A Place to Heal, page 16
“I can’t believe it,” Rita said, “I’m fuming. I’m disappointed. I’m a whole lot of things, and none of them good.”
“North Springs is better than this,” Hannah consoled. “At least I thought North Springs was better than this. How are you? How is Mason?”
Dana was momentarily lost how to answer. Could two people be so good and so awful at the same time? Her life seemed thrown off-balance and falling-into-place at the same time. She expected Mason felt much the same. She settled for replying, “Upset but not surrendered,” shrugging her ambivalence to the two women.
“I know exactly how you feel,” Hannah agreed, nodding.
Oh, I doubt that, Dana thought. Hannah hadn’t just kissed what felt like the love of her life last night. Hannah hadn’t just firmly cut ties with her safe past to launch whatever came next. Dana was counting the seconds until she could slip her hands into Mason’s and hear him say they’d face whatever came next together.
“So you won’t let them win.” Rita said it as a declaration of war, not a question. “You’ll fight last night’s rejection.”
“I don’t quite know what comes next, Rita.”
“Tomorrow is Special Ladies Day,” Rita said. “You’re still going with Charlie, aren’t you? You absolutely should go.”
Hannah’s eyes brightened. “Charlie invited you to Special Ladies Day at school? How perfect is that! You are a special lady, most especially to him. Oh, Dana, you have to go. Don’t you dare let them scare you off of that.”
Dana had hoped the same thing. “I will go, if Charlie still wants to. I don’t know how Mason broke the news to him this morning. But I guess I’ll know soon enough—I’m heading over to Guerro’s to meet Mason right now.”
“Does Mason sound ready to fight it?” Hannah asked. Given how Mason had secluded himself in past months, it was a fair question.
“He does. I know I am.” The question was, would that be enough?
Rita put her hands on her hips, battle ready. “I assure you, we are, too.”
“I’m glad to know that,” Dana replied. It did mean a lot to her to know Hannah, Rita, Theo and Bart were in her corner.
“Here’s what I think,” Rita went on. “Last night you saw a bunch of frightened people stirred up by Arthur Nicholson. That’s not who we are. Now it’s time we showed you the real North Springs. Your camp will happen. Those children, those families, they will find a place of healing up on that mountain.” She thumped her chest with one hand, and Dana thought maybe she was far from the only warrior woman in North Springs. “Because I am not going to stop fighting until they do. Arthur thinks the Busketeers are only five men who drive buses. He’s wrong. The Busketeers are all of us, and we’re about to become a mighty army for good. You just watch.”
Dana gave that war cry the only response she could: she pulled Rita into a fierce hug, and was quickly joined by Hannah. “God bless you, Rita Salinas.” She smiled at Hannah. “You, too. I wish Charlie and Mason could hear you both right now.”
“I’ll be manning the refreshments table tomorrow night in the school gymnasium,” Rita said. “I want to see you there. Holding your head up high like the special lady you are. No backing down.”
“And if anyone gives you even the slightest hint of trouble, you send them to me,” Hannah said. “No one’s going to have any reason to doubt you’re one of us.”
You’re one of us. The words wrapped themselves around Dana like a warm welcome. In a remarkably short time this town had adopted her as one of their own, embracing the wild idea she had brought with her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she choked out, “Thank you.”
“No thanks needed. Now go on over to breakfast with that man.” Rita leaned in. “He’s sweet on you. You know that, don’t you?” She winked and nudged Hannah, who gave a giggle worthy of a preschooler.
Dana found it was easy not to hide the smile that bubbled up from her heart. If there was a single gesture that signaled healing, it was how she wiped tears away with a smile on her face. I am home, her whole body seemed to echo. “Actually, I do.”
Rita’s eyes popped wide. Hannah grinned. A morning that ought to have felt defeated and dreary seemed to sparkle in the morning sunlight.
“Oooh,” Rita nearly squealed, “Arthur Nicholson and his bunch don’t stand a chance, now.” She waved Dana in the direction of the diner. “Off with you now. Come by later and tell me all the details.”
“And stop by the store right after that,” Hannah teased, catching Dana’s hand with the friendliest of squeezes before walking toward the grocery with a delighted spring in her step.
Dana stopped for just a moment to let the sun’s bright rays kiss her face. Home, yes. And then she headed for Guerro’s diner for breakfast and battle plans with the man who’d captured her heart.
Chapter Eighteen
Charlie gave a lopsided grin as he handed the paper flower for Dana to pin on like a corsage. He’d given her name at the check-in desk with the sweetest declaration of pride. His pronouncement, “This is Miss Dana, my special lady,” had all the grandeur of a valentine, and Dana was beyond pleased that she’d opted not to miss the event. When Charlie took her hand to lead her to his classroom, she felt her throat tighten at the boy’s tender open affection.
However, Dana soon noticed the sideways glance of one woman in the hallway. Then the outright frown of another. When another boy and his mother offered an especially dark look, it didn’t surprise Dana that Charlie identified them as Nathan Summers and his mom.
“Are you feeling squiggly, too?” Charlie whispered as they sat down at his desk to look over a Special Ladies Day card Charlie had waiting there.
“Squiggly?” she asked, finding the odd word rather fitting.
“That’s what Dad calls it when people look at you and make your stomach feel all funny,” Charlie explained.
Her stomach did feel as if it had been squiggling since they entered the school. “Yep,” she admitted, squeezing Charlie’s hand. “What do you do for the squigglies?” She found she very much wanted to hear his answer.
“You tell ’em to go away and do what you want to do.”
Good advice. Dana offered Charlie a knowing wink. “Get gone, squigglies,” she declared just loud enough for both of them to hear. “I want to have fun with Charlie.”
His giggle was the best squiggly antidote anyone could hope for. “Good job.” Charlie nodded his approval.
A friendly-looking woman walked up to the desk. “So this is Miss Dana,” she said. “Charlie’s told me a lot about you.” She extended a hand. “I’m Mrs. Booker.”
“She’s my teacher,” Charlie explained.
“And a friend of Mason’s, and Mike from the hardware store is my nephew. Your pond idea was wonderful. I’ve had more than one student wish for a Franco of their own.”
Dana wasn’t quite sure what to say. So much of what happened with that pond that day felt like it had come from beyond her. Ordained, as she and Mason had begun to say—of so much that was unfolding around them. “I was happy about it all.”
“You seem to have a lot of good ideas. I’m sorry everyone doesn’t seem to see it that way. As you can imagine, I’m very much in favor of what you and Mason have proposed. I hope you won’t let the meeting the other night stop you from making it happen.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Dana replied. She hoped she could hear words like that tonight at least as many times as she caught the judgmental looks. That was part of the point of tonight, in addition to spending this important time with Charlie.
Mrs. Booker seemed to realize that as she looked at Charlie. “Charlie, how about we help Miss Dana meet the other special ladies? Tommy and his mom are over there by the book report displays.”
Charlie looked up at Dana. “Wanna go meet Tommy? He likes frogs, too.”
“Sure thing.” Right there was the strategy Dana knew would mount her best defense against Arthur Nicholson and his fearmongering. Meeting other families from North Springs, one at a time. Making friends. Inserting herself into the community she knew she wanted to call home. Ideas were powerful, facts and plans were useful, but relationships were what would bring Camp True North Springs to life. What would bring her own self back to life.
So Dana started by making a new friend at the book report display. And then another at the sing-along in the music room, where she discovered Charlie had no more ability to carry a tune than she did. Still, there was a goofy joy in simply being loud and happy no matter how off-key. She found herself able to compliment Brenda Summers—the woman whose car Charlie had hit with the rock—on her beautiful singing voice despite the sharp glare Brenda gave Dana. The school librarian invited her to a book club even as the vice principal’s cold scowl told her Camp True North Springs did not have his approval.
All in all, Dana found herself exhausted and ready for the promise of Rita’s friendly face by the time they made it to the refreshment table in the gymnasium. After gathering up drinks and cupcakes from Rita, Charlie and Dana sat down at one of the little decorated tables that were set up all over the large room like a giant festive tea party.
One woman Dana remembered from the art room waved hello from the next table, her arm bearing a brightly colored beaded bracelet just like the one Dana now wore. Charlie and her had made it together, and Dana loved the sight of it on her wrist.
Another woman came up to their table a few minutes later. “Are you the person proposing the camp with Mason?”
“I am,” she said, glad to feel confidence in the declaration.
“For what it’s worth,” she said, “I think it’s a good idea. My nephew was killed in combat last year, and my sister’s still reeling. We all are. Could they come? When it opens, I mean?”
Dana took a spark of satisfaction that the woman had said when rather than if. “The camp will be for someone exactly like that. I’m sorry for your loss, and for your sister’s.”
The woman put her hands on her son’s shoulders. “Sounds like it would end up being a pretty special place. I know some folks are against it, but...well, you have my support. I’m Lisa. I’m not on the committee or anything, but I wanted you to know I think it should go through.”
She offered Lisa a smile. “Thank you. That means a lot. I hope there are a lot more people who feel the way you do.”
“You know,” she replied with a look around the room, “I think there are. Don’t give up, okay?”
That exchange warmed Dana’s heart, until another woman and her daughter went to sit at a nearby table. Once the woman saw Dana, she threw a “what on earth are you doing here?” glower at her and moved on to a different table. You win some, you lose some, Dana thought, still finding tonight mostly on the win side.
Rita gave the frowning woman a loud cluck of disapproval as she made her way to the table. “Some people didn’t take their nice pills this morning,” she said as she sat down with Dana and Charlie. She wiped the disapproving look off her face and turned to Charlie. “Did you have fun with your special lady?”
“We made a bracelet,” Charlie boasted, pointing to Dana’s new accessory.
“Well, that’s the nicest one I’ve seen tonight. Special indeed.”
“I’ve been talking you two up all evening. Bart, too. I think we brought a few more folks around to the camp idea. How many more days until the appeal hearing?”
“Five. Arthur didn’t waste any time setting it for Wednesday. He wants this over fast, I can tell.”
“But Dad says you’re gonna ask again,” Charlie said, his tongue turning blue from licking the frosting on his cupcake.
“We are,” Dana said. The confidence in her voice surprised her.
“And this time, you’ll get the answer you’re hoping for. With Busketeers and prayer warriors and all kinds of folks getting on board, I don’t see how you can lose now.”
I can, Dana admitted silently. Some opponents just had too much power over even the worthiest of causes. Still, most of her heart—and now, she could even say her soul—stood ready to believe that God could make a way for this camp if it was in His plan for her life. Even if they only had until Wednesday to make their appeal.
“We made new friends,” Charlie said. “I’m glad we came.”
“Me, too,” Dana could say with total honesty. “I’m really glad you invited me.”
Charlie took an enormous bite of his cupcake. “We still get to meet Dad for ice cream after this, right?”
“Who has room for ice cream after all these cupcakes?” Rita teased.
“Me!” Charlie declared.
Ice cream might be nice, but what Dana wanted most of all right now was to be with Mason. I’ve fallen for him, hard, she admitted to herself. That was the sweetest thought of all.
* * *
Charlie dug his spoon into the enormous chocolate sundae Mason had bought the three of them to share. He could have bought one twice the size for all the pride he was feeling tonight. Dana had faced both friends and foes at Special Ladies Day, and reports from Rita, Hannah, and even Martha Booker stated that she had won many people over to the cause of Camp True North Springs.
“I had fun. Did you?” Charlie asked as he dug his spoon into the dish.
Dana caught Mason’s eye. He had no doubt Dana had met with a mixed reception. He hoped there had been more shows of support than the challenging remarks and sideways glances.
“It was special,” Dana offered. “Squiggly, but special.”
Mason laughed. “So you learned about our special word, did you?” That said a lot about the evening.
“Charlie clued me in,” she explained.
“Miss Dana and I showed ’em, didn’t we?” Charlie said, chocolate-smudged chin raised in defiance. “Squiggly can’t stop an Avery, no sir.”
“Me, neither,” Dana replied, dipping her own spoon in for a sizable helping. “Charlie taught me how to tell those squiggles to get lost. Pretty good practice, I’d say.”
Charlie got a look on his face Mason had come to recognize as an “I’m not sure it’s okay to ask this” expression. “Whatcha thinking?” he asked his son.
“Jake asked me if Mr. Nicholson hated us. Is Mr. Nicholson a mean man?”
Now there was a huge question from a small boy. Dana looked a little lost for a good answer as well. Mason had swallowed a barrel full of unkind thoughts toward the judgmental man, but that didn’t make it okay to admit it to Charlie. Or to let words like hate come into the picture. He cleared his throat. “Mr. Nicholson and I have a big disagreement about the camp. Very big. And, yes, I wish he were nicer about it. But he doesn’t hate us, and I don’t hate him. I’m trying my best to see that he just feels very strongly. And I think he’s a little scared.”
“Well, I’m not,” Charlie countered with a heartwarming confidence. “I think the camp’ll be great.”
“That’s the way to look at it,” Dana finally chimed in. “We’re not scared, so that helps other people see they don’t have to be scared or mean, either. And tonight was a great start, Charlie. You did an amazing job and I had a terrific time.”
Mason knew that wasn’t exactly true. Dana had told him she’d worked hard to slough off the handful of dark looks and jabbing comments. It had been a true act of bravery to show up tonight. She’d shown all of North Springs that she—that all of them—had no intention of backing down no matter what kind of a fight Arthur Nicholson put up. Admiration mixed with the attraction and deep affection he’d come to feel for this woman. He could admit it to himself now—this was the beginnings of love. A deep love he thought would never bless his life again. Thank You, Lord. No matter what happens from here, You’ve restored so much. He’d have to find the right moment to tell Dana, but something in her eyes told him she already knew.
“So what do we do now?” Charlie asked.
“Well,” Dana replied, “We have an appointment with Mr. Anderson on Monday to draw up the appeal.”
“What’s that mean?” Charlie asked.
“It means we ask again for permission for the camp to happen,” Mason explained.
“With a lot more friends helping us this time,” Dana added.
Charlie looked up at him with hopeful eyes. “Will it work?”
“I don’t know,” Mason answered. “But I think we’ll be okay no matter what.”
“’Cause of Miss Dana, huh?” Charlie asked the question as if everyone knew the obvious answer.
Dana felt her face flush even as Mason reached under the table to clasp her hand. He already did know, but a wonder of that sort was still worth declaring. “Sorta,” Mason said, smirking. More would definitely come, but that was declaration enough for now. “What do you think?” he asked Charlie. “Will we be okay no matter what ’cause of Miss Dana?”
Charlie nodded, and Mason felt the true healing of his family take hold. He wanted to make Camp True North Springs happen—badly—but he also knew that his long exile from life had come to an end. If Dana had come to North Springs to set something right, she’d done far more than that. She’d brought his heart back to life.
Chapter Nineteen
“Order!” Arthur Nicholson banged his gavel to hush the low roar of conversation that filled the town hall meeting room Wednesday evening. “I will remind all of you that while commentary is accepted, the final decision on this appeal rests with the zoning committee alone.” He had the tone of a general commanding his troops to hold the line.
Dana looked around the room. Every seat was filled. She tried to read the faces of the crowd to see if there were more people here to support the camp or to ensure that the variance was again denied. She found she couldn’t hope to say, and that gave her gut a solid case of the squigglies that refused to subside.
