The rest of the week I didn’t call any of the Stonewood men. I needed a break. I focused on studying by myself and jogging closer to home.
Katie and Vick plowed into my apartment with their spare keys on Saturday as I got ready to go visit the kids for a second time that week to pass the time.
Vick animatedly tossed keys up and down as I pulled on a black cardigan. “Rome loaned his truck to us.”
I glanced back at Katie who rolled her eyes and Vick who smiled cautiously. “So? Are you going grocery shopping or something?”
“No.” Vick waited a beat and then in one breath said, “Katie told me you have a charity that you support forty-five minutes from here and I want to go with you two to help volunteer. I like kids too, and so what if I’ve never volunteered, right? I can be a volunteer. My parents always donated to charities but never let me be involved. I was too young, and they thought it was dangerous, which now I know is ridiculous a–”
“Vick,” Katie cut her off. “You don’t need our permission to come along. You got a truck so we don’t have to bus anyway. Works for all of us. She’s coming, Brey.”
Like a mother protecting her child, I wanted to protest to introducing anyone new to something so precious in my life. “Sure.” My response was lackluster at best.
Vick’s face scrunched up. “Oh my God, Brey! Could you sound any less excited?”
I straightened up and painted on a smile. “Anyone who helps is appreciated.”
“‘Anyone who helps is appreciated,’” she air quoted back in a nasally voice. Then, she put her hands on her hips. “Don’t look so nervous. I promise I will be extremely helpful. I can do whatever.”
“I know, Vick.” I smoothed my hair back and wondered how I could put it nicely to her. “These children don’t have a lot of contact with figures in their lives who stick around though. My mom gave a lot to this home. It took me a long time to understand how much she did and how much I was capable of doing too. I only just started going when she passed away, and they really appreciate us being there every week. I know some would be crushed if we didn’t show. It’s a real commitment.”
“Okay, I hate when you act all professional and uptight.” She turned to Katie. “Think we could beat it out of her?”
Katie smiled. “Not a chance. That’s Whitfield-ingrained manners.”
My hands went to my hips too. “Hey, that’s rude!”
“That’s true, bitch,” Katie retorted.
Vick stayed on target. “It’ll be good for you, and it’ll be good for me. It’ll mostly be great for the kids. They need good people around them, and I’ll be committed, I promise,” she blurted quickly.
I glared at Katie because her logic seemed too logical, like she’d been prepped.
“She’s committed to annoying both of us.” Katie shrugged like she didn’t care. “She can be committed to the little minions too.”
“I know.” My heart beat way too fast. It was a reminder that I was much too invested in the organization. “It isn’t my home. I mean, anyone who wants to go can go. I just think everyone should understand that once the kids meet you, they’re hurt if you don’t show up again. I’ve seen it happen in this last year already way too many times.”
Vick nodded her head vigorously. “I totally get it.”
“Okay.” I struggled with the social norm of allowing this to happen easily and my protectiveness that was probably not necessary. “Let’s get going before Rome changes his mind.”
Vick squealed and I gave in to her excitement, laughing a little as we piled into Rome’s pickup truck.
“This is going to be so fun.” Vick clapped her hands in the backseat.
“The drive is boring as hell,” Katie corrected.
“At least Rome let us use his truck.” Vick started and then turned to me. “Brey, remember to tell Rome you drove the whole way, OK?”
I rolled my eyes, “I’m guessing he only gave me permission to drive.”
Katie’s gray eyes met mine, and they weren’t filled with guilt. “Obviously.”
“No wonder he doesn’t like you.” Vick laughed along with her. “Can we leave a Katie memento in here too? Let’s aggravate the hell out of him by dousing his truck in Katie’s perfume?”
“I don’t wear perfume, you freak. That idea is borderline crazy, by the way.”
“No, it isn’t! I did it when I was dating this one guy. He absolutely loved it,” Vick said, totally proud of herself. “For you, well, you always smell like vanilla and Rome’s gotta know it. He probably smells vanilla and runs the other way to avoid interacting with you.”
“Feeling’s mutual.” Katie gave me a she’s-crazy look.
I turned to Vick in the back, “You and Katie aren’t being very grateful that he is letting us use the truck.”
“Grateful for what?” Katie snorted. “He has another one. It’s not like we are putting him in some bind.”
“Actually, I’m pretty sure he has three vehicles now,” Vick pointed out and then turned contemplative. “Remind me why you haven’t exclusively claimed that man, Brey. He’s hot and totally …”
“Annoying as fuck,” Katie finished.
I rolled my eyes and smiled as they filled the silence with their bickering.
When we arrived, Vick looked a little disappointed and I knew why. Where I volunteered wasn’t a large, beautiful building or a fancy facility. Instead what looked like a little farm house sat on one of the green hills that rolled on and on until they finally met the bright blue sky on the horizon.
“They’re waiting inside.” I motioned to Vick and she straightened her T-shirt as if she was preparing for the worst. I sighed and led both my friends toward the front porch.
Before we even made it there, a scrawny little girl with brown hair down to her waist came running out in her signature purple shoes. The shoes were worn down and didn’t match her blue T-shirt and jean shorts.
Yet, not one of us could talk her out of wearing those shoes ever.
Ollie had a stubborn side. One that, I would guess, had come from a few years of being surrounded by other children here at the home. That, and probably having to deal with a mother not many of us understood. That woman let men through her house like her doorway was a merry go round. She worked unknown jobs and unknown hours. It was always hell getting a hold of her.
Yet, Ollie showed up on her own at the home everyday. Her mother had done something right to raise such a responsible kid.
The little seven-year-old flew at me like a bullet and didn’t slow down at all when she jumped into my arms.
“You’re here!” she exclaimed.
I laughed. “Of course. I told you I was coming again this week.”
She beamed at me, then turned her little brown eyes on Katie and Vick.
“Hey, you little tyrant,” Katie said, hands on her hips.
That little ball of energy extended her arms out to Katie, ready for her next hug, and Katie showed her rarest side by snuggling the little one right out of my arms. “Katie! Jasmine wants hair like yours but her momma said no.”
“Probably for the best, Ollie,” Katie responded.
Ollie dropped the subject as she eyed Vick. She leaned back over with her arms out toward me. I sat her on my hip and started toward the porch again, knowing the group was waiting for us.
Vick didn’t say a word as Ollie whispered to me, “Who is that?”
Neither of them were great at introducing themselves to one another. Ollie was nervous around new faces and Vick could talk to just about anyone her age. She didn’t know how to talk to children at all though.
I sighed as we reached the front porch, set Ollie on her feet, and turned her toward Vick. She hid behind my leg but peeked out. “Ollie, this is Vick. She’s a really good friend of mine and wanted to hang out with all of you today.”
Vick fidgeted in her designer skinny jeans and looked ready to bolt. Instead, she stuck out her hand and practically yelled, “Hi, Ollie. I’m Vick.”
Ollie jumped and gripped my leg tighter. She looked up at me and whispered, “Why is she yelling?”
I tried not to laugh as I glanced at Katie who had her hand over her mouth as she tried to keep her snickers quiet. “She does that when she’s nervous,” I said, trying to warm Ollie up to the idea of Vick. “Why don’t you ask her why she is nervous?”
Ollie’s eyes narrowed as if she was trying to figure out if I was lying, then they swung towards Vick’s hand. She stepped up and took it, shaking it vigorously. “Why are you so nervous, Vick?”
Vick glanced at both of us, eyes pleading for help but I let her answer honestly. These children needed honesty most. “Well, um, I’ve never been here before. I want you all to like me, but I don’t know if I’ll be someone you’ll like.”
Ollie let go of her hand and studied her longer. “Well, Jasmine likes the color pink, so she will probably like you and your shirt. If you don’t yell at everyone, they will probably like you too.”
With that, Ollie turned on her purple-shoed heel and opened the porch door to go find the others. I smiled and nodded at Vick before following Ollie inside.
Margie, the group’s leader, opened the door wider and welcomed us in with a clipboard ready. “Katie, Brey, you made it.” She looked over at Vick. “I haven’t met you, so you will have to fill out a few forms.”
Vick nodded and took the clipboard from her. “I’m Vick. I wanted to start volunteering with Katie and Brey.”
While Vick filled out the forms, Ollie reappeared holding the hand of Jasmine. “Margie’s mad because Rodney didn’t come to the house today.” She leaned in to whisper to us three, “His mom is sick again.”
Katie and I glanced at one another. ‘Sick’ was code for something else. All the children had one thing in common. Their parents struggled and when they didn’t show up to the house, we could usually guess the reason. Margie prided herself on taking care of all the children she could during the day on the reservation. Instead of having those seven kids today, she had one less. The frustration I felt was nothing in comparison to what she must have.
“Why don’t we go find the others and we can pick some veggies while Margie makes some calls to Rodney’s mom and friends, okay?”
Jasmine took Katie’s hand as we walked out. “I like the red in your hair.”
The air hit us like a humid summer wave, and after an hour of picking vegetables out in the fields, Vick announced she was going to get sunscreen for all of us.
Jasmine piped up, “I don’t wear sunscreen.”
Brenda, who was a few years older than Jasmine and Ollie, added, “I don’t either. You only need it because your skin burns.”
Walter, the youngest of them all, stopped dusting off a carrot. “I wear sunscreen because my mom does too. She says I’ll get an owie if I don’t.”
Walter’s mother definitely was right about that. He had blonde hair and blue eyes with skin the color of porcelain. The other children though had been graced with the same skin I had. It was olive toned or darker like their Native American heritage.
Vick seemed to take their comments in stride. “Well, Walter, we are just a little special, huh?” she replied to them all, winking to us as she headed toward the car.
Ollie jumped on the opportunity to gossip. “I think I like her, but her hair isn’t as pretty as Brey’s hair and doesn’t have as many colors as Katie’s. What do you think, Jasmine?”
“I like her shirt, and she said she would get us sunscreen if we needed it. She’s nice.”
Walter chimed in, “I want to marry her.”
I laughed as my worries about bringing Vick were officially squashed.
Every time I visited the kids, the muscles that usually bunched between my shoulders relaxed. The anxiety that normally tightened in my stomach loosened. We were free here, no one judged us on anything but how well we got along.
Instead of focusing on a tabloid or what the media might be saying about Jax and my father, I focused on them.
