their fight when he realized he’d gone too far and tried to talk his way out of being on the receiving end of her wrath.
She jerked her hand free and waved him off. “Go to the bar, John. Get drunk. But be aware that if I have to choose between paying the mortgage and bailing your worthless ass out of jail for drinking and driving, I won’t miss a mortgage payment. Ever.”
As she marched off, he climbed into his car and the door creaked as he slammed it. His car engine clicked and whined as it came to life moments before he peeled out of the driveway, but she didn’t look back. To hell with him. Useless bastard. She would get more done without him there anyway. Whenever he was around her parents, she spent all her time trying to keep everyone from starting a war. She didn’t have the energy to play peacekeeper at the moment.
At the front door, Caroline forced a fake smile, as if nothing was wrong. Her mom was still holding Katie, patting her little back and bouncing her to keep her content. When her mother faced her, Caroline could see that Katie was the only one content.
The scowl on Judith’s face was one of the many reasons John couldn’t stand to be around her parents. Caroline couldn’t really blame him for not wanting to be subjected to such blatant disapproval. She had been looked at that way her entire life, but he’d grown up seeing Frannie’s big smile. He’d never had to develop thick skin the way Caroline had. She could understand why her mother’s silent judgement ate away at him. After two years together, the calm and confident man who wanted to win them over was gone, and she couldn’t blame him for that.
But to hell with him for leaving to get drunk in the middle of the afternoon on their first day in their new home.
He could burn for all she cared. So could her parents. She was so sick of walking this high wire. Nothing she did was good enough for them. Or for John. Trying to please them all was exhausting. Trying to be the bigger person all the time was exhausting.
She was exhausted. Emotionally tapped out. She had nothing left to give them. She had a baby now, and everything she had left was going to go to her daughter. The one person who didn’t look at her like she was a huge mistake.
Why couldn’t they…
Why couldn’t any of them…
Caroline swallowed hard, trying to force the surge of emotion down. If she had learned anything in this life, it was that showing her parents the slightest bit of emotion would cause more problems. Putting on her best stone face, she looked around the room. “Where’s Dad?”
“Putting the crib together. As you asked him to.”
Her mother’s pointed words hit their mark, but Caroline didn’t react. She wouldn’t react. Doing so would give her mother a sense of twisted pleasure Caroline had vowed to never give her again.
“I’ll see if he needs a hand.” She knew he wouldn’t accept her offer, but she stopped in the doorway of the small bedroom she’d designated as Katie’s. “Need help?”
“No,” he said without looking up from the parts he was sorting.
She didn’t offer again. She turned away and went into the master bedroom, closing the door behind her. And then she went into the bathroom, closed that door, and let her tears flow.
The following afternoon, Carol carried three glasses of lemonade into the dining room to where her mom and aunt sat staring at puzzle pieces. The image of a rundown barn in an overgrown field was starting to come together. There were still a few hundred pieces to place, but Carol thought by the next afternoon, her aunt would have to find a new activity to distract them…unless they agreed to the idea Carol was about to spring on them.
“Mary texted me while I was in the kitchen,” she announced.
Ellen leaned back, leaving plenty of room for Carol to ease the glasses onto the table.
“Tobias’s family is on board for having the ceremony at the end of September.” Carol stood upright and looked at her mom. “What about you? Have you put anymore thought into attending?”
She didn’t realize how much she’d expected her mom to reject the invitation until her mom nodded, and Carol nearly laughed with surprise. “Really? You’ll go?”
“You’re right,” Judith said. “I should be there for Katie.”
“And for you,” Ellen was