Page 74 of 3 Daddies to Go

She laughs again. “I promise I’m not going to murder anyone. You guys don’t do well with surprises, do you?”

We shake our heads. We hate surprises. All three of us like to be in charge. Having someone else take the reins is uncomfortable.

“Well, I’ll never try to surprise you again.”

“Does that mean you’ll tell us where we’re going?” I ask hopefully. I don’t know why I’m so uncomfortable with this trip. It must be the control thing. Being in charge is what I do best. I’m never out of the loop. Ever decision at work goes through me, even things as miniscule as buying a new brand of toilet paper.

Kendall bites her lip.

“I’ll never try to surprise you againaftertoday. How is that?”

Since it’s all we’re going to get, I nod. At least she’s probably not going to murder us.

The cab starts to slow in front of an old school building. It reminds me of where I went to elementary school. It’s a single-story brick structure that sprawls out across the land. There’s a sign on the side, but it’s too small for me to make it out.

Kendall jumps out and offers the cab driver some cash.

“Thanks, Jerry!” she chirps.

He tips his cap to her.

“Don’t murder these boys. I can’t be an accessory to murder.” He drives off, and Kendall takes a deep breath. She clenches her fists nervously.

“You okay?”

Kendall nods. “I’m just kind of worried about showing you this place. It means the world to me.”

We take a few steps closer, and I can finally make out the sign in front of us. It’s the Sunshine Program. “Why’d you take us here?” I ask.

“I want you to see this part of my life,” Kendall says. “This place means more to me than anything else. I love the kids and the location and the other volunteers. It’s stressful and awful sometimes, but it’s rewarding and important work.”

We all nod. Every time we’ve been together, Kendall has mentioned the Sunshine Program. She talks about it with such pride that we have no doubt she loves the place more than anything else in the world. If she had to choose between her best friend and the program, we all know she’d pick the program. Considering she just defended Trudy when we called her crazy, that’s saying a lot.

“We don’t have to stay,” Kendall says when we’re silent for too long. “We’re less than a mile from the hotel. It doesn’t seem like it, since we’re surrounded by woods, but the town is just on the other side of that tree line.”

I look over at the forest across the street. Over the tops of the trees, I can just barely make out a few buildings. I wouldn’t have thought this existed looking at it from the other side of the trees. The secluded area probably makes it perfect for a school, which I’m guessing this building used to be. They don’t have to worry about bothering the neighbors with screams or anything.

I put my hand on Kendall’s shoulder, caressing her a bit.

“We’re honored that you brought us here.”

“Yeah, Kendall. This seems incredible. I didn’t realize how much space there was.”

She beams.

“The town was generous and gave the program the land and the school building. It was going to be demolished anyway, so why not use it to do some good?”

“That’s incredible,” I say. This land could have been developed into housing or shops. Instead, the town focused on the needs of the people already living in town. That doesn’t happen often, and it’s impressive to see. “Can we see what it looks like on the inside, or is that not allowed?”

“The rules aren’t as strict as with like a regular school. You just need to sign in at the main office, and you have to be with a volunteer to walk around. Luckily, you have me!”

We follow Kendall towards the main office. It feels weird to be in a school office when I’m not getting in trouble.

“Bringing back memories, boys?” I whisper to the guys.

They both laugh.

“We spent more time in the principal’s office than our classroom.”