"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."

"Not quite," Carey said. "Come on, there's more in the box."

"More?"

"Just a little bit," Carey said. "I hope you like blue." She watched as Grace pulled out a blue backpack. "For carrying your books to class."

"Oh, it's great," Grace said, "It even has wheels." She opened the hook and loop sections. "It's got a place for pens and other stuff. Hey it's even got a mirror."

"Yeah, well, worry more about having a pen that works than your makeup," Carey said. "Your last present is inside the pack. You should have seen me standing at the computer store trying to pick it out."

Grace's eyes lit up more, if that was possible. At least it seemed so to Carey. "An encyclopedia. Two CD set. Oh, this is the really good one." She flipped the case over and glanced at the back. "Yeah, this is the one with the built-in detailed atlases and world timelines. Oh look, it can do footnotes."

"So it's a good one, right?" Carey asked, not certain until that moment that she had bought the best one. The smile on Grace's face answered her question. "I'm glad you like it. All of it."

“Go ahead, open it."

"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?"