said, smirking while picking up the breakfast dishes. He placed the dishes in the sink and ran the cold water over them, getting his own hands wet in the process. Shaking off his hands, he turned to see Rosemary looking out the window and softly walked over behind her and settled his wet fingers on the back of her neck.
Rosemary jumped to her feet.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked, turning the full force of her anger on Jacob.
“Stop being so jumpy, Rosemary. You used to have nice soft curves, but now you look like a scarecrow. Divorcing Will certainly didn’t help matters. How much do you weigh now?”
“None of your business.”
“Don’t blow up at me because you can’t find a decent boyfriend to soothe your nerves. When’s the last time you went to bed with anyone? Should we count in months or years?”
“Between you and Will, I’ve had my fill of low-life men. Obviously Cathy felt the same.”
“We don’t know what was going on with Cathy. She went in and out of her depressions. When we first married, she’d go for days without talking. With the arrival of Stephen she seemed better.”
“That’s because she had lost a previous baby.”
“The one she aborted?”
“She didn’t want to. Mom dragged her into the clinic.”
“If I count from the date you married Will to the arrival of Robin, I come up with six months.”
“Will was willing to marry me. The scum who got Cathy pregnant wasn’t. I shouldn’t say that. He and Cathy were both underage. I believe she had just turned sixteen, and the guy wasn’t much older. Everyone except for Cathy wanted the baby gone. She’d remind me yearly of how old that baby would have been.”
“Stephen served as a replacement?”
“Never a replacement but a second chance.”
“Tell them, tell them.” Mabel pushed Stephen into the kitchen in front of her.
“Let’s go to the zoo,” said Stephen. “And eat chili after we see the animals.”
“This came from Stephen. I didn’t say anything.”
Stephen looked up at his grandmother. “You mentioned there’s a new baby gorilla.”
“But I didn’t say we should go to the zoo to see the gorilla,” Mabel said, looking back and forth between Jacob and Rosemary.
“Before we gorilla
aficionados
go to the zoo, I’d better call Will and make sure Robin is all right.”
Chapter
15
“Is Robin going to be all right?” asked Stephen.
“Sure. Her dad probably fed her something greasy and she has a sensitive stomach.”
“You feed me greasy food.”
“Yeah, but you’ve got a tummy of iron,” Jacob said patting his son’s stomach.
Stephen scratched his head.
“I don’t believe that a witch stole Robin’s nerves, but …”
“Hmmm?”
“But if she had, would that make Robin’s tummy upset?”
“Nah, I think her father’s bad cooking could, though.”
Stephen sat on the oak floor and rested his head against his father’s leg.
“How come we never see Uncle Will anymore?”
“Because he’s no longer married to your Aunt Rosemary.”
“Why not?”
“Ask your Aunt Rosemary.”
“But she’s gone to pick up Robin from her daddy. Aunt Rosemary didn’t even get to go to the zoo with us.”
“Hey, what did you think of that baby gorilla?”
“Couldn’t even see him ‘cause his mom kept him so close to her.”
“That’s how moms are.”
“Do you think his mom will go away from him someday?”
“More likely he’ll leave his mom. Maybe even go off to another zoo to begin a brand new life. Some of us do it sooner than others.”
“But I’m too small to leave home.”
“Yes. Someday, though, you’ll break my heart and leave to have a family of your own.”
Stephen shook his head.
“I know how sad it would make you. I wouldn’t hurt you the way Mommy hurt us.”
“I keep trying to explain, Stephen, that she didn’t do it on purpose. She had problems.”
“Then why didn’t she come to us? We would have helped her. You always
Rosemary jumped to her feet.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked, turning the full force of her anger on Jacob.
“Stop being so jumpy, Rosemary. You used to have nice soft curves, but now you look like a scarecrow. Divorcing Will certainly didn’t help matters. How much do you weigh now?”
“None of your business.”
“Don’t blow up at me because you can’t find a decent boyfriend to soothe your nerves. When’s the last time you went to bed with anyone? Should we count in months or years?”
“Between you and Will, I’ve had my fill of low-life men. Obviously Cathy felt the same.”
“We don’t know what was going on with Cathy. She went in and out of her depressions. When we first married, she’d go for days without talking. With the arrival of Stephen she seemed better.”
“That’s because she had lost a previous baby.”
“The one she aborted?”
“She didn’t want to. Mom dragged her into the clinic.”
“If I count from the date you married Will to the arrival of Robin, I come up with six months.”
“Will was willing to marry me. The scum who got Cathy pregnant wasn’t. I shouldn’t say that. He and Cathy were both underage. I believe she had just turned sixteen, and the guy wasn’t much older. Everyone except for Cathy wanted the baby gone. She’d remind me yearly of how old that baby would have been.”
“Stephen served as a replacement?”
“Never a replacement but a second chance.”
“Tell them, tell them.” Mabel pushed Stephen into the kitchen in front of her.
“Let’s go to the zoo,” said Stephen. “And eat chili after we see the animals.”
“This came from Stephen. I didn’t say anything.”
Stephen looked up at his grandmother. “You mentioned there’s a new baby gorilla.”
“But I didn’t say we should go to the zoo to see the gorilla,” Mabel said, looking back and forth between Jacob and Rosemary.
“Before we gorilla
aficionados
go to the zoo, I’d better call Will and make sure Robin is all right.”
Chapter
15
“Is Robin going to be all right?” asked Stephen.
“Sure. Her dad probably fed her something greasy and she has a sensitive stomach.”
“You feed me greasy food.”
“Yeah, but you’ve got a tummy of iron,” Jacob said patting his son’s stomach.
Stephen scratched his head.
“I don’t believe that a witch stole Robin’s nerves, but …”
“Hmmm?”
“But if she had, would that make Robin’s tummy upset?”
“Nah, I think her father’s bad cooking could, though.”
Stephen sat on the oak floor and rested his head against his father’s leg.
“How come we never see Uncle Will anymore?”
“Because he’s no longer married to your Aunt Rosemary.”
“Why not?”
“Ask your Aunt Rosemary.”
“But she’s gone to pick up Robin from her daddy. Aunt Rosemary didn’t even get to go to the zoo with us.”
“Hey, what did you think of that baby gorilla?”
“Couldn’t even see him ‘cause his mom kept him so close to her.”
“That’s how moms are.”
“Do you think his mom will go away from him someday?”
“More likely he’ll leave his mom. Maybe even go off to another zoo to begin a brand new life. Some of us do it sooner than others.”
“But I’m too small to leave home.”
“Yes. Someday, though, you’ll break my heart and leave to have a family of your own.”
Stephen shook his head.
“I know how sad it would make you. I wouldn’t hurt you the way Mommy hurt us.”
“I keep trying to explain, Stephen, that she didn’t do it on purpose. She had problems.”
“Then why didn’t she come to us? We would have helped her. You always
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