Page 37 of Unexpected Gifts

She went downstairs to find the children eating bowls of bran cereal at the island while reading. Their heads bent over books tugged at Abby’s heartstrings. They were precious.

“Good morning, guys,” Abby said.

“Hi, Abby,” Jack said.

Sophie mumbled good morning, looking up from her book briefly to give her a polite smile.

“You need anything else for breakfast?” A dart of guilt pierced her. Should she have gotten up earlier and made a hot meal? Is that what good mothers did?

“No, we like cereal,” Sophie said. “Mom let us have it as long as there was no sugar in it.”

“Did she make you a hot breakfast most days?” Abby asked, heading toward the coffee maker.

“Sometimes. On weekends,” Sophie said. “But she said cereal’s way faster and leaves nothing to clean up.”

The kids continued to eat while Abby made a small pot of coffee for herself. Soon, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. She took a few bracing sips before asking the children if they could talk.

They set aside their books and looked up at her expectedly.

“I have an interview later with Doc Ford,” Abby said. “And you’re going to come with me and stay with the receptionist while I talk with the doctor.”

“Are you going to work there?” Sophie asked.

“If I get the job, yes.”

“Will we go to Grace’s like we did when Mom worked at the store?” Jack asked.

“I haven’t talked to her specifically about it, but that would be my guess.” Abby held her coffee mug with both hands, watching the children for signs of…what exactly? “Is that okay?”

“We love it there,” Sophie said. “And we love Grace.”

“And Lily worships me,” Jack said.

Abby stifled a laugh. Anyway, it was true. The little girl hung on Jack’s every word.

“What happens if you don’t get the job?” Sophie asked. “Will we still have Christmas?”

The question took her aback. They associated her employment with whether they would have gifts at Christmas? How bad had it gotten for Ramona over the years?

“Of course we will. I’ll find some kind of job, even if it’s not with animals. Don’t worry about that. Anyway, I graduated at the top of my class. If Doc Ford likes me, I think he’ll offer me a position. Grace told me he wants to cut back on his hours and enjoy a semiretirement.”

“What’s that?” Jack asked.

“It means working less days,” Abby said. “Like if you only had to go to school two days a week instead of five.”

“That would be terrible,” Sophie said. “I love school.”

“I loved school, too.” Abby smiled. Her ambition and love of learning had been the one constant throughout her life. Hopefully, all her hard work would result in a job offer today.

“Maybe only really smart people like school?” Sophie asked. “Like you and me. And Jack.” The last part was said in a tone that wasn’t completely convincing.

Jack didn’t seem to notice.

Rufus came trotting in, wagging his tail. Jack slid from his stool and knelt to give the dog scratches and pets.

“Jack, do you want to learn how to give Rufus his breakfast?” Abby asked.

“Sure, I’d love to.”

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