"Thank you," Grace said, giving her father a hug before tearing open the envelope. "A credit card?"

"Debit card," he said. "I asked the man at the bank what the best way was to help you out and he suggested this. You use it like a credit card but it comes out of a special account I set up just for you."

"We learned about them in Personal Finance," Grace said, excited to see her name in raised silver lettering.

"It's easier than sending you checks each month," he said.


“Since you're turning eighteen and my child support will end, I suddenly have this extra money each week and I can't think of a better way to spend it than to help my girl get the education she deserves." He put his arm around her and pulled her close. "And once you say your good-byes I'm going to take you to Mohawk and we're going to get you some clothes and whatever else you need. Then we'll find you an apartment."

"B-but how?" she asked. "Dad, you don't have that kind of money."

"I can't buy you a car and make it so you don't have to work while you're in school, but I can take care of most if not all of the rent and give you a little something for spending money."

"But do you know how much clothes cost?"

"Graceful, you're my only daughter and if I want to spend my money on you, then I will. Consider it early birthday and Christmas presents if you want."

Grace's father closed the trunk but her attention was on Carey approaching them. "Dad, do you have any film left?"

"There's three pictures left," he said.

"Hang on," she said, jogging up to meet the dark-haired woman. "Can I have a picture?" she asked, not bothering to mention she had used up half the roll snapping shots of her during the day.

Carey smiled. "Sure. You're all set to go?"

Together they headed toward the rental car. "Everything's packed," Grace said, the pain of separation weighing heavily upon her. "This is hard. I don't want to leave you."

Carey stopped and put her hands on Grace's shoulders. “I know," she said softly. "I'm going to miss you too, but it's time for you to go out on your own and make your own life. I'm only a phone call away." Her smile eased the pain in Grace's heart.

"I'll call," the teen said. "You know I will."

"You'd better," Carey said. "I want to know what's going on with you. I care, Grace." She gave Grace's shoulders a quick squeeze. "Now let's get that picture taken so your dad can take you shopping."

"Dad, take the picture," Grace said, slipping an arm around the older woman's waist, pleased when Carey didn't make her move it. As soon as the camera clicked, she tightened her hold. "Wait, just a couple more, please? Just in case he didn't get that one right."

"One more," Carey gave in.

"Okay, Dad," Grace said happily. "Take another one."

"Satisfied?"

"Wait, there's only one picture left on the roll," Grace said. “It'd be a waste not to use it."

"Do you have any of you and your father yet?" Carey asked.

"No."

“Go stand by him," Carey said, walking the teen over to the lumberjack. "Mr. Waters, would you like a picture of you and your daughter?"

"Ayup, I'd love it," he said, putting his arm around Grace's shoulders and handing Carey the camera. "Just aim and shoot."

Carey looked through the viewfinder until she felt she had the best picture of the two of them, then clicked the shutter button. There was a click, then a whirling sound as the camera automatically rewound the film. "Here you go," she said, handing the camera back to him. "Mr. Waters, you do understand that you're taking a seventeen-year-old girl to the mall, don't you?"

"Sure," he said. "What's wrong with that?"

Carey tried to suppress a smile. "Have you ever taken a seventeen-year-old shopping?"

"No. Can't say as I have."

She put her hand on his arm. "You have my utmost sympathies," she said. "I'd rather take thirty-six girls on a five-mile run than one to the mall."

"Pshaw," he said, waving his hand dismissively.

"There's an ice cream place on the way if you want to stop," Richard said.

“If you want," Grace said, looking out at the endless fields and trees. "Nope," he said. "This is your day. I just thought you might like a nice double scoop of mint chocolate chip to get your energy for the mall."

Grace's eyes lit up. "You remembered," she said looking at him.

"Ayup, can't forget my daughter's favorite flavor," he said. "So it's settled. We'll get some ice cream, then you can tell me why you're so glum about leaving that place."

"I'm not glum," she said. "I'm happy to be free."

"Partially free," he said. "You have to stay in Iroquois County for the next six months and you have to see your probation officer once a week."

"Yeah, but, Dad," "She said, shutting off the radio. "If I want to walk down the street I can do it without having to ask permission, and worry about leg chains or having someone watching me. We're going to the mall. You know how long it's been since I've been to the mall?"

"That woman warned me about taking you to a mall," he said. "You're not going to run your poor father ragged, are you?"

"Oh no, we'll do it the easy way," she said. "We'll start at one end and work our way down. What did Carey say to you?"

"She gave me her sympathies and said she'd rather take a bunch of girls on a run than to take one to the mall."

Grace smiled. "She's not the mall type," she said. "When Carey wants to buy something, she hits the catalogs and mail order places. Did I tell you she bought me an encyclopedia for the computer?"

Richard smiled. "Twice."

"She went to the mall to find it for me," she said. "Hey Dad? I bet there's a photo place at the mall. Can we drop the film off there to be developed?"

"If you want," he said. "I want a copy of the one of us together."

"They usually have those free double sets," she said. "If we get those, I can send a copy of the ones of me and Carey together to her. Did I tell you that she said I could call her each week?" She looked out the window. "Not the same as seeing her every day, though."

"Well, I reckon I know why you're so glum," he said. "Better stock up on those prepaid calling cards."

"I planned on it," Grace said, looking back at him. "I gotta get stamps and envelopes too so I can send her letters."

"She's really special to you, isn't she?"

"Very," Grace said.

"This is the mall?" Grace asked skeptically when her father pulled the car into the large parking lot.

"This is it," he said.

"It's only got one floor."

"Ayup, how many do you need?" He pulled into a spot halfway down the parking aisle and shut the engine off. "Now before we go and spend some money, let's get some rules down." He reached into his front pocket and pulled out a thick wad of bills. "I'm not a rich man, Grace, but I want to do this for you. Here's forty bucks for your own pocket. I'm not buying you anything I think is foolish or too expensive."

"Okay, Dad," she said. "Thanks. I won't waste it on junk, I promise."

"Graceful, Graceful, please wait up."

Grace turned around to see her father lumbering toward her, his hands full of bags. "Oh, I'm sorry, Dad," she said, walking back to meet him.

"I think it's time for another trip to the car," he said, setting the bags down and collapsing onto a bench. "That Miss Carey wasn't kidding. Where do you get the energy?"

"I don't know," Grace said. "Shopping is fun." She looked down at her new watch. "Hey, Dad, it's been an hour. Can we go back to the photo place?"

"But...but that's at the other end of the mail," he protested, looking back at the seemingly endless aisle of stores. "Pumpkin, can't we stop on the way back?"

Grace reached down and took a handful of bags. "You said we had to drop these off at the car anyway."

Richard reached into his pocket and pulled out several bills. "I'll make you a deal. You take those out to the car and get the photos. I'll wait here and regret every cheeseburger I've ever had."

"Okay," Grace said, taking the money, then giving her father a hug. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Gathering up the bags, she began walking briskly to the photo booth. The pictures are supposed to be ready. They said one hour and it's been one hour and five minutes. They'd better be ready. Reaching the kiosk, Grace excitedly pulled out her stub and handed it to the clerk. "Are they ready yet?"

"I'll check," the pimply-faced boy said, pulling open a drawer full of photo envelopes. "Here they are," he said. "Just finished these a few minutes ago."

"Great," Grace said, taking the envelope and handing him a twenty-dollar bill. There was no way she could wait to look at the pictures. Shuffling quickly through them she found the ones she had taken of Carey. "This is the one," she said.

"Pardon, miss?"

Grace held up a picture of her and Carey standing together, her arm wrapped around Carey's waist. "I'd like this one enlarged to eight by ten."

"Oh, sure. We can do that for you." He reached over and took the envelope from her, checking the negatives until he found the right one. "Enlargements take longer than an hour, though. You'll have to pick it up tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll be back tomorrow."

"Okay, here we are," he said, signaling to turn into the motel parking lot. "Graceful...I'm sorry, Grace. This isn't the best motel in town but it's better than the one that rents by the hour."

"This is nice," Grace said, looking at the brightly colored sign and well-lit parking lot. "They're all over the country, aren't they?"

"Ayup," he said, pulling in and shutting off the engine. "I want to talk to you about the room or rooms." He tapped the steering wheel with his fingertips. "Do you want your own room or would it be all right to get one with two beds?"

"Isn't it cheaper to get one room?" she asked.

"Ayup." He nodded. "But I want you to be comfortable, Grace." Reaching out, he gave her hand a squeeze. "I'm not very good at this, I'm afraid." He returned his hand to the steering wheel and gripped tightly. "I look at you and I still see that little girl with the blonde ponytails." Grace watched his knuckles turn white from the exertion. "I'm worried you think all men are like that bastard," he said.

Grace leaned her head against his oversized upper arm. "I know not all men are like him," she said, brushing her cheek against the flannel shirt. "I thought we were gonna stay up and watch TV and I could show


you everything I bought."

"You mean everything I bought," he said. "Are you still hungry? I can order a pizza."

Grace sat up and smiled. "With mushrooms?"

"If you like," he said. "So, one room or two?"

"One," she said. "I figured that's what we were gonna do anyway."

"If you change your mind, you tell me," he said, letting go of the steering wheel and flexing his fingers. "I want you to be comfortable."

"Dad?" she said, stopping him from opening the door. "I don't think of you like I think of him." She looked out the windshield. "I know you wouldn't do that to me."

"Never," he said firmly. "And if I ever get my hands on that son of a bitch, I'll feed his ass through a wood chipper after I break every bone in his worthless body."

Grace smiled, feeling warmed by her father's words. "Grizzly bear," she said, remembering the name she called him when she was a little girl. "Always protecting me. Remember when I was in first grade and that big boy hit me? You went and scared the hell out of his father and they both came over to apologize."

Richard chuckled. "I don't think that little man in glasses knew what to say when I showed up in his dooryard screaming about his boy hurting my little girl."

"Greg something or other," Grace said. "He never came near me again until I got to high school."

"He bothered you again in high school?" he asked.

Grace shook her head and laughed. "He didn't hit me again," she said. "He hit on me. Wanted to take me out."

Her father laughed. "That be how it goes sometime," he said. "And now your grizzly bear is hungry. Come on, we'll rent a movie on pay per view and you can show me everything."

Richard Waters carried his daughter's suitcase into the room that was to be hers for the foreseeable future. It had taken some looking, but they had managed to find a room to rent in the home of a widowed woman who had decided to rent out her spare bedroom to supplement her income. It was far less expensive than an apartment, and it included meals. Besides, he felt better knowing that Grace was not alone. They had both liked Estelle Somers right off, and now that Grace was eighteen and could legally live on her own, it was time for him to return home.