As he thought back to that last fight, Earl could hear himself telling her that if she wanted a new life, she should find Annie’s daddy and have him give it to her. She must’ve known he didn’t mean it. She’d driven him nuts with her harping, and he was pissed off. You piss a man off, he’s bound to say things he don’t mean. That ain’t cause enough for leaving.
If Suzanna thought she could just take off and give Mr. Football a chance to play the daddy card now that he was done with college, she had another think coming. Earl wasn’t going to stand still for it. He’d been the one who was there when she needed somebody, and he wasn’t about to step aside now.
He’d never really wanted kids, but he’d put up with Annie for Suzanna’s sake. Mr. Football wasn’t willing to do it, but Earl was. If Suzanna couldn’t see that was the true measure of love, then he’d have to find a way to open her eyes and make certain she saw it.
Whatever he had to do, he’d do it. He was not going to lose out to Mr. Football. No way. No how.
Suzanna
The Decision
ONCE ANNIE WAS SUCCESSFULLY REGISTERED for school, Suzanna found moments when she could almost believe they actually were Parkers. No one—not the shopkeepers, not the doctor who gave Annie her vaccination, not even the school registrar—raised an eyebrow when Ida Parker said Annie was her great-granddaughter. True, there was always a chance Darla Jean would show up, but it had been 25 years since her family moved away. The likelihood of her returning now seemed so remote that Suzanna could sometimes push it to the back of her mind and pretend it didn’t exist.
With each passing day, the pieces of Darla Jean that had settled inside of her grew stronger. She began thinking of William not only as Ida’s deceased husband but as the kind-hearted granddaddy who’d waited for her return. She’d see Annie chasing Scout across the backyard or traipsing up and down the wide staircase and picture what her Darla Jean childhood would have been like. Instead of living with a daddy who could barely tolerate the sight of her, she should have been here, sleeping in the canopied bed Granddaddy had promised.
For the first time in years, Suzanna felt happy about who she was. It was the same sense of contentment that came with being Bobby Doherty’s girl, the feeling of being a person who was well-liked and respected. She no longer saw herself as simply a survivor; she was now a respectable mom and treasured granddaughter. Like a snake, she’d shed her skin and been born anew. The tarnished reputation that dogged her steps for years had been left behind in Sun Grove and was all but forgotten.
——————
THAT SEPTEMBER, ANNIE STARTED SCHOOL. For two weeks, she’d been chattering away about how excited she was, but when the morning finally arrived she was strangely quiet. She turned her nose up at Ida’s banana pancakes and claimed her stomach was hurting.
“Maybe it’s just butterflies about starting school,” Suzanna suggested.
“It’s not,” Annie said. Then she sat there looking glum and staring down at the uneaten pancakes until it was almost time to leave.
Before they left the house, Suzanna pinned a note inside Annie’s sweater. “This is Grandma Ida’s address and telephone number so if there is any kind an emergency—which I’m sure there won’t be—you can ask a grown-up to call here.”
With a look of concern tugging at the corners of her mouth, she asked, “Does this paper say I’m Annie Parker?”
“Of course, it does. I told you—”
“Does it say Darla Jean is my mama?”
“Yes, it does. Remember I told you only Earl called me Suzanna, but the truth—”
With that worried look still stuck to her face, she said, “I know, Mama. I know.”
Hand in hand they walked the five blocks to the school, and once the building came into sight Annie’s steps slowed significantly. Again she complained her tummy hurt.
“I think I’m too sick to go to school.”
“You’re not sick. You’re just feeling anxious because this is something you’ve never done before. You’ll be fine. It’s a chance to meet new friends and have lots of fun.”
Annie looked up, her eyes glistening with the threat of tears. “Mama, will you still be here when I come out of school?”
Suzanna squatted down and pulled Annie into her arms. “Of course, I will. I’m your mama. I’ll always be here for you. Forever and ev—”
“But what if Earl comes and says you should be Suzanna again?”
Annie’s fear wrapped itself around Suzanna’s heart and squeezed it so tight she could barely breathe.
“I’ll never be Suzanna again, and I’ll never, ever leave you, Annie. I’m your mama, and that’s more important than being Suzanna or Darla Jean or anything else in the world. I will always, always, always be here for you. I swear I will.”
“Is a swear the same as a promise?”
“It’s better than a promise. You can’t ever take back something you swear you’ll do.”
A barely perceptible smile curled Annie’s lips as they walked down the corridor to the classroom. At the door, Suzanna kissed her daughter’s cheek and turned to leave.
“Don’t forget you sweared,” Annie called after her.
Suzanna turned, smiled, then mouthed the words, I won’t forget.
By the time she left the building, Suzanna was no
