If circumstances were different. The words echoed through Grace's mind long after she had closed her eyes for a sleep that refused to come. Goal number one, Carey. So how do I get that goal? Become what she wants in a lover. Succeed at college. Get a degree so she'll see me as an adult and not a screwed-up kid. Can't do anything about the age but wait. She sighed and laced her hands behind her head. What else? Get a job, save money, get good credit to show her I'm responsible. Stay out of trouble, there's one of the biggies. No way in hell she'd choose me if I got myself into a mess. Sitting up, she listened carefully for several seconds, then quietly went over and turned on the lamp. You're always telling me to make a plan for the future, she thought as she opened her notebook. She wrote Carey's name at the top of the paper. Now, steps to achieve goal.
"Thank you for coming, Mr. Waters," Carey said, gesturing at the chair. "Please have a seat. I'd like to speak to you for a few minutes before we bring Grace in."
"Fine," he said. "How's she doing?"
"She's had a few rough spots, but overall she's done a complete turnaround from the first day she arrived here," Carey said. "You should be proud of her, I know we are."
"I am," he said. "And if there's anything I can do for her, just tell me."
"She told you she passed her GED test?"
"Yes," he said. "I told her I'm going to take down my trophy fish to make room for her diploma."
"I'm sure that made her happy," Carey said. "Mr. Waters, Grace doesn't know this yet, but after tomorrow, she's going to be released from state custody."
"That's wonderful," he said.
"At that point, she has to be released to her legal guardian."
"Her mother," he said.
"She's seventeen," Carey said. "She can choose which parent she wants to live with. But," she cautioned, seeing the hopeful look in his eyes. "Her early release is conditioned on her staying in Iroquois County for six months." She watched him work through the problem.
"I can't get it done by tomorrow but I can move here if I have to," he said.
"She can live on her own once she turns eighteen," Carey said. "The problem is the next month."
"It would really hurt but I could probably swing a hotel for that long," he said. "I have some savings bonds I've been holding onto." He rubbed his beard. "Then I'd have to get her set up in an apartment. Help her find a job or get into school. Can she?"
"I've done some research, Mr. Waters," she said. "If she goes to Iroquois Community College, and if she takes a student loan, there are enough grants and programs to help her cover tuition. A part-time job would cover her living expenses but I'm not sure if she'll be able to handle rent, especially in a college town."
"What can I do to help?" he asked.
SIX MONTHS
“Am I ever going to see you again?"
"Grace, I can't answer that question," Carey said. "Neither of us knows what the future will bring."
"I hate this," the teen said, wiping her eyes. "I don't want to leave you."
"You knew this was coming," Carey said, wishing she knew the magic words to ease Grace's pain. "It's time for you to make those goals a reality."
"I love you," Grace said, wrapping her arms around Carey's waist and resting her head on the older woman's upper chest.
"I know," Carey said softly. "And I care about you, very much. It can't happen, Grace. I know you understand why."
"I do." Grace said. "But I still don't like it."
Carey smiled, gave Grace a quick hug, then stepped back. "I have something for you. Stay here." She went to the bedroom and returned a moment later with a brightly wrapped box. "Happy graduation." Her smile grew when she saw the wide-eyed look in the teen's blue eyes. "Careful, it's got some weight to it."
"What is it?"
"Set it on the table," Carey said. "It's actually a few presents. Take the lid off." Grace did. "Open the manila envelope first. Careful, there's a bunch of papers in there." Carey watched excitedly as Grace pulled out various forms and applications along with an Iroquois Community College catalog. "You'd still have to get a student loan and a part-time job to make ends meet, but those are the application forms for all the tuition programs and grants that I could find that you qualify for. It's enough to cover your tuition and probably your books too."
"That's great, but I can't go," Grace said, setting the papers on the table. "I still have to serve another month at Crestwood, and classes start in two weeks."
"Uh-huh," Carey bit her cheek to keep from smiling too much and giving everything away. "Open that second envelope." She bit harder as the teen pulled out the legal papers.
"Modification...probation..." Grace looked at her. "I'm free?"
Now Carey could not keep the smile in check. "Signed by Judge Grimm himself. He's the one that sentenced you here, wasn't he?"
Grace nodded. "Bald, no sense of humor. Gets angry easily."
"Uh-huh, I bet having a clown-haired teenager mouthing off at him had something to do with it, don't you think?"
Grace colored and nodded. "A bit, I guess. How did you get him to do this?"
"What makes you think I had anything to do with it?" Carey waited a beat. "Actually all I did was send some letters to the judge along with a copy of your record here and mentioned that forcing you to serve that month at Crestwood would keep you from being able to attend ICC."
"Some letters?"
"Instructors Gage and Donaldson had something to say about you as well," Carey said. "Now that just means that the judge has agreed to release you on probation provided that you stay in the county and attend school. You have to meet with a probation officer weekly and submit to random urine tests. That's not going to be a problem though, is it?"
Grace shook her head vigorously. "No, not a chance," she said, the realization sinking in. "I can go to college."
"Registration is next week and classes start the week after that," Carey said. "Not much time to get everything ready but I know you can do it."
Grace set the judge's order down and touched the stack of aid forms. "And I really can afford this?"
"I believe so," Carey said. "We'll sit down later and go over the figures, but I checked them out a few weeks ago and I came up with enough to cover the major expenses with some left over for the unexpected." She tapped the box. "Next. Now be careful, don't drop it," she said as Grace reached in. The teen ripped through the tissue paper that Carey had so carefully wrapped around it the night before.
"A computer?" Grace pressed the button, opening the laptop. "Oh my God, it's a computer."
"Let me explain," Carey said. "It's not new. My friend Leslie gets a new one every two years for work and this is her old one. It's missing whatever you need to get on the Internet, and there's no printer, but she said something about using the disks and the school printer."
"Sure," Grace said, her eyes wide as she looked over the black laptop. "You put what you want to print on a disk, then use the school's computer and printer to print it out." She closed the laptop, her fingers delicately brushing the surface. "I can't believe you got me a computer." Setting the computer on the table, she surprised Carey by leaning over and giving her a big hug. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome, Grace. I don't know much about computers," Carey said. "But Leslie said it's more than enough for school. She said it has a word processing program and some other programs you'd find useful."
"This is great," Grace said, sitting up and touching the laptop again. "It's got a CD/DVD drive built in." She grinned at her mentor. "Now I really am ready for college."