Chapter 12

Mona's leadened eyes opened. Above her was the top of the tent.

She smiled, remembering. She glanced beside her. Phil was still there. His eyes were closed and his young chest rose and fell gently. He was asleep.

The last thing she remembered was just lying there beneath her son, basking in the feel of their bodies so closely pressed together. Then?

She wasn't sure. She must have drifted off in the total relaxation that had suffused through her body after their love making. It had been good, so wonderfully good.

Again, she looked at her son. An impish urge to reach out and fondle the sleeping hose of his penis rushed through her. She resisted the impulse, letting her son sleep.

Closing her eyes, she listened. From outside came the sound of birds singing in the woods. But she couldn't hear anyone moving around in the camp. It was almost noon. Where was everybody? Even if Jason and Liz had slept late, Frank was always an early riser.

Frank!

Memories flooded back into her mind. The hollow ache returned. But somehow it seemed more dulled than before. She smiled to herself. Perhaps in a week or two, it would be completely gone. She knew she would always have memories of Frank, a few good, mostly bad. But that was as it should be. To forget the hurt and the pain, that was the way it was supposed to be too.

She glanced across the tent to her unfinished packing chore. Sooner or later, she would have to rise and complete the task and start back home.

Home? She shook her head. There was no home waiting for her now. If she knew Frank, she would find all her things waiting for her on the front porch, as would Phil and Karen. Suddenly, she felt sorry for her stepdaughter. The girl had probably been hurt more by Frank than she had. But Karen was a strong girl; she would get over her father's rejection sooner or later. And she would find a man to love her - perhaps even Bret. Who knew what waited in the future.

Home?

Her thoughts returned to the house. And that's exactly what it had been to her, a house not a home. She could get a motel room for herself and Phil, and of course, Karen, when she got back to the city. It shouldn't take too long to find a suitable apartment for her family. Thank God, she hadn't listened to Frank and quit her job. She shuddered at the thought of trying to locate a decent job during these rough times. They wouldn't have the money they had with Frank's salary, but she made enough for them to live comfortably. And there was the money she had tucked away for Phil's college expenses. Perhaps if her son and stepdaughter got part-time jobs, she could stretch that savings account to cover both their expenses. It would be tight, but not hard.