Page 131 of Left Behind

“Love you, too. Drive safe, sweetheart.”

He’d no sooner disconnected than he got a text from Doug to pick him up from the dentist, so he put the car in gear and drove away.

***

Linette picked Ava up from Dani’s house as soon as she got back to Jubilee, and then they spent the rest of the afternoon trying on school clothes Linette had purchased.

Ava was so excited she couldn’t stop talking.

“I don’t have to wear the same thing every day?”

“No, ma’am, you do not. We have a few dresses, and shorts and tops, and some jeans and sweatshirts, and a new jacket, and a new winter coat, and a sock cap and mittens, and another pair of sneakers. Bubba wanted to make sure you have everything you might need.”

“And I can wear my hair stuff?”

Linette nodded. “A pretty bow or hair clip every day if you want it. Did you always eat in the school cafeteria before?”

Ava nodded. “Yes. Corina didn’t make me lunch. I got a free lunch. I cost her plenty. She was broke because of me.”

Linette was horrified by the wording. She knew immediately that Ava had not made those determinations on her own. She was just repeating what she’d heard.

“That was then, and this is now,” Linette said. “We aren’t broke. And we’ll make sure your meals are already paid for every month, okay?”

Ava nodded. She’d already learned that when Bubba and Linnie said something, they meant it. It was one of her biggest revelations. Grown-ups who kept their word.

“I’ll hang up the rest of your things,” Linette said. “Why don’t you go outside and play in your playhouse for a while? Bubba will be home later, and we’ll make supper.”

“I’m going to take Pinky with me. She likes to slide,” Ava said, and left the room with her rag doll tucked under her arm like she was carrying a pillow.

Linette watched her walking away and, in that moment, realized it was how Ava carried everything. She wondered again how Ava’s prior environment had given her the idea that this was how to carry something, then decided she didn’t want to know.

***

The board of directors of PCG Incorporated was having a meeting. Cameron Pope, the CEO of the corporation, had called it because they had business to discuss that had to do with Aunt Ella Pope’s passing.

Rusty had taken Mikey and gone to visit Cameron’s younger sister, Rachel. She knew what the meeting was about, but it was strictly board member business, and Mikey settled in to play with his cousin Lili, while she and Rachel visited.

Cameron was outside on the porch with Ghost at his side, waiting as the members began to arrive. One representative from each of the three families served on the board. John Cauley. Marcus Glass, and Cameron Pope. They knew why the meeting had been called, but there had to be a consensus among them before they could act. It was how peace was kept among so many people.

John Cauley was the first to arrive.

“Uncle John, thanks for coming,” Cameron said, as John came up the porch steps.

“Sure thing, Son. We’ve let this go awhile. It’s time to finish it,” John said. He gave Ghost a pat on the head and got a head bump on his leg in appreciation.

“There comes Marcus,” Cameron said, and waved as Marcus got out of his car.

“I got delayed by a phone call,” Marcus said, scratched a spot behind Ghost’s right ear. He got a tail wag for his troubles and then joined the others.

“No problem,” Cameron said. “Let’s go inside where it’s cool. Rusty baked, and there’s plenty of sweet tea.”

They followed him in, laughing and talking as they moved to the kitchen, grabbed a couple of cookies, and each poured themselves a glass of tea before sitting down at the long kitchen table.

Ghost settled on the floor beside Cameron’s chair, and then Cameron leaned forward.

“As you know, this isn’t official PCG business. It has nothing to do with Jubilee. Aunt Ella left a will. You know the gist of it. She had no direct heirs. We’re all, in some way or another, kin to her, but one no more than another. There is no direct heir to her property, but she stated in her will that she wanted the members of the board to decide the fate of her property. I don’t think any of us want to see it sit empty. It will soon fall to ruin if that happens. Agreed?”

Both men nodded. “Agreed,” they echoed.

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