Daybreak: The Days of Redemption Series, Book One by Shelley Shepard Gray Page A

the world. And she put up with so much. She surely didn’t deserve the man that he’d become.
    Schooling his features, he opened the door and walked out. To his surprise, she hadn’t gone far. She was standing at the end of the hall, eyeing him warily.
    With a smile, he said, “There. I’m out now. What was so important that it couldn’t wait? Did you need something?”
    She stepped backward, obviously disturbed by his tone. “As a matter of fact, yes. But now I’m wondering if, perhaps, you need to tell me something instead.” Her gaze seemed to take in every inch of him. And it was obvious that she saw something that didn’t please her.
    “I don’t need to tell you a thing.”
    Her eyebrows rose. “You sound like your mother.”
    The glint in her eyes told him she was teasing. “I hope I don’t. She’s the last person I want to emulate right now.”
    “Then Peter—”
    Folding his arms over his chest, he fought to act like nothing in the world could ever be wrong. “Don’t fuss. I am fine, Marie.”
    “Are you sure? Because, Peter, if you have a problem, I could help you. That’s what husbands and wives do for each other.”
    “Of course they do. And you know I would move heaven and earth to give you help, if that’s what you needed.”
    “I feel the same way.”
    “I’m glad of that.” He gently rubbed his calloused thumb along the fine line of her cheekbone before turning and starting down the stairs. He wasn’t sure about anything anymore. Not about his drinking, not about his family. But he couldn’t tell her that.
    She followed at his heels.
    As he plodded down the steep staircase, trying to maintain his balance, he shot off a question. “Was there something you wanted to talk about now that we’ve determined that I am fine?”
    “ Jah. It’s about your mother.”
    He swayed a bit and blamed it on the topic. He loved his parents. But were they also a source of hurt and stress in his life? Always!
    As they came to the landing, Marie rushed to his side. “Peter, you almost stumbled. This is not like you. Are you all right?”
    Though he knew it hurt her feelings, he shrugged off her touch. “I am perfectly fine, Marie.” When they reached the kitchen, he said, “Now, tell me. What’s wrong with Mamm now?”
    “I think she’s having a mighty difficult time with the photo being discovered.”
    “I imagine she is.”
    She lowered her voice. “And even more, I fear that your father is upset with her. When you left, Aaron didn’t eat the biscuit Elsie brought him. Instead, he got up from the table in an all-fire hurry and left Lovina sitting alone.”
    “Well, then, she can join our sorry club of disappointed folks. I’m having a difficult time accepting the fact that she’s been hiding something so important from us all.”
    “What do you think we should do?”
    Her question took him off guard. Never had he ever felt that he should “do” anything about his parents. They were in charge. He adapted. That was the way of things and always had been. “You heard me try to coax them into talking. Until they change their minds, I don’t think we can do a thing.”
    “Nothing?” His wife looked aghast. “But this news of hers . . .”
    “What can be done? Marie, they’ve always been secretive. Don’t you remember that supper when Elsie asked my parents how they met? She couldn’t have been more than seven, but they both scolded her for asking about things that were none of her business. That photograph only confirms that they had every reason to be secretive. We should have suspected something long ago.”
    “I think this is a sign that we need to have a real discussion about the relationships in this family. Perhaps we need to ask Sam and Lorene to come over.”
    Sam and Lorene were the only other siblings who’d stayed in the area. The others had moved far enough away to begin new lives. More than once, Peter had found himself envying their distance and independence,