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of what had happened since the children had gone back to live with their father.

Jerry sat on the edge of the bed, his weight causing the mattress to dip. His back was to her. "I want you to know that I'll make everything as financially comfortable for you as I can."

"I know you will," she whispered.

"You've been a good wife to me, Sharon. I can't tell you how sorry I am that it has to end like this."

If this was the time for confessions, she had a few of her own. "I apologize for the childish way I behaved the last few weeks."

"Yeah, well, you weren't the only one." He unbuttoned his shirt. "With effort we should be able to make it through the holidays without embarrassing ourselves."

"We should," she agreed. She closed her novel and set it aside, removed her glasses, and lay down, her hands clenching the blanket. Her eyes focused on the ceiling while Jerry undressed and pulled back the covers. She held her breath as he slipped between the sheets. A moment later the room went dark.

"Good night, Sharon."

"Good night."

Jerry rolled onto his side. Sharon lay, her head cradled by the thick feather pillow, and stared sightlessly into the darkness.

This was quite possibly the most tragic moment of her life.

Within moments her husband snored softly at her side.

Chapter 20

The tongue must be heavy indeed, for so few people can hold it.

- Mrs. Miracle

Harriett Foster decided she didn't see near enough of her niece. Jayne did try, but between work and children, the young mother simply didn't have time for extended family. The only way to visit with Jayne and her household was to stop off unexpectedly and unannounced. With anyone else, she would have considered such behavior the height of bad manners, but this was family. One had a responsibility to family, however burdensome.

Early Saturday afternoon, Harriett parked her car outside Jayne's house and made her way up the sidewalk. Harriett had few close friends. She found the women in church to be an unfriendly lot. Her closest friend, quite naturally, had been Abigail, her sister and Jayne's mother. God rest dear, dear Abigail's soul. Harriett viewed it as her God-given duty to take over the role as mother to her niece and grandmother to Jayne's two children. It was the way Abigail would have wanted it.

She pressed the doorbell, and when there wasn't an immediate response she tried again, and then a third time. Finally she walked over to the window. Jayne's car was in the driveway - she had to be in the house somewhere.

Harriet placed her hand against the glass to kill the glare and peered inside. She could see nothing.

Just when she was prepared to leave, the front door opened.

"Hello, Aunt Harriett."

"Jayne, my dear, I was about to give up on you. I'm so pleased I didn't."

"I...I was in the laundry room."

"You probably didn't hear the doorbell over the dryer," Harriett said, which explained why her niece hadn't answered the door right away. "We haven't had much of a chance to talk lately, and I thought I'd stop in for tea."

"Tea," Jayne repeated slowly. "Well, actually the girls haven't been feeling well. A touch of the flu. They're both napping. It's unusual to get them both down at the same time, and I was hoping - "

"Then I couldn't have come at a more opportune time." She stepped past Jayne and moved directly into the house.

If she sensed any hesitation in her niece, the condition of the house explained everything. The living room carpet was littered with toys. The Christmas tree leaned to one side, and the decorations looked to be mostly handmade, ones the children had crafted in school, which made the scrawny tree even more unattractive. Her own Christmas tree was a showpiece. The decorations had been carefully collected over the years and were of the finest quality.

Harriett's home had never been this untidy. Poor Jayne was embarrassed, as well she should be. There was no excuse for such a mess. A clean home was akin to godliness. Although she couldn't recall the precise Bible verse, she was sure that was scriptural.

"I'll make the tea," Harriett announced when Jayne hesitated. By all that was right, she should say something to her niece about the condition of her home; but Jayne had mentioned the girls weren't feeling well. With a job outside the home, the poor woman should be given a bit of slack.

Harriett wasn't often indulgent, but she