Learn to do good. Devote yourselves to justice; Aid the wronged. Uphold the rights of the orphan; Defend the cause of the widow.

--Isaiah 1:17

Shad immediately spotted Monica Simms standing outside the Jefferson City train station with her brother Eliot and his wife Tess. They were in a scattered crowd of around twenty people, and as Shad stepped off the train with Charissa he located Monica’s flowery headscarf. Although her hair started to grow back when the chemotherapy treatments ceased, it was still very short, so she preferred to keep it covered.

When Shad reached the ground he turned to assist Charissa, who had the day pack slung over her shoulders, hop down the metal grate steps. When he grasped her hand the girl simply let him hold it, but when Charissa also stepped onto the concrete Shad felt her grip tighten in his palm.

“There’s your mom.” Shad returned a wave with his other hand to Charissa’s family, although it probably looked more like he was brandishing her suitcase at them. “Uncle Eliot and Aunt Tess are here too.”

Charissa didn’t release his hand.

They strolled toward the family who took a few steps as well toward them. Monica was absolutely beaming, and Eliot and Tess were grinning happily.

“There’s my girl!” Eliot nearly shouted. He was a tall man with a barrel chest and thick blonde hair. He was wearing his usual attire of blue jeans and a polo shirt. “How’d you like your train ride?”

“Welcome home, sweetie!” Tess, a full-figured woman with shoulder-length brown hair, bent over to place herself more at Charissa’s level. “We’re all so happy to see you!”

Monica seemed overcome with joy. Her eyes kept blinking and her hands were clasped together against her chest. Shad had already informed Charissa that her mother would look a little different from the last time the girl had seen her. In seven weeks, her condition probably aggravated by the trauma of losing her daughter, Monica had lost more weight and the joints of her bones seemed to protrude a little. The billowy red blouse and long white skirt she wore helped to conceal how thin she really was.

Charissa’s grip on his hand tightened even more as Shad halted before her mother.

“Here we are, Monica.” Shad nodded to her, then cast a quick glance toward Eliot. “Nice to see you found a way to make it to the station sometime today.”

Eliot started going into a story about how the mare got tangled in barbed wire but Shad didn’t really hear him. Monica was lowering herself to her knees and Charissa’s grip in his hand managed to become even tighter. Shad wondered if she’d be able to cut off the circulation to his fingers.

“I’m so happy to see you, baby.” When Monica finally spoke her voice was hardly more than a whisper, making it even more difficult for Shad to understand her through Eliot’s monologue. “Having you back is an answer to my prayers. Did you have a good trip on the train?”

Charissa stared at her mother’s slightly gaunt face for a few seconds before silently nodding.

Monica glanced up at Shad briefly before returning her gaze to her daughter. “I see you’ve made friends with Mr. Delaney.”

After a few seconds of Charissa’s silence, Shad cleared his throat slightly before speaking. “Actually, she fired me.”

A bemused expression crossed Monica’s face as she looked up toward Shad again. Eliot’s voice was becoming quiet because Tess was tapping her husband on his arm.

Monica’s attention returned to Charissa. “We’re gonna need Mr. Delaney for a while, honey.”

“Two weeks.” Charissa’s grip relaxed and her voice was soft yet firm.

Monica tilted her head slightly. “What was that?”

“Two weeks.” Charissa pulled her hand away and used it instead to reposition her day pack. “He said I had to give him two weeks....” She glanced up questionably at Shad.

“Notice.”

Monica’s gaze returned to Shad again, and for the first time ever since he’d met her she began to chuckle. The mirth rippled slowly and softly from her, and in those few seconds Monica seemed like she just might manage to beat this cancer after all. The renewed animation clung to her as Monica’s attention returned to Charissa.

“I do admit he takes some getting used to.” Monica’s face was aglow with both joy and amusement. “But you seem to be getting along with him now.”

Charissa frowned slightly. “He’s still fired.”

Monica’s brow furrowed a bit as she glanced up at Shad.

“Don’t worry.” Shad didn’t want the situation to become more significant than it actually was. “She just needs time to get settled in.”

Monica’s frown vanished. “Of course, you’re right. Just like you’ve been all along.” She beamed at Charissa again. “You’re back with your real family, now. You’re back with the people who are gonna take care of you. I love you so much, sweetie, and I’m so very, very happy to see you again! I hope you brought your appetite with you because you get to pick which restaurant we’re gonna eat at before we go home.”

“Ice cream?” Charissa asked with hesitation.

Monica grinned. “If that’s what you want!”

“Ice cream for dinner?” Tess shook her head. “Don’t you want some real food first?”

Charissa looked at her aunt as though the woman had asked if there had been any shaved monkeys wearing fezzes and dancing the Watusi on her train seat. “I want ice cream.”

“Then that’s exactly what you’ll have!” Eliot stooped to pat Charissa on the shoulder.

“Can I get one thing before we go?” Monica’s voice softened. “I’ve really missed getting hugs from you.”

Charissa gazed at her mother for a few seconds, and then reached out for an embrace. The two hugged each other while Monica indulged in another gentle chuckle. She kissed Charissa on the side of the forehead before they released each other.

“Let’s go get that ice cream.” Monica was radiant.

“Yay!” Charissa nodded, her attitude the most childlike Shad had seen since meeting her.

Eliot helped his sister get to her feet while Tess offered to help Charissa carry the day pack. Shad quickly wrapped up some details about what they should expect over the next few days and managed to thrust Charissa’s suitcase into Eliot’s grasp. As Eliot and Tess bid their farewells and started to leave with Charissa, the girl suddenly stopped and turned back toward Shad.

“Goodbye, Mr. Delaney.” Her expression was oddly somber again.

“So long, Charissa.” Shad smiled. “Have an extra bowl of ice cream for me.”

What Monica did next caught Shad off guard, and he had to choke back his initial revulsion. She suddenly wrapped her arms around his shoulders. As Monica’s head pressed against his neck, Shad managed to stand completely still instead of recoiling from her embrace. There were only a select few persons he could tolerate such displays of emotion from. Yet Shad knew he’d better return some kind of gesture, so he reached out with the hand that wasn’t resting on his laptop case and patted Monica on the back.

“I’m so glad Vic told me about you.” Monica murmured just before she released him. “He said you were the kind of bulldog lawyer I would need that wouldn’t bleed me dry.”

Vic Phillips was Tess’s brother. He worked at a hospital, and when Monica started bemoaning she couldn’t find a lawyer who would work with her at a price she could afford, Vic asked his coworkers if they could recommend somebody. One of them lived in the Linn area and had become one of Shad’s clients shortly after he moved his practice to that town. Shad definitely remembered the case, which involved the man’s wayward ex-wife trying to move the kids with her to the state of California.

Shad stammered a little. “I’m glad to help.”

“We’ll see you next week.” Monica smiled warmly at him as she turned to leave with the rest of her family.

Shad’s attention centered on Charissa as the little group strolled away. What was he missing? On one hand the girl seemed eager to get rid of him. On the other hand Charissa seemed to display a rather quick attachment to him, which could be another expression of her abused background. Once she officially “fired” Shad back in St. Louis, Charissa had seemed more at ease with him. Monica’s allusion that Shad was not relieved of duty caused Charissa renewed concern.