Possessions by Judith Michael Page A

pride and called the friends who had offered help if she needed it, to ask if they knew of any jobs. Some worked in offices in the city; all of them were married to men who did. But they all said, “Oh, Katherine, there isn’t a thing. The economy, you know; nobody’s hiring. But I’m sure you’ll find something; you’ve always been so good with your hands. And, listen, we should get together for lunch. Not this week or next—things are so busy—but one of these days we certainly will get together.”
    None of them said a word about Craig.
    The last name on Katherine’s list was Frances Doerner, and she sounded as friendly as ever. “Of course I’ll talk to Carl, Katherine, and I’m sure he’ll find something for you; every company needs efficient people, don’t you think? He’s still out of town but as soon as he calls, I’ll talk to him and get back to you.”
    Not as friendly as ever, Katherine thought as they hung up. Once she would have invited us to dinner. But it doesn’t matter. Carl will find me a job.
    Still, whatever she earned would be far less than Craig had brought home. If they had been living beyond Craig’s salary, how could they live on hers? She sat at the desk, adding and subtracting numbers, thinking of wild schemes that dribbled away to nothing. And the next morning, at breakfast, with no solution in sight, she forced herself to explain their finances to Jennifer and Todd, as honestly as she could. “So what we have to do,” she concluded, and without warning began to cry, “is sell the house.”
    They stared at her, sitting stiffly in their chairs. “We can’t sell the house,” Jennifer said. “We live here. And we have to be here when Daddy comes back.”
    â€œWe can’t, we can’t,” Todd chimed in. “Daddy won’t know where we are; he’ll think we forgot him; he’ll think we don’t want him anymore.”
    â€œHe’s smart enough to find us,” Katherine said. She wipedaway her tears and swallowed the unshed ones. “We’re going to rent an apartment in Vancouver and he’ll call Information to get our new address and telephone number.”
    â€œWhat apartment?” they asked.
    â€œThe one we’re going to find tomorrow afternoon. We’ll make a list of neighborhoods we like—”
    â€œNot me,” said Jennifer. “And I’m not moving, either. I’m staying here until Daddy comes home.”
    â€œMe too,” Todd chimed in. “I’m staying with Jennifer.”
    â€œYou’ll do what I tell you!” Katherine’s voice rose. “I’m selling this house because we can’t afford it, because your father didn’t leave me enough money to pay for it, and since you don’t know anything about that, you’ll keep quiet and do what you’re told!”
    Jennifer and Todd burst into tears. “Why did he go away?” cried Todd. “Didn’t he like us anymore?”
    â€œIf he got mad at something we did . . .” Jennifer said, her words trailing off.
    â€œHe would have told us, though,” Todd asserted. “At least . . . wouldn’t he?”
    Katherine was slow to understand. “Told you what?”
    â€œWHAT WE DID TO GET HIM MAD!” Todd bellowed. He scowled at Katherine. “Like, if he was mad at me and didn’t want to be around me anymore—”
    â€œOr me,” Jennifer echoed.
    â€œI could maybe fix it,” Todd went on. “Or say I’m sorry or something so he’d come back. If he knew. We’d have to find him to tell him, and if we don’t know where he is . . .”
    â€œHe wouldn’t stop loving us, though,” Jennifer said. “Would he? And leave us? I mean, he never disappeared before, and I did lots of things he didn’t like, so I don’t see