In February, Reenie finally conceded so she could end the stalemate between them. Keith signed the documents and he had Jennifer, Angela and Isabella every other weekend, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and one month in the summer. Sometimes when they were with him, they even spent an afternoon with their half siblings. Not that they were very happy about it. Because Liz’s family had moved to town just as everything fell apart, Reenie’s daughters believed Mica and Christopher had stolen their daddy. Reenie had tried to explain that the divorce had nothing to do with Liz’s children, but Angela, especially, complained about having the intellectually gifted Mica in her class at school.
Fortunately by March, Reenie’s friends and neighbors had accepted Reenie’s new status. Everyone became accustomed to having the other O’Connells around and, as the scandal turned into old news, life grew easier. Reenie only had to avoid her parents’ house, because Liz and Isaac lived across the street, do her grocery shopping on weekends, because Liz worked at Finley’s during the week, pick up her girls a few minutes earlier than usual, so all the O’Connell kids wouldn’t wind up standing on the curb together. And she had to ignore Isaac Russell, who now worked at the feed store. She would’ve asked Gabe to pick up her supplies, but didn’t feel she could impose on him that much. Since moving to the farm, she had a horse, a cow and several chickens to care for and therefore had to make frequent trips.
She wasn’t sure if her visits to Earl’s Feed & Tackle prompted Isaac to e-mail her, but he did so every once in a while. Earl, the owner of the store, must’ve told him when she was in the market for a horse, because the first time he wrote it was to say he could help her find a good buy, if she wanted some help.
She didn’t want his help, so she deleted his message and didn’t reply.
A few weeks later, shortly after she took Bailey to the vet and received the sad news that he had cancer, Isaac had written her again. She wasn’t sure what he wanted that time, but she knew he’d heard about Bailey when he said how sorry he was.
Once more, she hit the delete button and didn’t respond.
Then, as recently as last month, he’d sent her a message to let her know they were having a sale on the kind of feed she preferred. She was tempted to respond to that one. She carried a heavy load these days when it came to supporting herself and the girls. Because Softscape wouldn’t take Keith back if he continued to commute, and Keith refused to move to Los Angeles, he was still at the hardware store. There, he didn’t make enough to give her much of anything.
But she didn’t respond to Isaac’s third message, either. She didn’t even go in to buy the feed. She was finished with Isaac, Liz and Keith, although Keith was having a hard time understanding the finality of it all. Her ex-husband still called occasionally, or dropped by with the hope of talking her into coming back to him. He said he’d never get over her, never give up. However, sometimes she saw him around town with Liz or one of Liz’s children and knew she would never agree to a reconciliation.
For the most part, Reenie was successful in pretending that Keith, Isaac and Liz didn’t exist. She even dated now and then. True, the men she saw were mostly old friends and had no chance of winning her heart. But at least she was moving on. She wouldn’t allow what Keith had done to destroy her. If she was more than a little lonely, she ignored it. Between milking the cow in the morning, teaching school during the day and taking care of the kids and the farm at night, she usually dropped into bed around midnight and didn’t even dream.
As the snow disappeared and April rolled around, Reenie began to feel as though she was recovering. The resentment in Jennifer’s voice when she talked about “smarty-pants” Mica had diminished, leading Reenie to believe that the girls were beginning to adjust, as well. She and Georgia were on distant but not unfriendly terms despite the divorce. And, largely due to Gabe’s help, the most rudimentary improvements to the farm, including the repairs to the barn, were complete. Everything was under control. At least, that was what Reenie thought until she walked into the staff meeting at the high school early one Monday and everyone suddenly fell silent.
“What is it?” she asked, gazing around her.
Beth Neilsen, who taught history, was three years older than Reenie and also divorced. Since Reenie had split with Keith, Beth had become one of her closest friends and often hung out with her at The Honky Tonk on a Friday or Saturday night. When Beth stared at the floor instead of responding, Reenie knew something was really wrong.
“Isn’t anyone going to answer me?” she said.
The principal, Guy McCauley, stood at the front of the room. “Reenie, um, have a seat, okay?”
Reenie glanced at her watch. It was only 6:55 a.m. Deborah Wheeler was still at the back, filling her coffee cup. “I’m not late,” she said, trying to figure out what was going on.
“No.”
“Did…a parent of one of my students call to complain? There haven’t been any incidents in my classroom—”
“No, no, of course not,” he said. “You’re doing a super job.”
“Then what?”
There were a few murmurs and some restless shifting from everyone else as Guy’s lips curved into an awkward smile. “It’s nothing, really. I mean, nothing new. You’re aware that Ina Guardino goes on maternity leave week after next, right?”
“Yes…”
Deborah carried her coffee to her seat. But she no longer seemed particularly interested in drinking it. She was too busy staring at Reenie.
“And that we’ve been searching, without any luck, for someone to replace her?” Guy went on.
Reenie scowled. “If you think I can manage another class right now, you’re wrong, Guy. I already gave up my lunch hour to take one of Janet Wolfe’s computer classes when she broke her hip. And the other periods I’m teaching math, which isn’t an elective. Every kid we’ve got has to pass my class, which means I get up close and personal with all the behavioral problems. This semester, I’ve got both Riley Caywood and Derrick Benson in my sixth period. And you know I have open seventh so I can pick up my kids from school. My hands are full.”
“You’re busy,” he agreed. “And we wouldn’t think of overburdening you by asking for more. That’s why we’re so happy we’ve managed to find someone else…well, actually Madge found him,” he added quickly.