By His Hand: Truly Yours Digital Edition by Jennifer Johnson Page B
Authors: Jennifer Johnson
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much-too-quickly aging forehead. Graying hair pulled into a haphazard bun, she took a shaky hand and pushed stray strands behind her ear.
“I need some time.” She grabbed Chris’s arms with both her hands. She squeezed him tight, and he looked down and saw the suitcase at her feet. “I don’t have the strength, the energy,” she continued. Sobs wrenched her body, and she released him and shook violently. “I miss him so much.”
“It’s okay, Mama.” Chris gazed past his mother and saw Abby standing in the kitchen door. Her eyes were swollen from crying, as well. “Chris and I will do whatever you need. We’ll keep the house up and cook and whatever,” she simpered.
“No!” His mother squealed back at Abby. She looked at Chris and shook her head. “No.” Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffing, she leaned over and picked up the suitcase. She stood up straight and set her jaw. “I have to go.”
Then she was gone.
Chris peered out the window of his shop. She’d said no good-bye. No “I love you.” No “I’ll come back soon.” She’d simply walked out the door, and they hadn’t heard from her since.
Abby had cried for days, but she didn’t talk about it. He’d been thankful. He didn’t think he could talk about it either. What could he say anyway? He had no answers, nothing that made sense. After his dad died, Chris had worked double the hours to make sure he provided for his mom and sister. Abby helped around the house, as she never had before. There were no logical reasons for his mom to walk out on them.
And yet she had.
Maybe he should have talked to Abby about it. Maybe both of them should have talked. Maybe he came down too hard on her. And the truth was Victoria seemed to be filling a spot in Abby’s life that had needed filled for quite some time. He never tried to be Abby’s mom or dad, but maybe he hadn’t been as open with her as he should have been.
God, show me how to reach my sister. Show me how to be a better brother
. He thought of Victoria and the angry expression on her face when she slammed his truck door. He took a deep breath as he realized how much it hurt to have Victoria upset with him.
Show me how to make amends with Victoria, too
.
Victoria gazed up at the cold, stone structure. The courthouse’s aged exterior didn’t make her think of justice, it scared her. And why did every courthouse she’d ever seen look like some smaller version of the White House? She had probably read or heard the reason at some point in school, but she couldn’t recall it. At the moment, she didn’t care much about past history lessons. She wanted to get her vehicle back.
She opened her handbag and checked for the hundredth time to be sure proof of the six-month insurance plan was still inside. Sondra had already found out what Victoria’s court cost would be, so she checked again to be sure she had enough for it. Looking through her wallet, she found her driver’s license in its correct place, as well.
I’m as ready as I’m going to be
. She inhaled and walked up the steps. After opening the heavy half-glass–half-wood door, she walked inside. Her heels clicked against the concrete floor, making the empty, enormous hall seem all the more overwhelming.
A door on her left had a sign that read C IRCUIT C LERK . To her right, she saw doors that read V EHICLE REGISTRATION and D RIVER’S L ICENSE .
I don’t think I’m supposed to go to any of those
. She grabbed the ticket Sheriff Troy had given her out of her bag. She was supposed to go to district court.
Scanning her left and right, she didn’t see any doors that mentioned anything about a courthouse. Wishing she hadn’t been so adamant with Sondra about not coming to allow Peewee and Emily to take their naps, Victoria walked back to the front of the building where she spied a staircase with a sign that announced district and circuit courts were held upstairs. She sighed in relief, gripped the
“I need some time.” She grabbed Chris’s arms with both her hands. She squeezed him tight, and he looked down and saw the suitcase at her feet. “I don’t have the strength, the energy,” she continued. Sobs wrenched her body, and she released him and shook violently. “I miss him so much.”
“It’s okay, Mama.” Chris gazed past his mother and saw Abby standing in the kitchen door. Her eyes were swollen from crying, as well. “Chris and I will do whatever you need. We’ll keep the house up and cook and whatever,” she simpered.
“No!” His mother squealed back at Abby. She looked at Chris and shook her head. “No.” Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffing, she leaned over and picked up the suitcase. She stood up straight and set her jaw. “I have to go.”
Then she was gone.
Chris peered out the window of his shop. She’d said no good-bye. No “I love you.” No “I’ll come back soon.” She’d simply walked out the door, and they hadn’t heard from her since.
Abby had cried for days, but she didn’t talk about it. He’d been thankful. He didn’t think he could talk about it either. What could he say anyway? He had no answers, nothing that made sense. After his dad died, Chris had worked double the hours to make sure he provided for his mom and sister. Abby helped around the house, as she never had before. There were no logical reasons for his mom to walk out on them.
And yet she had.
Maybe he should have talked to Abby about it. Maybe both of them should have talked. Maybe he came down too hard on her. And the truth was Victoria seemed to be filling a spot in Abby’s life that had needed filled for quite some time. He never tried to be Abby’s mom or dad, but maybe he hadn’t been as open with her as he should have been.
God, show me how to reach my sister. Show me how to be a better brother
. He thought of Victoria and the angry expression on her face when she slammed his truck door. He took a deep breath as he realized how much it hurt to have Victoria upset with him.
Show me how to make amends with Victoria, too
.
Victoria gazed up at the cold, stone structure. The courthouse’s aged exterior didn’t make her think of justice, it scared her. And why did every courthouse she’d ever seen look like some smaller version of the White House? She had probably read or heard the reason at some point in school, but she couldn’t recall it. At the moment, she didn’t care much about past history lessons. She wanted to get her vehicle back.
She opened her handbag and checked for the hundredth time to be sure proof of the six-month insurance plan was still inside. Sondra had already found out what Victoria’s court cost would be, so she checked again to be sure she had enough for it. Looking through her wallet, she found her driver’s license in its correct place, as well.
I’m as ready as I’m going to be
. She inhaled and walked up the steps. After opening the heavy half-glass–half-wood door, she walked inside. Her heels clicked against the concrete floor, making the empty, enormous hall seem all the more overwhelming.
A door on her left had a sign that read C IRCUIT C LERK . To her right, she saw doors that read V EHICLE REGISTRATION and D RIVER’S L ICENSE .
I don’t think I’m supposed to go to any of those
. She grabbed the ticket Sheriff Troy had given her out of her bag. She was supposed to go to district court.
Scanning her left and right, she didn’t see any doors that mentioned anything about a courthouse. Wishing she hadn’t been so adamant with Sondra about not coming to allow Peewee and Emily to take their naps, Victoria walked back to the front of the building where she spied a staircase with a sign that announced district and circuit courts were held upstairs. She sighed in relief, gripped the
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