A couple of years later, Tina started to school. Steven decided to take Tina for her first day as Donna was starting a new job at the same time and wanted to be early for her first day. For Rob and Carolyn, Donna had performed that duty and it had been uneventful. But for Tina this was a day of great adventure and a day of great trepidation as this was a whole new world of which she knew very little about. Donna had left before Tina was finished with her breakfast. As Tina remembered it, Donna had smiled and said “Have a good day sweetie. I’ve got to go. See you later.”  Although Donna’s farewell was pleasant enough, she failed to give her the confidence she needed to face her first day of school.

Then she remembers that her father came into the kitchen and fixed himself some toast and coffee and encouraged her to finish her breakfast. He then began talking to her as to what to expect for her first day. Hearing from her dad had eased her nervousness and made her look forward to this day.

All during Tina’s school life, Donna worked. They hired a housekeeper to stay with the children in the afternoon and prepare dinner for the family before she went home to her own family. During the years, Tina became closer to this woman than to her own mother. Her siblings were older and were always involved with their friends and their own activities and did little more than to share the house and meals with their younger sister. The family seldom had family activities. Tina didn’t remember a single vacation trip she took with her family.  From time to time, Steven would take Tina to the lake to do some fishing.  Donna hated to fish, where Steven found it a hobby to unwind and think about his life. And as the older children had their own agendas, Tina was the only one who seemed to take an interest. She adored her father and over the years had gotten to know that he was a gentle and thoughtful man. He used his aggression and charisma at the office to make deals and write contracts.

Donna made a career as a loan officer with a local bank. She was good at her job. And as her children were getting older, she would simply check in with them from time to time monitoring their report cards and giving the occasional lecture on what good behavior was.  Fortunately, the housekeeper was always available for guidance and problems resolution.