sickness and health. But he’d lied.
“You really think I’d give that man my heart again?”
The words spat from her lips, and her mother stopped talking to Ben and looked at her. Sadness wreathed her mom’s features, and Pamela glanced back at her brother.
“You sure look to have stars in your eyes again,” Ben said.
Pamela placed her hands on her hips. “He’s paying me support, and he wants a relationship with the girls. I can’t legally deny him that.”
Mike walked in the back door and frowned. “What’s goin’ on in here?” He pointed to his wife, and Pamela watched a tear slip down her mom’s cheek. “What’s wrong with your mother?”
Ben growled. “I guess she had some cockamamie idea that Pamela should get back with Jack.” He grinned. “But I suppose Pamela just set her straight.”
Her father stared at her, and Pamela dipped her chin. Her brother’s words and tone sounded disrespectful, and she didn’t want to be lumped in on his side. Her dad glared at Ben. “I don’t like the way you just spoke of your mother.”
Ben rolled his eyes. “Dad, I would never say anything bad about Mom. It’s just crazy to think that Pamela and Jack—”
Dad lifted his hand to cut him off, and Pamela bit her bottom lip. “You and I have something to discuss anyway. I’d planned to wait until tomorrow, but...”
He pulled an envelope out of the cabinet, and Ben’s face blanched. Her brother stuttered, “Where did you get that?”
“It came to the house. I didn’t look at who it was addressed to. I opened it and saw that my son has accumulated a great deal of debt.”
Ben’s jaw set in a hard line. “Think I’ll head on back to school tonight.”
“Now, son...” Tammie said, placing her hand on his forearm.
He pulled away and stalked out of the room and up the stairs. Her mom collapsed into tears, and her father gathered her into his arms. They seemed to have forgotten that Pamela was still standing in the kitchen with them.
“I’m so worried about him,” her mom mumbled against her dad’s chest.
Pamela lowered her chin again. She was worried about him, too. He hadn’t been himself the past few visits. Always tired. Always grouchy. Always leaving the house.
“Let’s pray for him right now.”
Her dad took Pamela’s hand in his; then her mother grabbed her other hand. Her heartbeat raced as her dad spoke words of thanksgiving and concern for their youngest child. She hadn’t been able to share burdens with Jack. Not when the girls had been sick. Not when they’d had fusses with peers at school. She wanted it, this unity her parents shared.
Her father ended the prayer, then enveloped them both in a hug before Pamela said goodbye and headed back to the cabin. The house was quiet, with only the ticking of the clock sounding through the room.
She sat on the couch and wrapped her arms around her waist. She felt alone, more so than she had in a long time. She needed comfort. A warm embrace. Grabbing the soft afghan off the chair, she wrapped it around herself. The warmth didn’t help. She had no one. Not Jack. Not God. She was utterly alone.
* * *
Jack placed the video game in the shopping cart filled with dolls, doll accessories and activity sets. Pamela pointed to the game. “Who’s that for?”
“Todd. I think I’m just going to send money to Kari.”
Pamela chewed her lip. “How is your family?”
“Dad hasn’t spoken to me since he kicked me out of the house for good.”
Pamela lifted her eyebrows, and he wondered when the time would come that he could share everything with her.
He continued. “But I talk to Mom about once a month, and I’m Facebook friends with Kari and Todd. We text and even Skype sometimes, so I keep up with them that way.”
Pamela grinned. “I’m sure they’ve gotten big.”
He nodded. “Kari’s fourteen, looks like she’s twenty.” He blew out a breath. “Always has a boyfriend. And Todd’s eleven, loves running cross
“You really think I’d give that man my heart again?”
The words spat from her lips, and her mother stopped talking to Ben and looked at her. Sadness wreathed her mom’s features, and Pamela glanced back at her brother.
“You sure look to have stars in your eyes again,” Ben said.
Pamela placed her hands on her hips. “He’s paying me support, and he wants a relationship with the girls. I can’t legally deny him that.”
Mike walked in the back door and frowned. “What’s goin’ on in here?” He pointed to his wife, and Pamela watched a tear slip down her mom’s cheek. “What’s wrong with your mother?”
Ben growled. “I guess she had some cockamamie idea that Pamela should get back with Jack.” He grinned. “But I suppose Pamela just set her straight.”
Her father stared at her, and Pamela dipped her chin. Her brother’s words and tone sounded disrespectful, and she didn’t want to be lumped in on his side. Her dad glared at Ben. “I don’t like the way you just spoke of your mother.”
Ben rolled his eyes. “Dad, I would never say anything bad about Mom. It’s just crazy to think that Pamela and Jack—”
Dad lifted his hand to cut him off, and Pamela bit her bottom lip. “You and I have something to discuss anyway. I’d planned to wait until tomorrow, but...”
He pulled an envelope out of the cabinet, and Ben’s face blanched. Her brother stuttered, “Where did you get that?”
“It came to the house. I didn’t look at who it was addressed to. I opened it and saw that my son has accumulated a great deal of debt.”
Ben’s jaw set in a hard line. “Think I’ll head on back to school tonight.”
“Now, son...” Tammie said, placing her hand on his forearm.
He pulled away and stalked out of the room and up the stairs. Her mom collapsed into tears, and her father gathered her into his arms. They seemed to have forgotten that Pamela was still standing in the kitchen with them.
“I’m so worried about him,” her mom mumbled against her dad’s chest.
Pamela lowered her chin again. She was worried about him, too. He hadn’t been himself the past few visits. Always tired. Always grouchy. Always leaving the house.
“Let’s pray for him right now.”
Her dad took Pamela’s hand in his; then her mother grabbed her other hand. Her heartbeat raced as her dad spoke words of thanksgiving and concern for their youngest child. She hadn’t been able to share burdens with Jack. Not when the girls had been sick. Not when they’d had fusses with peers at school. She wanted it, this unity her parents shared.
Her father ended the prayer, then enveloped them both in a hug before Pamela said goodbye and headed back to the cabin. The house was quiet, with only the ticking of the clock sounding through the room.
She sat on the couch and wrapped her arms around her waist. She felt alone, more so than she had in a long time. She needed comfort. A warm embrace. Grabbing the soft afghan off the chair, she wrapped it around herself. The warmth didn’t help. She had no one. Not Jack. Not God. She was utterly alone.
* * *
Jack placed the video game in the shopping cart filled with dolls, doll accessories and activity sets. Pamela pointed to the game. “Who’s that for?”
“Todd. I think I’m just going to send money to Kari.”
Pamela chewed her lip. “How is your family?”
“Dad hasn’t spoken to me since he kicked me out of the house for good.”
Pamela lifted her eyebrows, and he wondered when the time would come that he could share everything with her.
He continued. “But I talk to Mom about once a month, and I’m Facebook friends with Kari and Todd. We text and even Skype sometimes, so I keep up with them that way.”
Pamela grinned. “I’m sure they’ve gotten big.”
He nodded. “Kari’s fourteen, looks like she’s twenty.” He blew out a breath. “Always has a boyfriend. And Todd’s eleven, loves running cross
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