Chapter 5

Jeanette was a mess. She hadn't slept a minute that night. The tears had come when the kids were in bed and she could finally let herself go and indulge in self-pity. There hadn't been a word from Brent. Where was he? Had he left for good? It didn't seem possible. He loved his children and Jeanette couldn't bring herself to believe he would just walk away and leave them. She had reasoned that he had left to try and understand what he had seen, and decide what to do. That was just like him. Don't do anything without thinking about it first. But the ring? The ring terrified her. She tried to imagine his pain, his thoughts, and his anger. She had wounded him deeply, and she didn't know if she could make it better.

She had tried to keep things normal that morning. Brent was usually up an hour before the children and would be gone before they rose. For once, she was grateful. There were no explanations to be made. It was a Thursday, and she dreaded Saturday, or for that matter, the next two nights. What excuse would she have for his absence tonight and Friday and then finally, the weekend. She thought about telling the children the truth, but they were so young and innocent. They would never understand; especially Andrea. There had to be something she could say ... there had to be.

As Andrea and Scott left for school, Jeanette picked up the phone and called The Wagon Wheel. There was no answer at this early hour, and she left a message on the answering machine that she wouldn't be in today and that she would call later to explain. She was deeply afraid that if Brent had left her, she would have to provide for herself and the children and she would need a job. This one, as bad as the situation was, paid very well and since she had no other skills, she would need to keep it for as long as she could. It was the worst of all solutions and yet the only one that she could think of.

She thought of phoning Lloyd and asking if he had heard from Brent, but rejected that when she thought of the questions that it would generate. She had tried his cell again and again, but no answer. She had left several messages, but there was no answer. Was he ever going to talk to her again? There had to be someone she could talk to. Think girl, think! She couldn't call Elaine. Adam was Brent's best friend and she would die of embarrassment if Elaine knew what she had done. There had to be someone. Finally, she knew there was only one person she could call who wouldn't blow the whole mess wide open. Her sister, Joanne.

"Jo, it's me, Jeanette. I need to talk to you. It's bad, Jo. Brent has found out. He knows and he's left me. I don't know what to do, Jo. I need to talk to you. Please!" She hung up. She hated answering machines. They were so impersonal and unresponsive. She would just have to wait for her sister to call back. She would understand. She was the one who had got her into this mess in the first place. She poured her third cup of coffee and sat at the kitchen table with her head in her hands. She felt almost barren of hope.