“She’s been a good friend to you.”
“She never makes fun of me.”
Mrs. Skitter nodded. “I’ve lived on this island a long time, Grace, and I’ve seen a lot of kids come and go. I used to know your daddy, did I ever tell you that? I worked in the lunch room when he was in high school. Anyway, the point is, everyone makes friends sooner or later.”
Grace shook her head. “Not me. No one likes me. And I don’t care.”
“Things change, Gracie. You’ll see.” Mrs. Skitter sighed, put her hands on her thighs. “Well, I was going to collect some beach stones. The pretty kind. You want to help?”
“I might not find any.”
“Or you might.”
Mrs. Skitter stood up, put her hand out.
Grace stared at her teacher’s white hand. A simple gold band on one finger meant she was married.
“My daddy’s not married,” she said impulsively.
“I know.”
“That’s cuz my mom is a super spy.”
Mrs. Skitter frowned seriously. “Really? How exciting. You must miss her.”
“I do. But I’m not s’posed to.”
For the next two hours, she followed Mrs. Skitter around, bent over, peering down at the rocks at her feet. One by one, the other kids went home, until finally it was only Grace and her teacher on the beach. Mrs. Skitter kept looking at her watch and making a tsking sound. Grace knew what that meant.
It was getting dark when Papa showed up.
“Hey, Gracie,” her grandfather said, smiling down at her.
“Grandma forgot me again,” Grace said, letting the fistful of rocks tumble from her hand.
“She’s not feeling well. But I’m here, and I thought I’d take my best girl for ice cream.” He bent down and scooped Grace into his arms. She clung to him, wrapping her legs around him like a little monkey.
He carried her over to Mrs. Skitter, and they said good-bye. Then he put her into the car seat in the back of Grandma’s big black car.
“You have something to tell me,” he said, starting the engine.
“I do?” She looked up, saw her grandpa looking at her in the rearview mirror.
“The fight with Austin Klimes.”
“Oh,” Grace said, sighing. “That.”
“You know you’re not supposed to hit other kids, Gracie.”
“He started it.”
“He did? How?”
“He kicked sand in my face. And he said I was stupid.”
“Really?”
“And he said a bad word.”
“Still, Grace, you shouldn’t be hitting kids.”
“I thought you only said I couldn’t hit girls.”
“You don’t think that.”
“Okay,” she said, slumping in her seat. “I won’t hit Austin Klimes anymore, even if he’s a butt.”
“You said that about Jacob Moore, too.”
“But I didn’t hit Jake.”
She could tell that Papa was trying not to smile. “We are not going through the kids in day care one by one. You can’t hit any of them. And before you look for a loophole, no hitting kids in kindergarten, either. Okay?”
“What’s a loophole? Is that like a hula hoop?”
“Gracie?”
“Okay. Are you gonna tell my daddy?”
“I have to.”
For the first time, Grace felt truly bad about what she’d done. Now her daddy would give her that disappointed look, and she’d get scared and snuggle up to him and hope he wouldn’t leave her. She didn’t have a mommy. What would she do without a daddy?
Nineteen
“Scared? What do you mean, you’re scared?”