The clouds looked as if they’d been combed. 

Or as if something like a giant rake had been drug through them. Sissy associated that with rain. Like her mother always said, a buttermilk sky means rain the next day. What it really was though was wind, high up in the clouds. Off to the west, the thunderheads were already forming. 

She jumped off of the swing set in the backyard and headed in to eat breakfast and get ready for school. Mama was just pulling cat head biscuits out of the oven, filling the kitchen with their delicious aroma. Eggs and bacon were frying in the skillet. “Looks like rain coming, Mama, can you take me to school?” 

Mama switched on the countertop TV and checked the weather as she dumped the eggs and bacon onto a platter lined with paper towels. She saw that the storm was an hour out, so she told Sissy to grab her umbrella just in case and offered to make her breakfast to go. “Go wash up, grab your backpack, and I’ll have your bacon, egg sandwich ready when you’re done.”

Sissy did as she was told. She never gave her mama a hard time because it was just the two of them against the world. Daddy had run off a couple of years ago, having made Mama mad by drinking and something she called ‘carousing’. Sissy was ten. She wasn’t sure what that meant, but she had a good idea. They both got busy and devised a plan to survive, which meant Sissy had to work as hard as her Mama to make it all work. 

Sissy only had a half mile to walk to school…plenty of time to beat the rain.She didn’t mind walking really, it gave her time to think and plan. She kept her eye to the sky and saw she had a second to stop and nuzzle Mr Hansen’s horse and apologized for not having a snack today before walking on. Remembering her breakfast, she unwrapped it and ate it before getting there. She had a test in first period literature, so she didn’t want to be late. The school was in sight now, so she leaned against a nearby tree, taking her last bite or two, then rumpled the wrapping and tossed in in the trash on her way through the door.

Mama, meanwhile, was clearing the mess from her own breakfast and getting herself ready for a short workday. She had asked the day before to go home early to get her crafts and bake sale items ready for the weekend’s fair at Liberty Park. This was her and Sissy’s side hustle, if you will. They both worked hard to produce enough crafts and baked goods for the fair, which should net them enough cash to cover the bills. Everyone in their small town of Wamego, Kansas knew her situation and tried to help them out by purchasing her wares and giving her orders for more, depending on the craft or recipes. Nancy Clark was an upstanding citizen and the townsfolk respected her and tried to lend a hand when needed.

As Sissy made her way home from school, she thought about her dad again. She couldn’t help thinking that there had to be another reason he would leave his only child behind, as well as her mother. Was he really cheating? She couldn’t believe it. Gambling, she thought made sense. He was only hoping for a windfall to help them get flush, maybe more. But Mama said he was also ‘carousing’ but did that mean flirting or worse? These of course were no matters for such a young child to ponder, but she heard rumors in class and watched dramas on TV. Daddy always treated her like a princess and she couldn’t help but miss his warm hugs and reassuring voice.

It had rained while she was in school, but now the sky’s were clear and blue as her daddy’s eyes. She’d decided on her walk home that she would talk to Mama again and see if there was any hope for a reconciliation. Meanwhile, she also planned to finish up her crafting projects so they would be ready for this weekend’s fair. She was almost done with her tenth doll dress, and had also made ten matching macrame bracelets for the girl to wear that bought each dress. Mama was pulling a tray of homemade brownies out of the oven when she walked in the door.

“Hi Mama,” she called as she entered the house. “Hi Sissy! How was your test?” She told her it went fine as she dropped her backpack on the table. 

“Go put that in your room, Dear, and help me move these brownies to the cooling rack. I’ve got to put another batch in and then I’m done.” 

“Yes ma’am, and then can we talk?” 

“Sure honey, what about? Are the kids picking on you again?”

“No Mama.” 

Sissy re-entered the kitchen and started moving the brownies. “Mama, I have a secret to confess.”

“This sounds serious.” Mama sat down as Sissy began to speak.

“Well, I just can’t stop wondering if there’s a chance you and Daddy could ever be together again. I mean, was he really cheating on you or did you ask him to leave because of just the gambling? He was just trying to get ahead of the bills!”

“Where did you hear that word…cheating? I said he was ‘carousing around’ I never really said cheating.”

“Well, the kids at school said it. I just can’t believe it. He would never hurt you-us- that way. He was always wonderful to me and so reassuring that everything would work out. I was going to ask you if I could invite him to the fair, you know, to see how hard we’ve worked on our crafts.”

“Of course, dear, but I doubt that he will come. Don’t get your feelings hurt if he says no.”

Sissy was overjoyed, but didn’t run straight to the phone. She thought she’d ponder it over while working on the last of the doll dresses.

All that afternoon and into the night, she and Mama worked on their projects and then fell into bed, tired but satisfied and ready for the fair. Sissy decided instead of calling, she would forward the fair announcement to Daddy in an email. She’d signed it-I do hope you’ll come. 

Saturday was busy setting up their booth and peddling their crafts to customers. Mama took one batch of brownies to the judges and sold the other. If she won the bake off, she’d win $500! Sissy hoped and prayed the judges would love them as much as she did. She had sold 5 of her doll dresses by noon, and just as she was getting ready to snag a snack for lunch, she looked up and saw her daddy. He was heading straight for her booth! She could hardly contain her excitement, but waited until he got to her table. 

“Hey Sissy!”

“Hi Daddy. How’ve you been? I’ve been thinking a lot about you and why you left us. Just look at how well we’ve done in the booth today!”

“Well kitten, you have been busy! I hope your school work hasn’t suffered. Congratulations on your sales! Listen, why don’t you eat your lunch while I go and find your Mama. I promise we’ll talk about things. Just remember, I love you.”

“Ok, Daddy. Can I have a hug before you go?”

“Of course, Sweetie. Come here.”

Sissy rounded the booth for a hug, and snuck him a brownie to go. 

“It’s on the house,” she replied.

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I posted a picture of some clouds I’d taken a picture of last week, I think it was, and promised a flow up story. I hope you enjoyed it.