get back on my feet for good. But you'll be the one we ask once we figure it all out, of course."
"Fair enough," Beryl said, getting up to go and place a kiss to Elsie's cheek before doing the same to Charles. "I can't think of two people more suited to one another - and I truly mean that," she said. "You've clicked from the very beginning, and if you can get through all of this recovery baloney, well, I imagine you can get through just about anything."
"I think you're right," Charles said, clasping Elsie's hand in his when she reached up to touch his fingers.
Ten minutes after Charles headed to the school for Daisy's meeting, the doorbell chimed at the house.
"Come in!" Elsie called.
"We're here," Isobel called down the hall. "You decent?"
I am now, Elsie thought with a smile. Good thing you weren't here just before six. "Of course!"
Isobel led a woman down to the sunroom. "This is Gladys Denker," she said. The woman moved forward to shake Elsie's hand. "She's going to be doing your PT."
"Pleased to meet you," Elsie said. She noticed that the woman was slightly taller than she was and that she appeared very, very strong and ... well, not a pushover.
"Oh, you won't be," Gladys cackled. "Not when I'm done with you."
"Well, my goal is to get better, and I am a nurse myself, so I think I'm prepared," Elsie bristled.
"We'll see, sweetie," she said. "You've been using heat and ice, yes? And moving about the house a bit?"
"I have," Elsie confirmed. "Dr. Clarkson told me the swelling was totally gone after two weeks, and I am only spending about three hours lying in bed during the day. I wear the brace all the time, and I have been walking around the house doing little things - letting the dog out, getting the mail, reading. I helped make dinner the other night -"
"No bending or lifting though, right?" Gladys interrupted.
"No, no bending or lifting," Elsie said. "And no stairs."
"Good, and the stairs will start today," Gladys said. "Alright, here's the plan …"
She spent the next ten minutes showing Elsie a series of handouts on which were diagrams of the various exercises they'd be working on for the two weeks that Gladys would be coming to the house; after that, Elsie would continue the exercises daily for an additional four weeks. They would vary in intensity as the days progressed, of course, and they involved a few items that Gladys had to fetch from the car: a huge, inflatable exercise ball, a set of large rubber bands with handles that attached to the doorknob, a set of low-weight dumbbells, a yoga mat, and a cane.
"Today we're just going to test your strength and work a bit with the exercise ball. You will go up and down the stairs, though, which will enable me to get a feel for your muscle strength." She stood back and assessed Elsie's figure. "You stay in shape, I see."
"I do," Elsie agreed. "Lifting fifty-pound sacks of feed and countless bales of hay have seen to that!"
"Good. Your abdominal muscle strength is key here, so hopefully you've not lost much of that. Alright, let's go."
The next half hour was spent getting the ball inflated and helping Elsie to balance on it - no easy feat with the brace on her back preventing her from bending her torso.
"In the future you'll be taking that brace off for these," Gladys said, watching as Elsie sat on the ball and pulled the bands toward her chest in an even motion. "Tighten those abs," she added.
"I am," Elsie grumbled.
Isobel stood back, shaking her head and wondering which of the women was going to come out on top of what was already shaping up to be a battle of the wills.
They progressed to the stairs - the front steps to start, and then the longer basement staircase. Gladys gave Elsie the cane and instructed her to use it to help distribute her weight. After some arguing from both women, and a determined insistence on the part of Gladys, Elsie managed to go up and down the entire basement staircase with only minimal instruction and reminders from Gladys.
Isobel watched with great interest, holding in her laughter as her friend the nurse had to become the lowly patient once again.
Still, she thought, in the long run, my money's on Elsie winning this battle. She'll master fourteen days' worth of therapy in a week.
"Mr. Carson, good to see you again," Phyllis said, shaking his hand and then motioning to one of the chairs at the table. "Please, have a seat and sign here," she added, sliding the meeting attendance form over to him. "We're just waiting for the last block to finish."
The bell sounded seconds later and the corridor became a flurry of noisy activity. Edith made her way in and Charles stood to greet her, placing a fond kiss to her cheek before the teachers arrived.
"You're looking well, my dear," he said, beaming, and she nodded and rubbed her abdomen absentmindedly.
"Thank you, I feel well, finally," she said. "We're starting to get really excited now."
"I bet you are - I remember that excitement," he said, a pang of something very faint settling in his stomach … something he pushed down forcefully and refused to acknowledge.
"Bertie is simply beside himself," Edith smiled, adding her signature to the attendance sheet.
Charles sat and took a small notepad from his jacket pocket; he set it down, opened it, and wrote the date at the top. He didn't trust himself to remember every detail that might come up, and he knew Elsie would want a play-by-play … a thought that pleased him greatly.
Sarah O'Brien and Joseph Molesley joined them in short order, and Charles stood to greet them both and shake their hands. He noted Mr. Molesley's warm smile and how it contrasted to Miss O'Brien's cold, reserved look.
"Mr. Carson," she said. "How wise of you to request a meeting. How is Ms. Hughes?"
Her 'concern' took him by surprise. "Getting stronger every day," he said honestly, "and looking forward to returning to work after the April break. I'll be sure to tell her you asked," he couldn't help adding.
"Alright," Phyllis said, and everyone sat. "We're here because Mr. Carson has some concerns regarding how well Daisy has adjusted to school here in Misty Cove so far and, more specifically, regarding the difficulties she's had since Elsie's fall. You all are aware that Daisy witnessed the fall and, in fact, stayed right by Elsie's side until emergency personnel arrived. It was, as I'm sure I don't need to explain, rather traumatic for her."
"I can't even begin to imagine," Joseph said kindly, shaking his head. "But you wouldn't know it, not really. Not from what I've seen since she's returned, anyhow."
"So she's up-to-date with her work in your classes?" Phyllis asked, and he nodded.
"Oh, yes, no issues at all. She's doing remarkably well in both Math and Science, which is wonderful given that Math is clearly her weaker area," he said, and Sarah huffed.
"Something to add, Miss O'Brien?" Phyllis asked her. "Is Daisy still behind in your classes?"
"She is in English," Sarah stated flatly, signing into her online gradebook. She clicked on Daisy's name and turned the screen so that everyone could see.
"She hasn't finished her book report project that was due on Friday," she began, "or, if she has, she's not turned it in yet." She looked at Charles and added, "She was able to submit that online via Google, but I've received nothing from her, and I am positive that she understands how to do it."
"I see," he said, making a note in his notepad. "I noticed that wasn't noted as being turned in when I looked her grades up over the weekend, but she assured me that she did, indeed, share it."
"Well, I've not received it," Sarah insisted. "There's also the worksheet that went with last week's independent reading that's missing," she said, "which was due last Friday."
Charles noted it before looking back at Miss O'Brien. "Might I be able to sign into her account here and see why the book report project was not shared, and share it with you now? Or, better yet," he said, looking at Edith, "can we get Daisy down her so that she can address that?"
"We certainly can," Edith said, nodding. "We'll call her down once we've gone through the rest of her accommodations. I want to make sure each of them is still necessary, given that Mr. Molesley has attested to the fact that some progress is, indeed, evident."
They spent the next few minutes reviewing the 504 plan, with Charles asking for updates on how Daisy was doing socially as well as academically.
"She communicates with a few of the students," Sarah acknowledged.
"By writing, or speaking?" Charles asked.
"Both," she allowed, her lips pursed. "In fact, she seems to speak to quite a few people now, from what I can see, albeit in such a quiet whisper. She does not speak in my class, however. I've only observed it in the lunchroom or when she's in the hallway."
"Yes, Miss O'Brien, I am aware of that," Charles said clearly, making a note in his book. "What about in her other classes - sport, art, those areas?"
Phyllis pulled some additional forms from Daisy's folder, handing copies of them to Charles.
"These are classroom reports from her special area teachers, including the two you've mentioned - sport is the 'physical education,' one," she clarified. "They report that Daisy is a full participant, although that's not uncommon as the verbal participation is not as crucial as it is in a core academic class."
"But she's socializing with students here, too?" he clarified, scanning the reports.
"She is."
Charles sat back, shocked at his sudden inability to control his emotions. He knew Daisy had been doing well, he just wasn't prepared for how well. It appeared from the reports before him, as well as from what Miss O'Brien and Mr. Molesley had said, that Daisy was making progress despite Elsie's accident. Evidently she'd not withdrawn behind the protective wall of silence; instead, she had almost completely knocked it down. He figured that was attributed to her having called the authorities to get help, but he couldn't be sure without asking her, and he wasn't even sure Daisy would be able to verbalize it at all.
And he didn't care, because she was finally getting better.
"Mr. Carson?" Phyllis asked gently.
"Yes, sorry," he said with a trace of emotion in his voice. He didn't worry; he knew only Edith would have picked up on it, anyhow. "I'm just … well, surprised by all of this."
"How so?" Edith asked.
He shook his head and looked at each member of the team in turn. "I had suspected that with all of the changes Elsie's accident has brought, with the entire experience of not only witnessing it but also having to be the one to get help, my daughter would have withdrawn completely. While we've not seen evidence of that at home, because she's always spoken to me, I truly thought that school would be where we'd see this happen. However, what you've all described - with few exceptions - is the complete opposite. It appears that Daisy has almost blossomed."
He paused, unsure of how to phrase the next bit. He licked his lips and found himself biting down on the bottom one for a moment, shaking his head minutely as he realized it was a subconscious habit he was picking up from Elsie. He sat back a bit in his chair and tented his fingers over his stomach, then stared determinedly at the table as he continued.
"You're all aware that Daisy's mother, Alice, was killed in an automobile accident last year. I'm not sure you all know that we were separated at the time, and had been for quite a while. The separation was a huge change for Daisy, but she'd almost come to terms with how our lives were going to be different. The news of her mother's accident, however, and the experience of having to bury Alice and deal with the memories in England … well, it was too much, and so we moved here.
"It's also no secret that Elsie and I are involved in a personal relationship, and that Daisy and I have been living at her farm in order to help with her care. I half expected to come here today and learn that Daisy was relying heavily upon supports that you've provided here," he said, tapping his finger on the 504, "but it appears that is not the case."
"Well, in my class she still utilizes most of those," Sarah said primly.
He looked at her and met the challenge in her eyes.
"And why do you suppose that is, Miss O'Brien? She clearly is not struggling with your class - not even when you give her what most of us would deem as more work than you seem to give the other students."
And there it is, Phyllis thought, keeping any trace of glee off of her face. Let's see how you deal with this, Miss O'Brien.
"I beg your pardon? I am merely accommodating Daisy's disability by altering the assignments. For whatever reason she does not speak to me, and I cannot grade an oral project if she refuses to speak."
"But you're not just altering the assignments, are you?" he challenged.
"And upon what are you basing that information, if you don't mind my asking?" she asked calmly. "Perhaps Daisy has miscommunicated something."
His eyes flickered. Edith saw it and barely managed to hold back her smirk; she knew her Uncle Charlie had just triumphed over the spiteful teacher seated across from him.
"Because, Miss O'Brien," he said calmly, "Daisy worked on that project with Marigold - at my house, at my kitchen counter."
Sarah raised an eyebrow at his possessive description of Elsie's home and he felt himself blush a bit, realizing his error but not willing to address it.
"The girls compared notes, you see," he continued. "Marigold had four components to her project, while Daisy had five. Marigold's involved less in-depth exploration of the main character in the novel she'd chosen, and I allowed that without question because Daisy is reading far above her grade level and is capable of examining the protagonist of a novel she's reading in great detail for a child her age. However, Miss O'Brien, you assigned Daisy a completely different task as her 'step five,' something far above and beyond the scope of the assignment the rest of the class received. From what I understand here," he said, pushing the 504 across the table toward her, "that is not allowed. So it's no wonder to me that my daughter - who has made such an enormous amount of progress in all other areas - is not speaking to you. I have always demanded that Daisy respect her elders, Miss O'Brien, and her teachers in particular. But when she is being treated unfairly, when she is being disrespected and punished because of her disability - well, then we have a problem."
Bravo! Phyllis thought, sitting back in her chair and catching Joseph's look of happy surprise. Well done, Charles!
"Sarah?" Edith asked quietly. "Are you asking Daisy to do more work because you're upset she's not speaking in your class when she's speaking in the others?"
"Of course not," the woman said waspishly. "That's ridiculous. If Mr. Carson feels that Daisy isn't being held to the same standards as the other students, then I'm happy to have that conversation with him at another time. Daisy is a very intelligent girl, and I was merely attempting to challenge her in nonverbal ways given her reluctance to participate in my class."
"Good," Edith said, turning back to Charles. "I leave it to you and Miss O'Brien to set up a follow-up meeting, if necessary, in two weeks. For now, I think we should get Daisy down here to go over the missing assignments. Miss O'Brien can remain with us here for that. Mr. Molesley, I think we're all set with you for the time being."
"Sounds good," Joseph said, standing as he gathered his materials. He extended his hand to Charles once again, and they shook firmly.
"It's been a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Molesley," Charles said honestly. "I owe you a debt of gratitude for your willingness to work patiently and consistently with Daisy, and her progress is reflective of that."
Joseph seemed almost uncomfortable with the compliment, but smiled softly.
"Your daughter is a good girl, Mr. Carson. She's bright, and she truly cares about her grades. She's also compassionate and seems to keep watch over others in the class. Whatever issues she continues to struggle with, please know that we all see those things every day."
Charles was speechless, merely nodding his thanks before watching the teacher head out the door.
As he took his seat again, Charles saw Edith pick up the phone and call down to the art room.
"Mr. Bricker? Could you send Daisy up to the Guidance office, please? … Yes, she should bring her things with her. … Thank you."
She hung up and turned back to the group. "She's on her way."
Charles took his time looking through his notes and then pulled up Daisy's gradebook app on his phone, silently sending thanks to Elsie for showing him how to download and use it last month. He slid his finger over the screen and opened it to Miss O'Brien's English class page … and waited.
Two minutes later, Daisy came into the office. She smiled shyly at everyone and gave Charles a hug and a kiss on the cheek, much to his pleasure.
"Hi, Papa," she said softly, and he smiled brilliantly at her.
"Hello, stranger," he teased, pulling out the chair beside himself for her to sit in.
"That's the first time I've really heard your voice, Daisy," Sarah said quietly.
Daisy just looked at her - not disrespectfully, but not smiling, either, Charles noticed.
"Daisy, your father asked that you come to discuss some missing assignments you have in Miss O'Brien's class," Phyllis said.
Daisy looked at her father, her brow furrowed. "There's only one," she whispered.
He showed her the app and pointed. "No, it says here you've not turned in the book report project you did last week when Marigold came over," he said.
Daisy looked straight at Sarah O'Brien. "I shared that last week," she said softly, but insistently.
"Evidently not," Sarah replied, "as I do not have it."
Daisy sat back, clearly confused.
"Daisy?" Phyllis asked. "Do you want to use my computer and sign into your Google account, and we can see what happened?"
Daisy nodded, and Phyllis passed the laptop down. Everyone waited as Daisy got to the right page, looked in her homework agenda for her password, and typed it in.
She clicked on the correct assignment to open it, and then she clicked the 'share' icon to see with whom she'd shared the document.
"Ohh, I typed it in wrong," she said, blushing furiously.
Sarah got up from her seat and moved over to see the laptop, where Daisy pointed to the email she'd typed in - incorrectly, apparently, as she'd reversed the 'ie' in 'O'Brien' to an 'ei.'
"So it's a day late, then," Sarah said, "which won't affect you too much as long as you share it now, properly."
Charles saw the protest on Daisy's face and shut her down immediately. "Thank you, Miss O'Brien," he said. "It is late, as Daisy wasn't paying attention and it is her fault that you did not receive the assignment. I guarantee that won't happen again."
Daisy shot him an angry look, which he quelled with one raised eyebrow as Edith and Phyllis looked on silently. She huffed and retyped the teacher's email in properly, and clicked 'done.'
"There," she said.
"And this other thing?" Charles pressed.
"It's here," Daisy said, pulling it from her binder. "I finished it this morning." She looked up at Miss O'Brien. "I had to do all the sections, so it took longer; the rest of the class only had the top half."
Sarah had the decency to look down at the table, knowing she'd been bested. "That seems fair, then, that you needed the weekend," she said quietly, reaching her hand out for the paper.
"Daisy," Phyllis ventured slowly, "we've been meeting with Miss O'Brien and Mr. Molesley today about your 504, and have worked out a few issues regarding the ways in which your assignments have been accommodated. However, it appears that you're actually speaking in most of your classes now, particularly since returning to school after the accident - is that right?" Her surprise and happiness was evident in her voice, and Daisy smiled.
"Mostly," the little girl said, looking at Phyllis. "Yes."
"And do you think you can begin to speak sometimes in my class, Daisy?" Sarah asked.
Daisy looked at her, contemplating, the tip of her tongue peeking out from between her lips.
"Maybe," she allowed. "I'll talk to Marigold, at least," she said.
Sarah opened her mouth to protest, but the words died on her tongue when she saw the look on Edith's face.
"That would be wonderful, Daisy, thank you," Edith said, and Daisy smiled hesitantly at her.
"Alright," Phyllis said, "I think we're done here. We're going to remove your accommodation for extended deadlines, Daisy, as your teachers are all in agreement that you're not utilizing that for the most part. That said, Miss O'Brien, I'd like to request that you not mark Daisy's book report late one day - not because of the mistake with the email, but because she did, up until two minutes ago, have an accommodation for late work in her plan."
"No," Charles said firmly. "I respectfully disagree. It's a consequence which Daisy will have to live with because it had nothing to do with needing more time, but rather with carelessness on her part. I'm no drill sergeant, Miss Baxter, but I do expect Daisy to be attentive to what she's doing and I think it'll be a good lesson learned."
"As you wish," Phyllis said. "I think we're done here, although I'd like for Daisy and Mr. Carson to remain behind - I have something else I need to discuss with you privately."
Sarah stood, and bid Charles goodbye.
"Thank you for meeting with me, Miss O'Brien," he said, offering his hand as he'd risen with her. She took it hesitantly, but shook it.
"You're welcome," she said. She left the room, followed closely by Edith, who took her aside in the hall.
"You're lucky, Sarah," Edith whispered. "And don't you ever pull anything like that again."
"I've done nothing wrong," Sarah said, and turned and walked away. Edith let her go, the both of them knowing Sarah had been found out and embarrassed in front of her boss and two colleagues - and both of them knowing that it likely wouldn't ever happen again.
"Daisy," Phyllis asked once she'd shut the door. "I'd like to ask you something. Why don't you talk to Miss O'Brien? I mean, what's the real reason?"
Daisy looked at Charles, then back at Phyllis.
"Because she doesn't like Elsie," the girl admitted.
"Sorry?" Charles asked, his eyes wide with disbelief. "What makes you say that?" She couldn't possibly know!
"I heard her once, a while back," Daisy said. "Something she said in the library to another teacher, about how Elsie treats me and a few of the other kids special. She said she didn't know where Elsie got off doing that," she said bluntly, and Charles couldn't help but smile.
"I daresay it's because she cares about you all," he said, reaching out to tighten Daisy's ponytail, and she smiled back at him.
"Did you tell Miss Baxter yet?" Daisy asked, and Charles shook his head.
"No, not yet. Would you like to?" he asked, and she nodded, then thought of something.
"Wait - do Uncle Robert and Auntie Cora know now?"
"Yes, I called them this morning. And Beryl knows, too, so you're all set."
Phyllis watched the interaction with a growing sense of joy, suspecting what was to come.
"We're getting married," Daisy squealed. "I mean they are, but we're all going to be a family. For real."
Phyllis beamed at the young girl. "Congratulations, Daisy. I'm so very happy for you all."
Charles had an hour and a half between the meeting and the end of the school day, so he used the time to pick up a few essentials at the grocery store and to stop by the feed store and pick up Elsie's order. As he was leaving, he was spotted by Tom Branson.
"Mr. Carson!" the younger man called.
"It's Charles, please," he said, shaking Tom's hand. "How've you been, Tom? Haven't been able to see you at the Devil for a while."
"Busy!" Tom laughed. "But that's how I like it. How's Elsie doing? And don't give me any of that nonsense she has you give the others," he said seriously. "How is she really?"
"She's doing better," Charles reassured him. "The physical therapist came by today and I'm sure that wasn't fun; however, all in all, she's making great progress. The brace helps, although she's annoyed with it because she can't really do anything."
"Ha! I bet! Elsie doesn't ever sit still, that's for sure. How many more weeks will she need it?"
"Hopefully two, maybe three. Depends on the PT, I think."
"Good. Listen, Charles, I wanted to float something by her, but as I've got you here I'll just tell you. I know she needs a new vehicle," he began, and Charles laughed loudly.
"Does she ever!"
"Yeah, well, I just got in a beautiful pickup at the shop. Guy up and sold it, said it wasn't for him, and I got it for a steal. It's fire-engine red, same make and model as hers but about fifteen years newer," he laughed. "It's a '13, and really low mileage. Mention it to her, would you? I think she'd love it, and she can even donate her old one as a tax write-off. I'm happy to hold it until she's back behind the wheel again."
Charles's eyebrows raised. "I shall tell her, because that sounds nearly perfect," he said. "Thank you very much. You know, Tom, she'd love to see you. Stop by the farm sometime - she's always there, and a fresh face is always a welcome change from seeing mine all day long, I'm sure."
Tom smiled warmly. "I will - thank you. In the meantime, give her my best."
"Will do," Charles said, heading back to his car. "Take care."
"You, too," Tom waved.
Charles was back at school just in time to pick up Tommy and Daisy. As he pulled up and parked, he noticed Sarah O'Brien standing outside where Elsie would normally be. He chuckled at the thought of Edith having reassigned Sarah to Elsie's bus duty, and gave her a friendly wave when she looked up and noticed him. The look on her face ten minutes later - when she saw Tommy Barrow get into his car with Daisy - was absolutely priceless, and he filed it away to mention to Elsie later on.
"Daisy? Are you still angry with me, petal?" Charles asked once they were on the way.
"It wasn't fair," Daisy said firmly, and Tommy wondered what in the world she was talking about. "It was just a mistake, Papa, and you told her to punish me for it."
"Well, will you pay more attention to what you're doing in the future?"
Nod.
"Five points will hardly hurt you in that class. But that's not the point, Daisy, and you know it."
"Whatever," she said, and Charles grumbled a warning. Daisy sighed. "I'm sorry, that was rude."
"Indeed." He shot her a look in the rear-mirror, effectively ending the discussion.
When they arrived back at the house Charles noticed Anna's car in the drive.
"Oh, good," he said to the kids. "Anna's already here. You can both go and see her to find out where she needs help. Then you should have time for homework before dinner."
"Am I staying that late?" Tommy enquired, and Charles nodded.
"Yes, I think Elsie worked that out with your mother," he said, giving the boy a small smile.
Tommy smiled back, then remembered there were bags in the car from the store.
"Mr. Carson, would you like some help with the things from the store?" Tommy asked, pointing to the back of the car.
"Oh, I'd almost forgotten about those," he admitted. "Yes, thanks, Tommy. Daisy - you go and tell Anna that Tommy will be down shortly."
"Okay," she said, bounding off toward the barn.
Tommy ran his and Daisy's backpacks to the front step and dropped them by the door, returning swiftly to the car to help Charles unload the feed bags.
"They're heavy," Charles warned, and Tommy just looked at him. He bent down and lifted one, barely struggling as he carried it down toward the barn.
"Where do they go?" he called, and Anna poked her head around the corner.
"Hi Tommy! Just in here," she said quickly, pointing. "Thanks!"
Tommy dropped the bag and brushed his hands off on his jeans. "No problem," he said. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
He helped Charles unload the groceries and carry them into the house.
"Just place those on the counter, Charlie," Elsie's voice came from the bedroom.
"Tommy's here with me," he called.
Elsie came down the hall with a huge smile on her face. "Tommy! Oh, is it good to see you," she said, the relief evident in her voice.
"Hey, Ms. Hughes, how are you?" he asked, genuinely concerned about her once he took in her appearance. "You look … well, not yourself," he added with a smirk, and she laughed.
"Better every day but, yeah, it's been a real experience," she admitted. "Tommy … when you're here and not at school, how about you just call me Elsie?"
Tommy grinned and, Elsie noted interestingly, blushed a bit. "Alright, then," he said softly, and she nodded.
Charles came in then with the last of the groceries. "All set?" he asked.
"Yes, Mr. Carson," Tommy said. "I'll head on out now, if that's it?"
"Yes, thanks very much," Charles said, and Tommy made his way to the front door. He saw the backpacks on the front step and brought them into the living room … just in time to see Mr. Carson lean forward and plant a sweet kiss on Elsie's lips.
"Hello, love," Charles said, caressing her face. "How did you feel today?"
"Like hell, until you got here with Tommy," she said honestly. "I'm so happy to see him."
Tommy blushed furiously and silently made his way out the door. He couldn't help but feel as though he'd been intruding on something intensely personal, and yet his heart soared at hearing how happy Ms. Hughes - Elsie, he told himself with a laugh - was to see him.
He marched down to the barn to meet with Anna, determined to work as hard as he possibly could to help Elsie out. He felt almost like he'd made new friends in her and Mr. Carson, and he didn't want to do anything at all to foul it up.
Daisy met him halfway on the path.
"Come on, then! Anna's waiting," she said.
"Daisy? What was that business in the car about? Surely you aren't in trouble?"
She looked at Tommy. "Nosey, aren't you?" she said.
"Sometimes," he admitted, raising his eyebrows. "So? Are you going to tell me?"
Daisy huffed. "I messed up sending something to Miss O'Brien on Google. Spelled her name wrong. And Papa decided I should be marked late because she didn't get it in time," she explained, rolling her eyes.
Tommy just stared at her. "You're joking, right?"
"No! See? It's ridiculous!" she ranted.
"No, Daisy," he said, shaking his head. "That's not what I meant."
"Huh?"
"Daisy," Tommy said, looking at her. "If that's the worst thing that happened to you today, I'd say you're alright. Your father … he's a nice man, you know."
Daisy was ashamed of herself then, remembering how kids talk about Tommy at school and now Elsie had said things weren't always easy for him.
"I know," she said quietly. "But I really hate Miss O'Brien."
Tommy laughed. "Yeah, well, join the club. She's something else … I don't blame you there one bit! But go easy on your father, hm?"
She nodded. "I will. C'mon, Anna's waiting, and I think you're helping me muck out stalls today."
"Fantastic," Tommy said, with only a slight trace sarcasm; truth be told, though, he craved the work and was interested in seeing how the place was run.
"Let's go, then!"
A little review would be lovely if you have the time. Next up: More P/T, and then Spring and Easter are on the way! x