Laura Ray (Ray Series) Read Free

a week’s vacation. We’re leaving on Saturday morning.”
    Laura stood there speechless. She would have given her right arm for John to be there to make decisions . What could she say? They are both of age and engaged. Hoping they knew what they were doing, she finally said, “Have a good time and be careful.”
    Laura’s heart rejoiced again as she remembered the day they came in proudly displaying their engagement ring. Their faces glowed with excitement. Laura wanted to cry with happiness for them. She called out through her tears, “Let’s celebrate.” She turned on the record player and Elvis Presley’s You Ain’t Nothin’ but a Hound Dog already lay on the turntable. They laughed and danced around in the living room. Danny came in and joined in the celebration with them.
    It was a happy, silly time. What a crazy song to play at a time when you’re celebrating your engagement but somehow it worked.
    Well, Nora and Jeremy did go on vacation together without being married, not exactly kosher these days. Who knew about this new generation? Samantha and she had tried to down play it and keep it quiet. Maybe not too much gossip will come of it.

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Two
    Danny started in the sixth grade. Laura watched Danny leave for school on his bike wearing the new clothes she had bought him. He was getting so tall, almost as tall as she. The older he got, the more he reminded her of John. His hair was a soft golden brown with a slight wave across the top. His eyes shone with the same true sky blue that Nora’s eyes radiated, but the shape of his eyes looked more like John’s eyes. He looked very much like he would develop the football build. Laura felt so proud of him. He had never given her any problems. How could she be so fortunate to have such good children? 
    L aura watched Danny until she saw Aaron swing out from his house on his bike and join him. Good she thought to herself . There’s always safety in numbers . She hoped that boy Bobby Jackson who threw rocks at him last year had moved away during the summer or something.
    She quickly gathered her things and left for work. She had relaxed a lot this summer with the children home and Mr. Hudson behaving himself. She walked into work with a smile and greeted him pleasantly. She sat down to her desk anxious to see what the day might bring.
    She had met lots of people since working in the office. She felt fortunate that her job didn’t go into depths about Mr. Hudson’s accounting business. However, when she went to school functions or met these people in the grocery store, she always smiled and acknowledged them kindly. Somehow down inside she felt weird that she knew way too much about these people’s personal business. She declared in her heart that she never would divulge a word out of her mouth any of their secrets.
    Danny brought a note home from school that there would be a PTO meeting after school on Monday afternoon. She made a mental note to get permission to leave work early on Monday to attend.
    She opened her mouth to ask ‘How was school?’ when Danny said, “Remember that boy, Bobby Jackson?” Danny went on, “Well, I haven’t seen him this year. I think he went to Junior High.”
    “That’s good,” Laura sighed with relief.
    “I hope he stays away, if he doesn’t, Aaron and I are going to wipe him out. We’re bigger now.” Danny looked at her determinedly.
    Laura felt frightened. She imagined her son coming in with broken bones and bloody. “If you get in a fight, there might be consequences you don’t want to deal with, Danny,” Laura cautioned.
    Danny nodded as if he understood. “I’m going to my room to do homework, Mom.”
    Laura sat in the PTO meeting at one of the back tables of the school cafeteria. She had previously not attended many school functions; firstly, because of the dairy and secondly, because of John’s illness. Now she felt ready to try to contribute more of her energy toward Danny’s