Doreen wanted immediate consequences. She wanted Hal to admit every lie in front of every parent. She wanted him to feel the fear she had felt at the broken gate. But the officers did not promise a dramatic ending. They collected information, explained the process, and left.
Mara found Doreen sitting on the steps outside the print shop.
“You look disappointed,” she said.
“I wanted someone to tell me exactly what happens next.”
“Most things don’t work that way.”
Doreen watched Hal’s truck disappear around the corner. “He knew what would make me angry.”
“Yes.”
“And I let him.”
“Yes.”
Doreen turned to her. “You don’t make it easy to feel better.”
Mara sat beside her. “I don’t think that’s my job.”
They were quiet for a moment. The street was almost empty now. A few volunteers carried signs back to their cars. The sun had climbed above the factory roof, turning the cracked pavement gold.
“Will you still help with the festival?” Doreen asked.
“I said I would.”
“Even after the window?”
Mara looked at her. “The window is getting replaced. I still expect you to pay for it.”
“I will.”
“And I expect you not to do it again.”
Doreen almost smiled. “That’s fair.”
Mara stood. “Then we have a gym to open.”
17. THE DAY THEY CARRIED THE MURAL
Founders’ Day began under a sky so clear it looked freshly washed. By ten, the school gym smelled of paper, paint, oranges, and warm bread. Children moved from table to table solving riddles and adding handprints to a long roll of white paper. The lanterns hung from basketball hoops and ceiling supports, swaying whenever the doors opened.
Doreen stood near the entrance, greeting families. Some hugged her. Others nodded stiffly. A few avoided her eyes. She accepted all three responses.
Cal arrived with his mother and the little girl who had cried at the gate. They carried a jar of blue paint, the same one the girl had held during the near miss.
“Can we use this?” Cal asked.
Doreen looked at the jar. “Of course.”
They went to the mural table. Cal painted a wide blue line across the paper, then added four small figures standing safely on one side of it. The girl painted a bright yellow sun above them.
Jessa organized the older children into teams to carry the finished mural around the gym. Lenora ran the riddle station. Mr. Flores brought his model airplane and let children examine the controls. Mara checked the temporary barriers outside, then came in carrying a stack of extra paper cups.
At noon, Doreen climbed onto the small stage. She had been asked to say a few words. She looked across the gym at the faces of neighbors who had known her for decades and at Mara, who had known her for less than two weeks.
