“I love you, too.” I kissed her on the temple, then said, “Now get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow.”
She nodded, then lay down and snuggled into her pillow. I turned out the light and then headed to bed.
The following couple of days were a complete blur.
I still hadn’t heard anything from Thatch. I tried calling but didn’t get an answer, which worried me. He always answered, or at the very least, called me right back. I couldn’t stop thinking that something must be very wrong, and I was starting to panic.
To make matters worse, David’s condition began to deteriorate much quicker than any of us had expected, which meant increased hours at the nursing home, leaving me little time to prepare for Cat’s birthday. I managed to order her a cake, and Mom dropped her presents off at the house. Other than that, I had no clue what I was going to do.
After a hectic day at work, I hoped I could pick up Cat from school, meet with my parents, and have dinner somewhere to celebrate her big day.
And we would.
But before that could happen, I had to deal with a situation at Cat’s school.
When I pulled up to the car rider line, Cat didn’t rush up to the door like she normally did. Instead, she poked along like she’d lost her best friend. It wasn’t until she got in the car that I noticed the stuffed bear and bag of candy in her hand.
She tossed her backpack on the floorboard like she always did, then she threw down the stuffed bear and candy with a huff as she sat down and buckled her seatbelt. I reached over and placed my hand on her head. “Hey, sweetheart. Is everything okay?”
She shook her head no.
“What’s wrong?”
“He sent that.” She pointed to the bear on the floorboard. “I don’t want it.”
“Who sent that?”
“Daddy.” She didn’t take her eyes off it as she mumbled, “For my birthday.”
“He sent that to you here?”
She nodded.
“And they gave it to you?”
She nodded again.
“I don’t believe this.” I pulled the car forward and parked, then took my phone out of my purse and handed it to Cat. “I’m going inside to talk to the principal for a minute. You stay right here and play one of your games until I get back.”
“Okay.”
I reached down and grabbed the bear, then opened my car door. “I’ll be right back.”
Cat nodded, then looked down at my phone and started pulling up her game. I got out and closed the door, then rushed over to the woman in charge of the car rider line and asked, “Is Sue Ellen here today?”
“Yes, ma’am. I believe she’s still in the main office.”
“Okay, great. I need to speak to her for a moment.” I motioned my hand towards my car. “Cat’s in the car. Can you please keep an eye on her?”
“Sure.”
“Thank you.”
I looked down at the bear in my hand, and for the first time, I noticed the note tied around its neck. I could feel the anger building inside of me as I read:
Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Your daddy loves you more than you know.
I wish I was there to celebrate with you and Mommy.
I can’t wait to see you again!
Love always,
Daddy
I couldn’t believe he’d managed to get this gift to her at school. I knew he hadn’t done it on his own—which meant Joyce had sent it for him.
The thought nearly sent me spiraling over the edge.
I charged towards the front doors and headed inside to find the principal. When I walked in the office, I found Sue Ellen standing at the front counter talking with one of the teachers. I placed the bear down on the counter and asked, “Did you know about this?”
“I’m not sure what that is.”
“It was a gift sent to Catherine from her father.” The school knew all about Trevor and, after the incident with his mother, were aware there’d be no contact between him or his family and Catherine. “Apparently, it was delivered here today, and someone gave it to her.”
“Oh, Rebecca, I’m so sorry. It’s been a madhouse around here.” She motioned her hand to the empty desk behind her. “The secretary is out today; several kids had left with fever, and some deliveries had special instructions. I guess this one slipped through without us realizing it.”
“This is unacceptable, Sue Ellen. A no-contact order means no contact!” I fussed. “Today is her birthday, and now it’s been ruined because of this.”
“I don’t know what to say. There’s no excuse for what happened.” Sue Ellen sounded completely sincere. “I’m very sorry, and I give you my word it won’t ever happen again.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.” I pushed the stuffed bear in her direction. “You can toss this. We won’t be needing it.”