Read Online For Better or Worse by Jennifer Johnson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jennifer Johnson
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phone.
“Listen, you can go in my room and watch TV.”
“I don’t want to sit in that old, stuffy wingback chair,” Candy whined.
“Just cuddle up in my covers.” Kelly brushed a hair from her face. “I’ll be home in just a bit.”
“Really.” Excitement sounded in Candy’s voice. “I get to get in Mommy’s bed.” Candy’s voice singsonged at Brittany, then the phone clicked off.
No good-byes. No “Did you have fun, Mom?” Just squabbles. It was the story of her life.
Harold laughed, and Kelly scowled at him. “Just you wait, Mr. Smith. You get to listen to this all the time, too, in just a few weeks.”
“I’ll be hiding out in my man room.”
Kelly chuckled at the room in her house that Harold had started to fix up as his man room. He hadn’t brought his leather recliner and TV over because he hadn’t moved out of his house yet, but she knew they would be finding a home in her house only a few days, or maybe hours, after they returned from their honeymoon.
As she put her cell phone away, she remembered Zoey’s. “Don’t forget we have to take this to Zoey.” She pulled out her daughter’s phone and accidentally pushed the middle button turning it on. Curiosity crept through Kelly as she noticed her daughter had a new text message. It was from a boy, but Kelly didn’t recognize the name.
“Would it be bad to check your daughter’s text messages?” She looked at Harold sheepishly.
“I don’t think so.”
“I was just being silly asking. Of course I’ll check her messages. It’s my job as her mom to make sure she stays safe.”
Kelly opened the text and read it. Her mouth fell open and her blood seemed to stop flowing. “Oh no.”
“What?”
Kelly could hear the worry in Harold’s tone, but she couldn’t look at him. Her eyes couldn’t seem to leave the phone’s screen. “Oh no.”
“What is it, Kelly?” Harold tried to reach for the phone, but Kelly held it tight.
“Get me to that fast-food joint. We’ve got to get there fast.”
She looked at the time again. According to the message, Harold had about fifteen minutes to get to the hamburger place before Zoey left.
“What is it?” Harold’s voice pleaded again.
Kelly looked at her fiancé. Worry etched his expression, and she hated that this wonderful man was being dragged through all the difficulties she was having trying to raise her children. “Tell me, Kelly.”
She tried to hold her tears back. Harold hadn’t had the blessing of holding the girls as babies, of getting slobbery kisses on the cheek, of seeing them reach huge milestones like using the potty and reciting the ABC’s. Instead he met her when they’re at the stage of arguing, complaining, being selfish, and making poor choices.
God, how can I do this to him? Sure, there are rewards with the girls at this stage of life, but it seems to be more about saying no, explaining why I say no, and ending sibling fights
.
“This isn’t fair to you, Harold. I’m like walking chaos.” She turned her body toward him and placed her hand on her chest. “And I don’t like drama. I’ve never liked drama, but now I live with drama every day. Some days I think I’ve gone cuckoo from the overwhelming surge of girl-drama that happens throughout the course of one of my days.”
Her humor fell flat as she inwardly acknowledged her selfishness at being willing to involve Harold in her life. Dating him had been wonderful, but the closer they got to marriage, the more she realized she was asking too much of him.
She thought of the Christian counseling sessions they’d had. At their small community church, the pastor required six sessions of counseling for all engaged couples before he’d wed them before God and family. Her and Harold’s sessions had been especially sweet to her because she had been able to hear how Harold felt about taking on a ready-made family of all girls.
“I
don’t know a lot about women
.” Harold’s words just a few weeks
“Listen, you can go in my room and watch TV.”
“I don’t want to sit in that old, stuffy wingback chair,” Candy whined.
“Just cuddle up in my covers.” Kelly brushed a hair from her face. “I’ll be home in just a bit.”
“Really.” Excitement sounded in Candy’s voice. “I get to get in Mommy’s bed.” Candy’s voice singsonged at Brittany, then the phone clicked off.
No good-byes. No “Did you have fun, Mom?” Just squabbles. It was the story of her life.
Harold laughed, and Kelly scowled at him. “Just you wait, Mr. Smith. You get to listen to this all the time, too, in just a few weeks.”
“I’ll be hiding out in my man room.”
Kelly chuckled at the room in her house that Harold had started to fix up as his man room. He hadn’t brought his leather recliner and TV over because he hadn’t moved out of his house yet, but she knew they would be finding a home in her house only a few days, or maybe hours, after they returned from their honeymoon.
As she put her cell phone away, she remembered Zoey’s. “Don’t forget we have to take this to Zoey.” She pulled out her daughter’s phone and accidentally pushed the middle button turning it on. Curiosity crept through Kelly as she noticed her daughter had a new text message. It was from a boy, but Kelly didn’t recognize the name.
“Would it be bad to check your daughter’s text messages?” She looked at Harold sheepishly.
“I don’t think so.”
“I was just being silly asking. Of course I’ll check her messages. It’s my job as her mom to make sure she stays safe.”
Kelly opened the text and read it. Her mouth fell open and her blood seemed to stop flowing. “Oh no.”
“What?”
Kelly could hear the worry in Harold’s tone, but she couldn’t look at him. Her eyes couldn’t seem to leave the phone’s screen. “Oh no.”
“What is it, Kelly?” Harold tried to reach for the phone, but Kelly held it tight.
“Get me to that fast-food joint. We’ve got to get there fast.”
She looked at the time again. According to the message, Harold had about fifteen minutes to get to the hamburger place before Zoey left.
“What is it?” Harold’s voice pleaded again.
Kelly looked at her fiancé. Worry etched his expression, and she hated that this wonderful man was being dragged through all the difficulties she was having trying to raise her children. “Tell me, Kelly.”
She tried to hold her tears back. Harold hadn’t had the blessing of holding the girls as babies, of getting slobbery kisses on the cheek, of seeing them reach huge milestones like using the potty and reciting the ABC’s. Instead he met her when they’re at the stage of arguing, complaining, being selfish, and making poor choices.
God, how can I do this to him? Sure, there are rewards with the girls at this stage of life, but it seems to be more about saying no, explaining why I say no, and ending sibling fights
.
“This isn’t fair to you, Harold. I’m like walking chaos.” She turned her body toward him and placed her hand on her chest. “And I don’t like drama. I’ve never liked drama, but now I live with drama every day. Some days I think I’ve gone cuckoo from the overwhelming surge of girl-drama that happens throughout the course of one of my days.”
Her humor fell flat as she inwardly acknowledged her selfishness at being willing to involve Harold in her life. Dating him had been wonderful, but the closer they got to marriage, the more she realized she was asking too much of him.
She thought of the Christian counseling sessions they’d had. At their small community church, the pastor required six sessions of counseling for all engaged couples before he’d wed them before God and family. Her and Harold’s sessions had been especially sweet to her because she had been able to hear how Harold felt about taking on a ready-made family of all girls.
“I
don’t know a lot about women
.” Harold’s words just a few weeks
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