Frances had hesitated a moment, still picking up emotions from the air, but he sprang up then and made his way to my side in a rush as great as Carlo’s. He also flung himself at me, surrounding my body with his arms and practically smothering his little brother as he did so.
But Carlo didn’t even squeak. He just fastened his barnacles tighter.
“Carlo and I love you,” Frances said. “And I agree with my brother. Mommy’s gone. She can’t ever come back. And like Carlo said, I want you to be our mommy. Please stay with us forever and ever.”
Once more I could barely breathe. My emotions were too intense for that. I had people who loved me. For the first time ever! The thought pierced my soul and gave me such a flooding of happiness that I could barely believe in the wonder of it. I was loved! What a joyous thought. What an astounding revelation.
In addition to that I still had a temporary home. I wasn’t being kicked out. I pulled Frances up onto my lap beside Carlo and hugged them both, then kissed each of their darling little faces with a noisy pucker.
Frances, at the age when such things might be offensive, sighed with happiness, then stretched up to kiss me back. His kiss was slightly wet on my cheek, but I didn’t mind. It conveyed everything I’d always wanted, someone who loved me.
“Yes, I’ll stay,” I told them, which came out as croaky as a meadow pond frog’s call. “Yes, I’ll stay with you, and I’ll try to be like your mother. I won’t be as good as your real mommy was because I don’t know that much about being one. You’ll have to teach me sometimes, okay?”
“Mrs. Penn, too,” Frances said. “She can teach you. She knows everything.”
“Yeah,” Carlo piped up. “She knows how to cook. But you know horses. That’s big.”
I laughed, and then I looked up at the two adults still sitting at the table. Mrs. Penn cleared her throat and gave me a thumbs up. I glanced over at Officer Krugle, but his face wasn’t reflecting anything. He abruptly stood up, and without saying another word, left the table. I heard the front door close behind him with a large bang.
Strange man, I thought. Couldn’t he have said something, even if merely to bid us a farewell? But my view of the world was limited by the scant contact I’d had with other males. Some of them had been kind, like the blacksmith and the vet, Dr. Peters. They’d never glared at me, then raged off, slamming a door without reason.
I had lived in many households with pseudo fathers, but they’d never paid any attention to me, ignoring my presence among their children, unless, as I got older, it was to grumble over the food I’d prepared or to point out a spot they’d noticed on a window that I’d missed. So, what did I know about the male species?
Besides, I’d never met anyone quite like Officer Krugle. Maybe he was a one of a kind. I sighed, but then squeezed my boys once again and smiled at Mrs. Penn.