Free A Marriage for Meghan by Mary Ellis

every bit of paper off the floor if you hope to go outside for even part of recess time!” She stared up at Owen and screwed her face into a frown, knowing she sounded neither mature nor professional. But at least she’d spoken her mind.
    Owen glared back with matching conviction, while the other boys began picking up paper wads and fallen sandwich bags. Meghan crossed her arms over her apron.
    Catherine stepped closer to draw his glare toward her. “We know it’s you, Owen, and we want the indoor basketball practice to stop. We expect you three to do the math problems every day or…we’ll speak to your parents.”
    He studied her as though choosing his words. Then he completely changed his tone of voice. “ Ach , Catherine, I’m already fourteen. I’ll be done with school in four more months. I’m probably as smart as I’m ever gonna get.”
    Catherine shook her head. “We have four more months to turn you into the smartest young man we can. And we’ll expect your best work until your graduation in May.”
    His placid expression faded. He breathed in and out through his nostrils, while Catherine crossed her arms too. The sisters stood like a matched set of bookends.
    After another tense moment, Owen joined his friends tidying the classroom. When the floor was clean, they hurried to the outer hall without a backward glance.
    The teacher team breathed an audible sigh of relief, turned toward each other, and smiled. However, their joy proved to be premature. By day’s end paper wads again littered the classroom floor and very few math problems had been written on Owen’s paper. His two cohorts had copied the work down but done no computations. They both mumbled they would finish tonight as they filed out the door.
    Owen glanced from one teacher to the other, tucked his unfinished paper into his book, and threw the book inside his desk. With a sneer that dared them to challenge him, he ran outside after his pals.

    “We are certainly going to nip this in the bud,” announced Catherine to an empty classroom.
    “Isn’t it a little late for that?”
    “Not at all. I could have argued with Owen, but I feel we should take a different approach.”
    Meghan began rubbing her forehead.
    “Don’t be afraid. You handled yourself quite well. And your confidence will increase with every encounter. That’s why we’re letting no grass grow beneath our feet.” Catherine shoved her textbooks into a tote bag. “Grab our lunch cooler, Meg. I’ll look up the addresses for Robert, Owen, and Joshua in Joanna’s directory.”
    Meghan blanched. “Why do we need to know where they live? We’ll see them again tomorrow.” In a tiny voice she added, “And that’s soon enough for me. I’d better stay here and sweep the floor before going home to help mamm .”
    Catherine took hold of her sister and began pulling toward the door. “Don’t be frightened, little goose. I’ll be right by your side when we talk to their parents.”
    Meghan yanked her arm back. “Please don’t call me that. It’s bad enough hearing it from James. He makes me feel like a child…and not a very bright child at that.”
    “Sorry, dear heart. You know I don’t think any such thing, and now here’s a chance to build up your courage.”
    “All right. We’ll go to Robert’s house first and you’ll take charge. Then we’ll go to Joshua’s, where I’ll do the talking. Then we’ll finish up at the Shockley farm, where it’ll be your turn again.”
    Catherine recognized her ploy. They were well acquainted with Joshua’s parents and knew they would be supportive. The other two sets of parents presented a mystery. “Okay, fine. I’m head teacher.”
    As they walked to the first confrontation, Catherine practiced what she would say. Meghan offered a couple suggestions, but mainly she dragged her feet through the snow as though they had all the time in the world.
    At Robert’s house they found his mamm feeding an infant while two toddlers