Love Is Where You Find It

Part 22

It feels like things are going well, like everything is falling into place for Loretta. The day Betty turns nine, Henry surprises them with two sets of bunk beds for the kids. They are squealing and bouncing and hugging Loretta and Henry over and over again as if they received the greatest gift in the world.

The next few weeks are a blur and next thing she knows Christmas and New Years have passed and she has a nine and eight year old rather than an eight and seven year old.

Two weeks after the request was made, she lets Betty Sue go to Sunday School, and the other three too while she is at it, if only so she can go to church with Henry and revel in the rare child free period.

She enjoys it, but Loretta always enjoyed church anyway. They have their own little routine now, where they spend all of Sunday together. Loretta can hardly wait until they will be able to go on picnics and to the park again. Now, they usually just go to her house to play games or listen to the radio. A lot of times, Henry wants her to sing and it's a request she rarely denies him. Once the kids are in bed, Henry will sit and talk to her for hours.

A year ago, when she got that note from Doo telling her that he wasn't going to come home anymore, Loretta never thought that now, she'd be gainfully employed (the tips she gets for singing add up) and happy in Indiana. The kids are happy now too, at school, at church and at home and that's what matters the very most. She enjoys being close to her parents too, spending time with the other kids and getting to know little Brenda Gail.

The notebook Henry gave her for her birthday is full now. Some of the songs look awful to her and some days she has doubts about each of them. Still, she tries out the better ones at the diner and at youth choir. The customers and the kids, they both love it.

Did you write another one? They'll ask her all the time. It makes her feel so good, that people actually seem to think that she is talented and enjoy her singing.

Yes, life truly is good for her now. But there are still parts that she doesn't like, such as getting the kids ready for church in a mad rush to get out of the house in time. Wrestling the boys into dress shirts isn't too pleasant a task, but she tells herself that it's just part of it as she chases Ernest down the hall with a blazer.

"Mommy!" Jack squeaks.

"Jack Benny, you gotta wait."

But he doesn't want to, so he head buts her leg in frustration.

"Jackie," Loretta warns. "Cissie, do you got shoes on?"

"Aren't you gonna help me?"

"No, honey. You can do it yourself. You don't gotta tie 'em. You just gotta close 'em up."

"You do everything for her," Betty Sue complains.

"I'm not doin' it, am I?"

A knock on the door. Loretta opens it without checking who it is, because she already knows. Henry picks them up for church every Sunday.

He walks in and looks around- at Betty tugging at her hand, Jack Benny still at her leg, Ernest running from her and Cissie whining at her feet.

"You're outnumbered," Henry says with a soft laugh.

"I always am."

"Ernest, come here" is all Henry says and her son stops in his tracks. He turns around and strolls towards him. Ernest listens to Henry; why Loretta isn't so sure, but he does.

"Here." He takes the blazer from Loretta and maneuvers Ernest's arms through it. "We gotta get our move on now."

"Help me," Cissie whimpers pitifully. Henry seems to have a weakness for her, so of course he does despite knowing that Loretta wants her to learn how to do it all by herself. Behavior wise, Cissie gives her less trouble than any of them but she knows that she's the baby and likes it that way.