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"But he knows more than anyone that I wouldn’t juot scared, Mo"

Monica curled her knee up on the couch "You told hiret?"

"Yeah, sooner or later he’d realize thata woman with a child would be a burden and he’d hate the fact that we’d hold him back He has so many aain, she felt so no has less to do with his lack of ave her a half sht think he’d be happy e Becoht sound novel, but it’s a job I can’t chance Danny thinking he finally has a father, only to have Jack up and leave" Danny would just have to wait a little longer for a positive ure to enter his life

Dammit

"Jack isn’t like our father, Jessie"

"I know that," she said, tapping her head "In here But in here," she tapped her chest, "I can’t risk it"

Monica took her hand and squeezed "If you really feel that way, then why are you so upset and torn?"

"Because the thought of never seeing hiain hurts The pain is so deep, and the air is so thick I can’t breathe What if I’? What if we could work it out? He storry" She brushed away a tear and forced the rest back

"He asked you to marry him and you said no He’s probably hurt, too"

Jessie’s lip quivered "I know"

"Do you love him?" Monica whispered

Jessie drew in a sharp breath "I can’t, Mo I can’t" But God help her, she did

"You knohat I think?" Monica tapped her hands and smiled "I think if he really wants you, loves you, he’ll be back"

Jessie started to shake her head

"And if he doesn’t love you, he won’t be back And if that’s the case, then you ht" Thank God her sister was there to talk reason into her

"I’ed her again, the last of the day’s tears fell

Jack’s eyes fluttered open as lightning attacked his brain With his tongue stuck to the roof of hishis lips, he thought maybe he had woken in hell

"So, you decided to wake up?" The unsyaze across the roos poked out froainst thin air

Maybe he was still asleep Jack closed his eyes and ignored the pain exploding in his head

"Oh, no you don’t, Jacko I’ve been watching you sleep for too ain? How long had she been there? Jack re