Free Daughters by Florence Osmund Page B

bedroom door a few minutes before seven. Half asleep, she shuffled over to the door and opened it. There stood Rachael, fully dressed and sporting a big smile. “Wanna build a snowman?”
    Marie rubbed her eyes in an effort to conceal her smile. “Give me ten minutes.”
    For the next hour, Marie and Rachael rolled a big, bigger, and bigger yet ball of snow for their work of art. After they put the smallest one on top of the other two, Ben came out with an old hat, two Oreo cookies for the eyes, and a cigar for the mouth.
    While Ben placed the hat on the comical snowman’s head, Rachael wadded up a hard-packed snowball and hit her father square on the back of the head, which started an all-out war. Not wanting any part of it, Marie went back inside where she joined amused onlookers Jonathan and Claire.
    Claire watched the two of them fiddle with the snowman’s hat. “She seems like a changed girl, Marie, and Ben thinks you had a lot to do with it. What did you two talk about when you were alone with her this morning, if you don’t mind my asking?”
    “Oh, just girl talk. Turns out Rachael and I have a little something in common.” She tilted her head. “Maybe more than a little.”
    “Well, Ben is very pleased to see the change, but we’re all a little concerned that it may be short-lived.” Claire’s gaze strayed back to the window. “Look at those two.”
    “I know. Me too. I can’t believe two weeks have passed,” Marie said to Claire as they prepared lunch for everyone. “It seems like I just got here.”
    “You can stay longer if you want.”
    “Oh no. I couldn’t. Claire, will you be coming with us tomorrow when Jon takes me home?”
    “I thought about it, dear, but I think it’s better you have that time alone with him. Time to wrap up any loose ends you two may have. Maybe next time.”
    After lunch, Marie and Claire tidied up the kitchen. Rachael asked her father if she could ride back with Marie and the Brookses instead of him. Ben gave her a disappointed glare. “Damn, Dad. She’s leaving tomorrow. I may never see her again.”
    “What have I told you about that language, Rachael?”
    “But it’s okay when you say it.”
    “You’re not me.”
    “Thank God.”
    “Alright, that’s enough.”
    Rachael left the room.
    Ben let out an audible sigh. “One minute she’s okay, and the next minute she’s impossible.”
    “It’s okay for her to ride back with us,” Claire said.
    “Not after she acted like that.”
    “Aw, c’mon, Ben. Let her come with us. She’ll be fine.”
    “Okay, but if she acts up, you have to promise me you’ll tell me.”
    “We promise,” Claire said.
    Rachael was nowhere to be found. Finally Jonathan opened the front door and looked outside.
    “She’s in our car, Ben. Must have overheard us talking.”
    “I don’t know what I’m going to do with her.” Ben shook his head. “I have some things to do here to close up the house, so I’ll pick Rachael up at your place on my way home.”
    As Jonathan would later tell Marie, he and Claire weren’t sure who more enjoyed the ride home in the back seat of their car, Marie or Rachael. They talked about every subject imaginable and like two schoolgirls, they laughed at the silliest things.
    When Ben showed up at the Brooks’ home, Rachael’s pouty face was back on.
    “Did you behave yourself?”
    Rachael, who had behaved herself just fine, was about to say something when Jonathan jumped in. “Ben, why don’t you two join us for dinner? We were planning on going to that new Italian restaurant on Main that just opened up.”
    Rachael clasped her hands. “Please, Dad? Please?”
    Ben rolled his eyes and smiled. “I can see when I’m being railroaded. Okay, we’ll go.”
    “Ben, can I talk to you for a minute…in private?” Marie asked. They disappeared into Jonathan’s office.
    When Marie and Ben emerged several minutes later, Rachael had a scared look on her face.
    Marie looked at Ben. Ben looked