A Special Kind Of Family

He’d already guessed what she wanted and quickly offered to deliver the dinner she would prepare the following day.

He slowly set down the phone. His shoulders were straight and head high as he sat down in the tall-backed oak chair and glanced at the many cubicles in his antique rolltop desk. As good as he felt right now, he should be able to zip through the paperwork which had accumulated over the past two days. If only he could keep from thinking about Vanessa for just a little while….

Chapter Three

This night was not going nearly as well for Vanessa as she’d hoped. Oh, it started out fine, more than fine while Rob was there, but when she came in after seeing him off she found that neither Jana nor Barb had started her homework.

They sat glaring across the kitchen table, in a seething silence she tried to break by speaking directly to one, then the other. Receiving only monosyllabic answers to questions about their assignments, Vanessa leaned back in her chair. “Okay, who wants to tell me what’s going on?”

Silence. Averted glances.

“Barb, please explain whatever I should know.”

Jana pouted. “Just ’cause she’s a few lousy months older, she always gets chosen first!”

“You were given the opportunity and could have answered. Now I’m asking Barb.”

Barb was the quietest of the five, somewhat timid and nervous, the thumb of her right hand presently worrying a hangnail on her left forefinger. “Jana thinks she’s the only person in the whole world!”

Vanessa shook her head, frowning, to stop Jana from interrupting. “Like with your friend,” Barb continued. “Jana thinks Rob’s falling for her, if you can believe anything that dumb!”

“He talked to me more than to you or anyone else! You know he did.”

“’Cause you kept barging into every single conversation he tried to have! With Vanessa or Mrs. Redding or anyone.”

“I was just being friendly!” Her dark-blue eyes were stormy. “Not like you, sitting there like some stupid old lump.”

Jana’s records had shown that she believed every man or boy who paid attention to her considered her irresistible. Although sexually active for at least two years, she was unwilling to take responsibility for being almost six months’ pregnant.

“That’s better than making an idiot of yourself and preening like a peacock. Or strutting your stuff.”

“Oh, Miss Priss!”

“That is enough, Jana!” Vanessa turned back to Barb. “Is there anything you want to add?”

She drew in a quick breath and opened her mouth, then closed it again as she sat there in thin-lipped dudgeon. It was several seconds before she blurted, “She’s always running me down!”

Vanessa knew Barb needed building up, but she couldn’t do that now. “I know how hard it is for both of you, being seventeen. I had a rough time of it, too, when I was your age. But Gram’s doing everything she can to help all of you through this, not only because of your age but because you’re pregnant, which also can make women edgy.

“It’s been a tall order right from the beginning, but she’s done her best, and at this point we don’t even know if she can continue it when she gets out, so…”

Barb was leaning forward, staring. “You mean—we might get sent back home?”

That last word came out as a high-pitched squeal, and the girl’s hazel eyes were so huge Vanessa could see white all around the pupils.

“How would you feel if that happens?”

“I’m not going back there.” Her head moved forcefully from side to side. “No one can make me do that.”

“Then it behooves you and Jana to shape up.”

“I mean it. I won’t go back.” Barb never looked well, as skinny as she was and often, like now, her head and shoulders were bent forward as though carrying a tremendous burden. “I’ll run away first—or kill myself.”

She’s seldom this forceful, this dramatic, Vanessa thought. “Was it that bad?”

“Worse!” Barb’s hands were wringing one another there on the table. “Mom picks such awful guys!”

Vanessa couldn’t remember the reports going deeply into the lifestyle of her mother, but as she was trying to decide how to ask the question, Jana burst out with it, “Is he the guy who got you pregnant?”

A shudder ran through Barb. “I don’t even want to talk about him. He’s evil!”

What would Gram do? Vanessa wondered. Would she keep the girl talking, hoping that, once out in the open, it could be dealt with?

Jana was already asking, “Did your mom know about it?”

“She didn’t do anything. She’s as bad as he is!”

“Worse, if you ask me! My mom didn’t give a hoot about me, but I can hardly believe yours would let her boyfriend do whatever he wanted! Both of them should rot in jail.”

It’s amazing—Jana’s utterly appalled by the wickedness done to this girl she herself harasses! But what Vanessa said was, “At least you’re safe here, Barb.”

“I’m—not sure. Mom had to sign for me to come, since I’m just seventeen, so she knows where I am.” She fidgeted as she cleared her throat. “Two days ago a red car went past here that looked like his. But I ducked down, so I can’t say absolutely, positively it was him driving, but the car had a replacement fender on the right front, just like his. And it was going real slow.”

Vanessa tried to keep from showing her horror at this development. “Have you told anyone?”

Barb’s long, straight blond hair whipped from side to side with her vigorous head shake. “I thought I’d tell Gram yesterday, but am sure glad I didn’t!”

“Glad?” Jana challenged, eyes still large.

“If she’d fallen right after I told her, I’d never have forgiven myself!” Her hair swung forward, partially concealing the tear-smudged, downward-tilted face.

Vanessa went to her, reassuring, “We understand your being frightened, dear, but I’m glad you told us. We can help you.”

“Nobody can—not forever.” It was a wail of hopelessness. “He could grab me on my way to school. Or come here…”

“I don’t think he’d try that—not with all of us here with you.”

Jana chimed in with her own encouragement, “Sure, we’ll tell the others and—”

“Don’t tell anyone. I shouldn’t have said anything. I didn’t plan to.”

“We had to know, Barb. From now on I’ll drive you to school each morning, and you two can make a point of coming home together.” Aware of Jana’s apprehension, she asked, “You often walk back with other girls, don’t you?”

“Just sometimes.” Barb looked toward Jana. “And I don’t want you or anyone else hurt.”

Vanessa needed to ask, “You honestly think there could be danger to others?”

“I don’t know. But I’ve been so scared….”