No Time for Horses by Shannon Kennedy Page B

follows them.” Ingrid patted my back again.
“Obviously, this family needs more counseling than I realized. The
little ones are in good psychological shape, undoubtedly because of
the love and support their oldest sister provides. However, she
needs help, so I want her to see me privately once a week.”
    “And we’ll see to it that things improve at
home.” Rick oozed sympathy. Was that real? Or was he playing a part
for the counselor?
    “I know you will.” Ingrid returned to her
papers and began writing more notes. “I’m referring Vicky to a
support group for at-risk teens immediately after her appointments
with me on Tuesday afternoons.”
    “At what time?” Mom asked. “She needs to pick
up the kids at the elementary school.”
    “Did you hear a word I said?” Ingrid made
another note. “Gretchen, there are five days in a school week.
Vicky will bring the kids here on Thursdays so I can see them.”
    I lifted my hand and when she looked at me, I
said, “Can we come a bit later? I really need to stay for the
entire cheer practice, not skip out a half-hour early. I can get
the kids at daycare and we’ll still be here by four-thirty.”
    “Works for me,” Ingrid said, eyeing her
paperwork. “That leaves Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
I don’t care how you divide it up, Gretchen, but one of you will
pick up your kids on each of those days. I will be in touch to make
sure it happens.”
    “I don’t think that’s necessary,” Rick said.
“We can work this out ourselves.”
    “No, because your way of working it out is to
download the responsibilities onto a child,” Ingrid told him. “I
will follow up on what I want done. Of course, I’ll be sending
copies of my reports and assessments to the judge handling your
divorce case.”
    * * * *
    Thursday, November 14th, 5:15 p.m.
     
    “I can’t believe you embarrassed me like
that.” Mom glared over her shoulder at me as I buckled Chrissy into
her car seat. “What were you thinking?”
    “That I wanted to stay at my school.” I
shrugged. “How was I supposed to know that Dr. O’Hara had issues
with me giving up my life for you and Rick? She’s never said that
to me. She kept saying we’re in a transitional stage and things
will improve.”
    Another dirty look and Mom said, “I never
told you not to call him ‘Dad’. I was mortified when you kept
calling him by his first name.”
    I tuned her out while I checked on Linda and
Lance. He looked worried. I ruffled his hair and winked at him.
Then, I leaned in and whispered, “Hey, if she’s on my case, she’s
leaving you alone, right?”
    He nodded, a faint smile trembling across his
face. “Okay. What’s for dinner?”
    “I have no idea. We’ll figure it out when we
get home.”
    I got in the passenger seat and allowed Mom
the privilege of ranting for another two blocks. When she paused
for breath, I said, “I’m the one who should be pissed, not
you.”
    “What are you going off about now,
Victoria?”
    “Come on. You slammed me to Dr. O’Hara.” I
glanced at the kids and realized I had a captive audience. I
couldn’t let them know how badly it hurt to find out what Mom
thought of me, or that she rejected them big-time. “We both know
what you told her about me was a lie. How do you think that makes
me feel? My own mother trashed me to a perfect stranger and
now I’m stuck going to group therapy with a bunch of losers.
Thanks, Mom. Thanks a lot for wrecking my life one more time.”
    “Wow, are you screwed or what?” Kevin chirped
from the back seat. “How can you go to therapy, Vicky? Who will
take care of us?”
    “Mom or your dad,” I said. “Dr. O’Hara has a
plan.”
    “Well, she better wake up quick,” Kevin
announced. “That’s never going to work. And during our session
today, she told me that I’m not old enough to babysit the other
kids yet.”
     

Chapter Seven
     
    Friday,
November 15th, 4:00 p.m.
     
    During lunch I had called Rocky