Page 62 of Better Together

It reminded her of a verse. Knock and the door will be opened to you. She was definitely knocking, but He hadn’t answered the door yet.

She pressed the button, and a sharp buzz sounded. A second later, the lock on the door gave way.

Inside, the administrator’s office was on the left, and a woman with graying curly hair waved her in.

“Hey! It’s good to see you again.”

“You too, Mrs. Petty.” Everyone at the school had welcomed them with open arms during their meetings and phone calls before Ben started earlier this week. Mrs. Petty was excellent at her job, and the kids seemed to love her too.

“Mrs. Hanes told me to expect you. Her office is down that way on the left. There’s a sign out front.”

“Thanks. Is Ben already there?”

“He should be in the library. It’s right before you get to Mrs. Carmichael’s room. You’ll see it.”

“Thanks again.” Remi picked at her fingernails as she walked down the silent hallways. It looked like so many of the schools she’d attended when she was young, but this place had more happiness, even without the kids laughing in the hallways.

She’d been in dozens of meetings like this one, but familiarity didn’t make it any easier. Her neck tightened, and her skin prickled as she fought the urge to turn around and run away from the meeting with the school counselor.

Stopping at the door marked as the library, Remi peeked inside. Half a dozen kids were scattered over the small round tables, and Ben sat at the one nearest the door.

“Hey, bud.”

Ben looked up from the homework sheet, and he gave her a small smile. A second later, recognition dawned, and the smile faded.

“You ready for the meeting?” she asked.

Ben gathered his books and papers into his backpack. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

Remi signed Ben out on an old-fashioned clipboard at the librarian’s desk and opened her hand to him. He looked at the hand for a few seconds before she pulled it back. She’d been holding the kids’ hands every chance possible over the last week, but the circumstances were different when Ben was at school around his friends. He was old enough not to need an assuring handhold, but she’d offered it anyway.

Out in the hallway, they turned toward the counselor’s office. “How was your day?”

Ben stared at the floor as he walked. “Do I have to go?”

Remi stopped and squatted beside him. The sadness in his tired eyes and the slump of his shoulders was enough to choke her up. She wrapped her hand around his upper arm and rubbed her thumb over his thin shirt. “I know this is scary, but I’ve met Mrs. Hanes, and she really wants to help you. I want to help you too, but I’m afraid I won’t know how.”

Ben looked up at her, and his chin quivered. “I don’t know her.”

She could have pointed out that he hadn’t known her ten days ago, but that wasn’t the answer he was looking for right now. “I don’t know her either. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, but I would like it if you just went in this time. We don’t have to do this ever again, and if you want, we can let her do all the talking.”

Ben stared at his feet but nodded.

Remi opened her arms, and Ben wrapped his arms around her neck. She squeezed, wishing she could absorb his sadness and lift it from his shoulders. Burrowing her face in his neck, she sank into the hug. Apparently, she’d needed the comfort too because every worry and sadness fell away in those quiet seconds with Ben.

“I was sad a lot when I was a kid,” Remi whispered.

Ben pulled away and wiped at his face. “Really?”

“Yeah. I didn’t have anybody to talk to, so I didn’t talk.”

“At all?”

“At all. I don’t think I talked more than one-word answers until I was about twelve.”

“What made you start talking then?” Ben asked.

Now she’d backed herself into a corner. The truth wouldn’t help him. She’d finally started talking because she’d needed to defend herself. Bullies, her mom, even the people she’d thought were her friends had tried to break her down. In short, she’d started talking when she’d had enough and needed to stand her ground.

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