Chapter 102

As opposed to her custodian position on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the school, Maddie liked her three to eight o'clock job at the Rec Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For the most part. They required her to go to and from the back door and stay in the kitchen out of sight, but at least the staff were relatively pleasant. And by that, she meant they sometimes said hello or goodbye, or looked her in the eye. Once in awhile, she felt a part of the human race and worthy of a semblance of respect.

The only reason they had accepted her application two years ago was because their full-time cook's doctor had made her cut back on hours after a mild heart attack. Maddie had lied and told them she could cook. She hadn't boiled a pot of water in her life. The cook had left specific recipes and a menu for her days off, and in no time, Maddie had gotten the hang of it. Once she'd learned the groove, it was kind of relaxing.