“I don’t think tacos would sit on your stomach well before going to dance. How about we go to Popeyes?”
“We like Popeyes, too. We never get to go there, either.”
“What’s wrong with Popeyes?”
Jamestown was a small town. They didn’t have much to choose from.
“Nothing. Mama is just sick of eating there. It’s Fat L—Jane’s favorite.”
“Then Popeyes it is.” He merged into traffic, driving toward the restaurant while listening to the children talk about their day. His eyes went to the back seat intermittently as Star talked about her teacher, her childish face stubbornly set as she told her brother that her teacher didn’t like her.
“She made me sit in the back row next to Ricky, and he always steals my pencils and copies me.”
“You want me to beat him up for you?” Harley’s legs had stopped swinging at his sister’s complaint about Ricky.
“He’s bigger than you.”
“I don’t care! You’re my sister. I’ll ninja him and make him give your pencils back.”
“Mama said she will buy me more pencils, so you don’t have to do that. But if he keeps pinching me to show him my papers, and if you get bigger, I’ll let you.”
“He pinches you?” Harley’s jaw was set, reminding Calder of Stud.
“Have you told your mom and dad about him pinching you?” Calder asked, parking in front of the restaurant.
“Yes, Mama and Daddy went to the school. Mrs. Holder said I was making it up. Ricky never gets in trouble.”
“She didn’t move Ricky?”
“No.”
He held the door open as they went inside. Instead of ordering, he wanted to drive back to the school and have a talk with Star’s teacher himself.
Placing the order, he kept his eye on the children as they found a booth and sat, waiting for him expectantly.
Calder carried the tray of food over, giving the kids their food. As he ate, Calder felt a swelling pride that he had created such a beautiful child. He had screwed up so many aspects of his life, but Star wasn’t one of them. He could never regret creating her.
His aunt Katy was wrong. He would never do drugs again. What he couldn’t do for himself, he could for Star. The temptations and the lure weren’t there anymore, and never would be as long as she was on earth.
When they finished eating, he drove them to Star’s dance studio.
He waved to Crazy Bitch as she stood in front of the class.
Lily was corralling the older girls to the other half of the studio. They had combined their classes for the recital.
“Are you going to stay and watch, Uncle Calder?” Star looked up at him with bright eyes.
“Of course. Me and Harley wouldn’t miss it.” He nudged Harley, who didn’t seem happy at his answer, toward a group of chairs on the side of the dance floor.
“You must be Star’s uncle Calder.”
He recognized the woman as the bus driver from the last time he had watched Star’s lesson.
“Yes, I am,” he acknowledged.
“I’m Nettie. I drive the bus for the girls. The girls all call me Nettie because I work in the cafeteria at the school and I always have a hairnet in my hair.”
He was charmed by the older woman who reached into an oversized purse to pull out a coloring book and crayons, giving them to Harley.
Crazy Bitch and Lily started their lessons by having the girls warm up. Seeing her in the leotard with the bright socks bunched up to hide her monitor, moving fluidly across the dance floor, he promised himself to take her out to the club that weekend so he could feel that sexy body dancing against him.
“Anna-Kate is really great with the girls.”
Calder felt her stare as he watched the lesson start. “Yes, she is.”
“I don’t know what me and Lily would do without her and Norma’s help.”
Calder turned his attention from Crazy Bitch at the mention of a Norma, realizing she must be talking about Sex Piston. There weren’t many who knew her real name. For all he knew, only her own family and Stud knew her name. Then he realized Sex Piston had toned down the use of Crazy Bitch’s nickname, therefore, as well as her own not to embarrass Star and Harley.
“I’m sure Anna-Kate gets as much enjoyment out of teaching them to dance as they get from her.”
Nettie nodded. “The foster parents love her. It gives them a break, and most of them can’t afford the lessons. It also gives the parents a way to see them in a neutral atmosphere.”
Calder stared at the women who were also watching, sensing the heartbreak in some of them.
Nettie patted his arm. “It’s unfortunate that they have to be separated from their children. That’s why Anna-Kate, Lily, and Norma are such a godsend. They are even saving their tip money to help build an extension off the women’s shelter. We hope to build ten small apartments, so if the women who are victims of domestic violence have to leave home, they will have a place to stay with their children. So far, we only have two large dormitory rooms with bunk beds for them to stay in. Many of the women don’t want their children to stay there, even if we had the room, but sadly, we don’t. We’re filled to capacity. Our organization services two counties, Treepoint and Jamestown. Those ten apartments will make a big difference. Just think, ten of those girls will be able to return to their mothers.”