“He’s playing a game with me and the girls.”
Ben squinted. “Really, Pamela? You’re going to let him back into this house? Into your lives?”
Jack bit his tongue. Emma’s face hardened, and Emmy’s eyes filled with tears. He couldn’t argue with Ben in front of them. God, show me what to do.
Mike and Tammie walked into the room. Mike glanced at the girls, then at Ben. “Son, I’m glad you’re home. Why don’t you come in the kitchen and get a bite of one of Pamela’s apple crisps?”
Ben clinched his fists at his sides, and Jack feared he’d actually have to take a punch from his brother-in-law. Ben looked at the girls and, to his credit, his expression softened. “Sure, Dad.”
He scowled at Jack as he walked past but didn’t say another word. Jack tried to enjoy the game with Pamela and the girls, but the tension never lightened. Once the game ended, he hugged his daughters and told them goodbye, his heart heavy and his spirit saddened.
Chapter 12
A fter tucking the girls into bed for the night, Pamela marched the few yards back to her parents’ house. Ben had no right to act that way in front of her children. She opened the back door and slammed it behind her. Spying her overgrown little brother sitting at the kitchen table eating another of the apple crisps she’d made, she pointed her finger at him. “How dare you?”
Ben swallowed the bite in his mouth, then lifted his hands. “How dare I what? Stand up for you and the girls?” He pointed toward the front door. “That man has no right to be anywhere near you all.”
Heat washed over her. She was a grown woman, responsible for her life and her two children. “That is not for you to decide.”
He pushed away from the table and stood, towering over her. “Don’t you remember?” He tapped his fingertips against his temple. “Have you forgotten? The man never showed up to help Dad, Kirk and me on the farm when he said he would. Why? Because he was drunk or hungover.”
“What’s going on in here?” Their mother wrapped a robe around her and tightened the belt. Pins held her hair away from her cream-covered face.
Ben continued. “Or maybe you forgot that he left while you were pregnant, and you got so sick with worry and sadness that you went into labor early with Emmy. Not once, but several times. You’d cry and beg God to keep her safe while we chased after Emma and waited on you hand and foot.”
Pamela crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I didn’t know it bothered you so much to help me.”
He smacked his hand against the table. “Of course I didn’t mind. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. But would he?”
“Now, wait a minute, Ben....”
Their mother walked toward her brother. Her lips moved as she spoke to him, but the words jumbled together as Ben’s question weeded its way through every fiber of her being.
The pain she’d suffered when Jack had left punched her in the gut. Yes, she’d told him to leave that night, but she never dreamed he would walk away for good. He hadn’t fought to stay. For months, years even, she’d worried about him, feared for his very life. But she’d heard nothing. No phone calls. No cards or letters. No visits. Nothing until he’d started calling and hanging up two years ago.
“He wasn’t here for any of it.” Ben now addressed their mother. “Not when Emma potty trained or Emmy started walking. Not to teach them their alphabet or teach them to ride a bike. Not when they ran a fever or fought off a stomach bug. He. Was. Never. Here.”
Pamela’s heart squeezed. Ben’s words were true. All of them. He’d abandoned her for all the girls’ milestones to this point. He’d been attentive and reliable the past couple months, but could that really make up for the years he’d been gone? She’d never be able to really trust him. She didn’t want to ever be so vulnerable again. When they’d said their vows, he’d promised to be beside her in the good and bad, in
Ben squinted. “Really, Pamela? You’re going to let him back into this house? Into your lives?”
Jack bit his tongue. Emma’s face hardened, and Emmy’s eyes filled with tears. He couldn’t argue with Ben in front of them. God, show me what to do.
Mike and Tammie walked into the room. Mike glanced at the girls, then at Ben. “Son, I’m glad you’re home. Why don’t you come in the kitchen and get a bite of one of Pamela’s apple crisps?”
Ben clinched his fists at his sides, and Jack feared he’d actually have to take a punch from his brother-in-law. Ben looked at the girls and, to his credit, his expression softened. “Sure, Dad.”
He scowled at Jack as he walked past but didn’t say another word. Jack tried to enjoy the game with Pamela and the girls, but the tension never lightened. Once the game ended, he hugged his daughters and told them goodbye, his heart heavy and his spirit saddened.
Chapter 12
A fter tucking the girls into bed for the night, Pamela marched the few yards back to her parents’ house. Ben had no right to act that way in front of her children. She opened the back door and slammed it behind her. Spying her overgrown little brother sitting at the kitchen table eating another of the apple crisps she’d made, she pointed her finger at him. “How dare you?”
Ben swallowed the bite in his mouth, then lifted his hands. “How dare I what? Stand up for you and the girls?” He pointed toward the front door. “That man has no right to be anywhere near you all.”
Heat washed over her. She was a grown woman, responsible for her life and her two children. “That is not for you to decide.”
He pushed away from the table and stood, towering over her. “Don’t you remember?” He tapped his fingertips against his temple. “Have you forgotten? The man never showed up to help Dad, Kirk and me on the farm when he said he would. Why? Because he was drunk or hungover.”
“What’s going on in here?” Their mother wrapped a robe around her and tightened the belt. Pins held her hair away from her cream-covered face.
Ben continued. “Or maybe you forgot that he left while you were pregnant, and you got so sick with worry and sadness that you went into labor early with Emmy. Not once, but several times. You’d cry and beg God to keep her safe while we chased after Emma and waited on you hand and foot.”
Pamela crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I didn’t know it bothered you so much to help me.”
He smacked his hand against the table. “Of course I didn’t mind. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. But would he?”
“Now, wait a minute, Ben....”
Their mother walked toward her brother. Her lips moved as she spoke to him, but the words jumbled together as Ben’s question weeded its way through every fiber of her being.
The pain she’d suffered when Jack had left punched her in the gut. Yes, she’d told him to leave that night, but she never dreamed he would walk away for good. He hadn’t fought to stay. For months, years even, she’d worried about him, feared for his very life. But she’d heard nothing. No phone calls. No cards or letters. No visits. Nothing until he’d started calling and hanging up two years ago.
“He wasn’t here for any of it.” Ben now addressed their mother. “Not when Emma potty trained or Emmy started walking. Not to teach them their alphabet or teach them to ride a bike. Not when they ran a fever or fought off a stomach bug. He. Was. Never. Here.”
Pamela’s heart squeezed. Ben’s words were true. All of them. He’d abandoned her for all the girls’ milestones to this point. He’d been attentive and reliable the past couple months, but could that really make up for the years he’d been gone? She’d never be able to really trust him. She didn’t want to ever be so vulnerable again. When they’d said their vows, he’d promised to be beside her in the good and bad, in
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