The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers

Author:Francine Rivers
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: Walker Large Print
Published: 2012-01-10T17:32:31+00:00

FRANCINE RIVERS

my daughter! Seven years you've had it your way, and now you wonder why you've got problems. Well, don't think I'm going

to step in now and fix the mess you've made. Fix it yourself!"Click.

Hurt and angry, Elizabeth slammed the telephone down. She sat for a moment fuming and then punched in the number for the private school. By the time she was passed from the school secretary to the principal's secretary to the principal, her temper was ragged, though controlled.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ord, but Kip's father won't pick her up. He's busy getting ready for a vacation in Hawaii." She couldn't keep the bitter edge from her voice. What she resented most were the tears that burned her eyes. She thought she'd gotten over the pain of their shattered relationship. It hurt to be used and discarded.

As furious as she was at Kip, the thought of her daughter being taken away from her tore at her heart. Why was Kip doing this to her? Why was she so rebellious and hateful? She had provided her daughter with everything she needed. She had shown she loved her by giving her everything she wanted. She had coddled, nurtured, and counseled. Last year, when Kip had such a crush on that senior football player, hadn't Elizabeth put her on birth control so she didn't have to worry about getting pregnant? Hadn't she even purchased condoms for the boy so Kip wouldn't have to worry about contracting AIDS? Not once had she tried to stop Kip from trying to find happiness. And this is the thanks she got for understanding! It wasn't her fault the boy had dumped Kip or that a succession of other boys had come and gone since.

"She's recanted her story." Mr. Ord's quiet words broke into her frustrated thoughts.

"That's nice, considering it wasn't true in the first place." "She seems very distressed and confused, Ms. Chambers."

187

"you said she's drunk."

"It's more than that."

Elizabeth glanced at her watch. She didn't have time for this. Brenda would be tapping on the door in a few minutes. If Kip thought she had problems, she ought to spend the day counseling girls in a family planning clinic. "I know that, Mr. Ord. I'm doing the best I can. Can I send someone to pick her up? One of my staff. I could have her brought here to my office."

"There's no urgency at the moment, Ms. Chambers. Kip's asleep right now in the nurse's office. An hour or two won't be a problem."

She felt his hesitance but decided not to question it. "Good. I'll be there by three."

"I'd like you to talk with the school counselor."

"Fine. I'll do that. And thank you, Mr. Ord." She hung up before he could say more. With one problem settled, she felt better able to face the next.

Moments later Brenda ushered in the mother and her daughter. Smiling warmly, Elizabeth sat at her desk, her hands folded on the blotter, and surveyed them with what she hoped was a friendly demeanor.

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