Past Forward- A Serial Novel: Episode 11 (25 page)

“
Not anymore.
Now it
’
s about whatever is on the current political and social agenda
.”

She shut the book impatiently.
“
We
’
ve hardly talked about children
,
but I think we
’
ve established that we both want to have one or two someday
.”

“
Yes…
”

“
Will you expect me to put my children through that?
”

“
What
—”
Chad began
,
but Willow interrupted him.

“
How deficient do you think my education was?
”

“
Willow, I don
’
t think you had a deficient education at all.
Actually, in a lot of areas, you
’
re education was far superior to most
people’s
I
’
ve known
.”

Chad glanced at his watch as the clock chimed.
“
I have to go.
Where is your phone, I
’
ll talk to you on the way to work
.”

“
In the barn charging again
.”

“
Go get it and call me
.”

Chad used the break in conversation to pray fast.
He suddenly realized that education could be a deal breaker for Willow.
He
’
d never considered
homeschooling
.
He knew his parents didn
’
t think much of Libby
’
s support for Luke
’
s sister
’
s home school journey
,
and now Luke and Aggie
… I
f he joined the fray
,
it could cause further stress on a relationship that was just re-knitting itself.

On the other hand, he
’
d read Kari
’
s educational plan.
He
’
d seen the fruit of it in Willow
’
s life.
He loved how eager she was to learn anything that interested her.
The fact that she picked up immediately on a flaw in the educational system that he
’
d noticed as a child showed him it wasn
’
t just the immaturity of a lazy third grader
,
but
rather
there was something to be said for not wasting children
’
s time on things they already knew.

His phone rang.
“
Hey…
”

“
Chad, I don
’
t want to be difficult about this
,
but I never thought about educating a child.
I can
’
t do this
.”

“
Can
’
t do what,
”
he questioned a sense of dread coming over him.
Until that moment, Chad hadn
’
t realized
just
how much he
looked
forward to their marriage.

“
I can
’
t send my children away to school all day
,
and I can
’
t teach them like this at home.
Chad, this book is telling children Ellie
’
s age to wash their hands after using the bathroom.
I knew that at three!
”

“
Yes, and some adults still don
’
t do it regularly
.”

“
That
’
s disgusting,
”
she announced with finality.

“
It is.
And it
’
s proof that all the teaching in the world doesn
’
t make a difference to some people
.”

The clock struck ten.
Willow sighed.
“
You have to work.
You should think about this Chad.
If this is how you want your children educated
,
you
’
ll have to make a decision
.”

He took a deep breath and asked the question
despite already knowing
the answer.
“
A decision about what?
”

“
Whether you want children or me
,
because I won
’
t have them if this is what it means.
Good night
,
Chad
.”

A lamp glowed from Willow
’
s living room window as Chad drove up the driveway on his dinner break.
Was Ellie having trouble sleeping away from home?
Was Willow still worrying about education?
He found
her
asleep on the couch
,
surrounded by textbooks, her mother
’
s journals, and her Bible open on her chest.

Gently
, Chad removed the Bible, marking her place with a ribbon lying on the arm of the couch.
He stacked the textbooks and journals on the coffee table and stood, hands stuffed in his pockets, watching her sleep
. He was torn.
How would they solve this
problem
?
He didn
’
t have the answer she sought
,
but he knew one thing
. H
e
refused
to let Willow go.

He added wood to the upstairs woodstove, turned down her covers, and
returned to her side
.
As he struggled to lift her, Willow
’
s eyes opened sleepily.
“
Chad?
”

“
You fell asleep
.”

“
What are you doing?
”

“
You need your sleep,
”
he explained
,
patiently amused to be sharing the obvious.
“
So I decided to do something about it
.”

“
I can walk
.”

“
Mmm hmm.
And I can carry.
Amazing how talented we both are,
”
he teased
,
pausing on the landing before he took the next side of stairs.

“
I should jump down
, but frankly
I
’
m too tired
,
and you
’
re too comfortable,
”
she murmured
.

Willow was nearly instantly asleep again once her head hit the pillow.
Chad covered her and brushed her hair from her cheek.
“
Oh
,
Willow,
”
he murmured frustrated.
“
Why must you
‘
borrow trouble
,’
as
Aunt Libby always says?
”

His watch told him he
still
had time to eat.
While his soup heated, he left a note for
her
.

Willow,

Hope you got enough sleep.
If you
’
re up before I get home, why don
’
t you just leave the animals for me?
I
’
m extra
tired tonight
,
so if everyone is still asleep when I get there, I
’
ll probably just stick the air mattress in the craft room and sleep there.
I
’
ll eat first
,
so if you hear me, let me know you
’
re up and I
’
ll make enough for both of us.