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.