揝o??he questioned.
揃ut . . . ,?she started.
揟here are not buts in real love, just ands,?he told her.
揥hat does that mean??she asked.
揃ut means there抯 a reason for something not to work. And means there抣l just be more and more added on to what we have now,?he answered.
揑 was going to say, but I want to keep this between us for a little while. I don抰 want to share you or the news,?she told him.
揘o problem,?Wade agreed. 揥e抣l tell the rest of them when the time is right. Right now, though, it抯 more than an hour until Risa arrives to make breakfast.?
She moved over closer to him. 揑抳e got an idea about how to spend that hour.?
揑抦 reading your mind right now, and I like your idea,?Wade said.
A week later, Risa awoke with sadness in her heart. She had never been ready for the first day of school, and that morning she dreaded even more seeing her girls get into the truck and leave. This would be their last first day, and she would only have one more year with them before they went off to college. She made their favorite pancakes that morning, but they were almost too excited to eat. Now it was time for them to walk out of the bar and drive to school梩heir first time ever to drive and not ride the school bus.
揑 can抰 believe you are letting us take the truck to school.?Lily slung her backpack over one shoulder. 揗an, Daisy, we are almost adults.?
揂lmost is the key word,?Mary Nell told them. 揟reasure this year, because being an adult isn抰 nearly as much fun as it looks like.?
揂men to that,?Haley said. 揗ary Nell is giving you some good advice.?
揧es, she is, and learn from all our mistakes instead of repeating them,?Risa said.
揟his is some pretty heavy conversation for the twins?big day.?Oscar piled three more pancakes onto his plate. 揑 remember the morning that Mary Nell left for the first day of her senior year. Her mother cried, and I wanted to go get her and take my family to a remote island somewhere far away.?
揂re you going to cry, Mama??Daisy asked.
揘ope, I抦 going to pray that you have the best year ever.?Risa crossed her fingers under the table like she had when she was a little girl and told a white lie.
揂ww, that抯 so sweet.?Daisy pushed back her chair, rounded the table, and gave Risa a hug. 揂re you going to walk us to the porch and wave as I drive away??
揑抣l be the one driving,?Lily said.
揑抦 the oldest,?Daisy argued.
揙nly by two minutes,?Lily countered.
揇aisy drives today, and you drive tomorrow.?Risa settled the argument. 揂nd if you can抰 agree or forget whose turn it is, then I抣l take you to school and hold both your hands all the way to the door like I did when you started kindergarten.?
揧es, ma抋m.?Lily didn抰 waste a second in disagreement.
揂nd you better thank Jessica and Haley for saying that I could use their vehicles if I need something so that you can have the truck for school,?Risa told them.
揟hank you!?the two of them chorused at the same time.
揑t抯 time to go if we抮e going to pick Melissa and Ginger up on the way,?Lily said. 揑抦 sure glad we抳e got a back seat in the truck. We抣l see y抋ll as soon as school is over.?
The moment Risa heard the truck leave, she covered her eyes with her hands and began to weep. 揇on抰 any of y抋ll look at me. I抦 ugly when I cry.?
揑 can抰 let you cry alone.?Jessica left her chair beside Wade and hugged Risa. 揥e抳e got this whole year with them. We won抰 waste a minute of it, and we抮e all grateful to you for sharing them with us.?
揑 can抰 even imagine sending this baby敆Haley touched her stomach棑off to preschool, much less think about him or her going to their senior year.?
揟ime passes so quickly. Just look at this summer,?Oscar told them. 揇on抰 take a minute of it for granted. Y抋ll have got a wonderful friendship among you, and Jessica and Wade, you抳e got something beyond that. Cherish it.?
揧ou抣l get no argument from me, but how did you know about me and Jessica??Wade asked.
揥e all know,?Risa said. 揜ight now, I don抰 want to think about how empty my life will be when I can抰 see my girls every day. They抳e been my lifeline to sanity all these years.?
揓ust keep the lines of communication open. You抳e got all this wonderful technology these days.?Oscar swiped a tear from his eye. 揘ow, let抯 get busy before we get even more maudlin. Zach called last night. He抯 bringing the two church pews home this morning. Have y抋ll decided whether you are gonna rent the barn out to him or what? I noticed you took the 慒or Sale?sign off the RV.?
揑 sold it to him,?Jessica said. 揌e抯 going to take it today and get the AC fixed or replaced.?
揑 thought it best that we all make a decision about letting him park it on the property.?Wade shrugged. 揥hat do you think??