EMMA CALLED HAYLEY TO LET HER KNOW THE LATEST about their parents, hoping between the two of them that they could come up with some way to help.
“Stay out of it,”Hayley said.“Mom shouldn’t even stay at the house. She should move out and file for divorce. I already told her she could come live with me and Steve for as long as she needs.”
“Divorce? Hayley, how can you say that? Divorce isn’t the answer.”
“Sometimes it is. I wouldn’t stay with Steve if he cheated on me. Not for a single day. Why should Mom stay with Dad?”
“There’s no proof that he cheated. He says he didn’t. We owe it to him to believe him.”
Hayley made a scoffing sound in her throat.
“Nicole Schubert is lying. Why are you so determined to believe the worst about Dad?”
“Because I’m more realistic than you are. If an attractive woman comes on to a man, we all know what happens.”
“That sounds like something Susan Bales would say.” Emma’s hand shook as she held the phone against her ear. “And it isn’t true. Dad wouldn’t cheat. Jason wouldn’t cheat.”
“Sure they wouldn’t.” Her voice was hard with sarcasm. “You’re almost as naive as Mom. You know that?”
Their conversation unraveled into raised voices, hurtful words tossed back and forth, and finally,Hayley slammed down the phone, ending the connection.
Emma stayed seated on the chair in the kitchen, her breathing fast and shallow, the words they’d said to each other repeating in her head. How, she wondered, had such a well-intentioned phone call gone so wrong so fast? They’d had some crazy fights through the years, but this was about their parents. They should be united, not quarreling.
Maybe Hayley’s anger had more to do with losing the baby than it did about their dad. Maybe her hormones were all out of whack.
Still . . .
Jason poked his head into the room. “Is it safe to come in yet or are bullets still flying?”
Emma burst into tears.
“Hey, babe. I’m sorry.” He hurried to her and drew her up from the chair and into his arms.“I shouldn’t have kidded around like that. I’m sorry.”
“It . . . isn’t . . . you.”Sniff. “I . . . I just . . . don’t know . . . why she has . . . has to be . . . like that.”
He caressed her hair with one hand, held her close with the other. “You know Hayley. When she thinks she’s right, it’s her way or the highway.”
“She thinks all men will cheat if a woman is willing.”
“She’s wrong about that. Not all men. I wouldn’t, and I don’t think your dad would either.”
Emma sniffed.“Hayley wants Mom to get a divorce, and she’s mad at her for not leaving Dad already.”
“We’ll pray it doesn’t come to that.”
Emma lifted her head from her husband’s chest so she could look him in the eyes. “Do you think it will?”
“No.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I don’t think it will.”
She released a deep breath.“Hayley blames Dad for her losing the baby because of that reporter. But she hadn’t been feeling well even before that happened. She told me so.”
“I know.”
“It wasn’t his fault, but I’m not sure she’ll ever admit it.”
Jason cupped her chin with his hand as he leaned in.“Don’t worry about tomorrow. Today has enough trouble of its own. Give God some time to work. He’s got plans we don’t know anything about. You’ll see.”
She gave him a tremulous smile. “I love you.”
“Love you back.”