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After he was released fro as a short-order cook When he wasn’t working, he was taking landscape photographs, which began to receive good reviews and significant interest fro other places, his as displayed in the Harbor Street Art Gallery, where heand tempestuous, and only after Katie was born did they hter’s birth, Maryellen was convinced she didn’t need or want a husband She’d e, and it had been a disaster When she discovered she was pregnant with Katie, she was deterleshe was Katie wanted her daddy, and Maryellen soon realized she needed Jon in their lives After their e, they were blissfully happy for a short time Then Maryellen had stumbled upon a stack of unopened letters froh she knew Jon would disapprove, she’d secretly contacted the Bowrandparents, Maryellen felt they had a right to know about their only grandchild Her letter, unfortunately, had heightened their efforts to make peace with their son, which had only infuriated hi to do with the theed with her Her duplicity and his stubborn unwillingness to forgive had ale

At the tinant She hadn’t told Jon How could she, when he shut her out--no e, she believed her actions had killed his love for her and that her second e was doomed, too It was then, at the lowest point of her pain and loss, that she miscarried her baby

That had been six weeks earlier Six weeks during which they’d carefully avoided the subject of Jon’s parents Together they grieved over the loss of this pregnancy and clung to each other, but their ability to trust was still shaky

Maryellen studied the envelope Jon hadn’t immediately thrown the letter away, or hidden it, as he had previous ones That was progress, she supposed Over the intervening weeks, they’d had nuiveness, and she felt he was finally willing to listen This letter would be the proving ground

"What would you like me to do with it?" she asked

Jon buried his hands in his pockets and gazed up at the ceiling "You don’t want the answer to that"

"Yes, I do," she told him calmly

"Burn it"

She’d hoped and prayed that he’d conquered some of his bitterness "But you didn’t burn it"

"No," he admitted reluctantly

Maryellen noticed that he stood about as far away from her as he could and still be heard "Why not? I need never have known about this letter Even if hed, but it was a defeated sound "You’d know I’ from you"

Maryellen moved from behind the kitchen counter and tentatively stepped closer to her husband "Jon?" she asked again, keeping her voice gentle "Tell me what I should do with the letter"

"Don’t look at me like that," he demanded

She paused "Like what?"

"Like I’m such a disappointment to you"

"Never that," she whispered Maryellen wrapped her arms around his waist and lowered her head to his chest Words weren’t necessary to convey her love and her pride He was her world, her life, and nothing, not even his relationship with his fa the heaven she’d found in hi for Jon to slide his arhtness of his embrace told Maryellen what she already knew--that he didn’t want to risk losing her, either After several , deep breath

"Go ahead and read it I know that’s what you want to do"

"It is," she whispered

"But don’t tell me what it says"

His response bothered her, but she wouldn’t rush him That was the mistake she’d made earlier

When Katie toddled past on her way to the kitchen, Maryellen left Jon to swoop her daughter into her arraham cracker, then reached for the letter

Jon turned away as if he couldn’t bear to see Maryellen tear open the envelope

The letter was brief Jon’s father had suffered a stroke Fortunately, he’d received e Jon’s stepmother felt Maryellen would want to know and perhaps she could mention it to Jon

"It’s about your father," she said, laying down the letter

Jon bristled "I told you I don’t want to hear"

"But he’s had a stroke"

"Maryellen, how many times do I have to say it? I don’t care He’s out of ave up the right to be my father the day he lied on the witness stand and sent me to hell for seven years"

Katie set the cracker down in her tray and stared wide-eyed at her father

"You talk about forgiveness, and that’s real easy for you You weren’t the one in that rat hole You weren’t the one who had to endure it" His voice grew harsher with each word until Katie started to cry