Family in His Heart

“Attendance. Would you check to see if my son is in school?”

She rose and flagged him behind the counter. “Our attendance lady is down here. She might have the absence slips for this hour.”

He followed her down the hall, then stood beside the desk and waited until the clerk looked up.

“And you are…?” the woman asked, her eyes questioning him.

“Gary Thornton’s dad. I want to make sure he’s in school today.”

She nodded. “I saw him this morning.” She turned to the computer, apparently typing in his name. “He’s in history this hour.” She shuffled through the pink slips and nodded. “He’s not on the absence list, so he must be here. Do you want to speak with him?”

Nick struggled a moment for the answer. “If I could.”

She wrote the room number on a slip of paper and handed it to him.

“Thanks,” he said, clasping the paper and stepping through a door to the hallway. He glanced at the note and grinned. A hall pass. He hadn’t seen one of those since he was in school. He headed to the end of the corridor. H Hall the metal placard said on the wall. Gary was in H109.

Nick eyed the numbers above the doorway. H105. H107. He faltered outside of H109. What now? He could see the teacher pacing in the front of the room through the glass slit in the door. A hum of voices came through the transom. He straightened his back and knocked.

The hum quieted, then raised in volume and he could hear the teacher’s shushing. He watched her head his way and the door opened. She appeared to be surprised to see an adult.

“Can I help you?”

“I’m Gary’s dad. Gary Thornton. Could I speak to him a minute.”

“He’s reviewing for a test, but he can have a minute.”

The door surged closed and Nick felt his heartbeat kick. When the door sprang open again, Gary’s scowl faced him.

“Dad!”

Nick waved to him to close the door, then motioned him to step away from the window. “Where were you last night?”

“Phil’s. He couldn’t get the car to bring me home.”

“Why didn’t you call?”

Gary’s face twisted. “I’m not a child.”

“As long as you live under my roof, you’ll follow my rules, Gary.”

“I can move out.”

“No, you can’t.”

“Oh, so I’m bound to you like a slave.”

Nick’s stomach knotted and he saw he had headed into a direction he hadn’t meant to go. “Gary, look. I don’t want a slave and I don’t want a prisoner. I want a son. I care about you. I was worried until I called Phil’s.”

Gary drew back. “You called Phil’s?”

“Yes. His mother said you’d left for school.”

“Great.” Gary jammed his hands into his pockets. “I suppose you told her I hadn’t gotten permission to stay.”

Nick looked into his eyes. “No, I didn’t. I didn’t want to ruin the trust you have with Phil’s parents.”

Gary’s gaze flickered, as if weighing what Nick had said. Trust. The whole mess was about trust. Nick wanted to trust his son and maybe that’s what he needed. They both needed to earn each other’s trust.

“We can talk later. You’re taking a test. I’m glad you’re in school and I’m glad you’re safe. I lost your—” He shook his head, biting back his words. Nick had lost his wife, but how could he forget Gary had lost a mother. “I lost my temper.”

Gary’s face softened and he lowered his head.

“Go back inside. I’ll see you at home.”

Gary put his hand on the knob, then glanced over his shoulder as he stepped back into the classroom. “Thanks.”

His single word had nearly been lost by the students’ noise inside the classroom, but Nick heard it. He stood a moment in thought, then turned and strode outside, thanking God that he’d found words that had made a difference. He hadn’t heard a thank-you from Gary in more than a year.

Nick climbed into the SUV, struggling with what to do about the situation. He could ground him until—until what? He promised to be a good boy? Until he promised to show respect. That would work for a beginning, but at the moment the thank-you had salved Nick’s frustration and he let the question drop.

When he arrived at the marina, Nick started down toward his boat, but changed his mind and ambled toward the restaurant. Maybe he should eat a late breakfast, then get back to his paperwork.

Breakfast. Who was he kidding?

When he stepped inside, the aroma of coffee and bacon danced around him. He scanned the room. No Rona. Then the kitchen door swung open and she came out wheeling a cart into the dining room.

“Have a seat anywhere,” Bernie called through the serving window.

Nick gave him a wave and noted the direction Rona had moved in to clear tables. He found a window spot along the front and watched her.

Rona stacked dishes, tossed silverware into a plastic container and piled the soiled dinnerware into the cart. She wiped off the table and spun around before she saw Nick.

Her face flickered from surprise to an uneasy smile. She raised her hand in a hello and continued to the next table. She placed a cup and spoon on the cart, swiped the table clean, and parked the cart beside the counter before approaching him with her order pad. “Hi.” She gave him a questioning look. “Can I help you?”

He needed help, but he wasn’t sure anyone could solve his problems except the Lord. “How about a coffee and toast.”

She tilted her head and frowned. “That’s not much for a lumberjack.”

It took a minute for her comment to register, then he felt his tension ease. “Okay, then add some scrambled eggs with cheese.”

“And a side order of bacon?” She tapped the eraser end of the pencil against the pad.

He remembered the aroma that first struck him when he entered; his stomach gave a hungry gnaw. “And bacon.”

“Coming right up,” she said, her face relaxing to an easy smile.

Realizing he’d forgotten to pick up the morning paper, Nick rose and headed toward the door, but before going outside to the box, he spotted an abandoned edition folded at the end of the counter with no one around. He motioned toward the paper. “Anyone own this?”