Gwen knew the worst was yet to come, and her father didn’t disappoint. “What do you mean you and Tim are marrying Gwen? That’s impossible!”
Jack took over. “Not really. Tim’s legally marrying her, but all three of us are changing our names, hyphenating them.” He looked at Tim and the love in his expression nearly made Gwen cry right then and there. “We love each other, and we love Gwen. We’re only complete when the three of us are together.” He turned back to her father. “No, it’s not traditional, but it’s not really your business what we do in the privacy of our bedroom.”
Her father’s mouth opened and closed a few times without any sound coming out. The crimson shade deepened to nearly purple. Then he turned without a word and stomped out of the living room. They heard him go upstairs and slam the bedroom door.
“Well, that was fun,” Liam quipped.
Their mom still looked a little shocked, but she had tears in her eyes. “Are you happy?” she asked.
Gwen nodded. “Very. I’m sorry it’s not normal and you can’t brag about us at church, but I love them and they love me.”
Her mom looked at Tim and Jack and waggled her finger at them. “You promise to take care of my baby girl?”
The men smiled and nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” Tim said. “I promise we’ll take good care of her.” Jack nodded, too.
Her mother hugged the men, then Liam. “You’re going to stay out there too, aren’t you?” she sadly said.
He nodded. “Yes, Mom. I’m sorry, but I’m happy out there.”
“Can I come visit you all out there?” she softly asked.
“Of course,” Jack said. “You’re welcome any time.” He cleared his throat. “You and your husband.”
She sat heavily and waved her hand at the doorway in a dismissive gesture. “Him? Hah! That’s a laugh. I doubt I’ll get him to speak Gwen’s name for a while. He’s still upset with Amy and barely speaks to her. I don’t even tell him when I go to spend time with her and…Bob.” She stumbled over the last word as she looked at Gwen.
“It’s okay, Mom,” Gwen assured her. “I know you love her. I don’t hold that against you.”
“I don’t tell Ruthie anything about them unless she asks. I feel bad about what happened, but in a way maybe it was for the best, you know? I guess that sounds sort of sappy, but look how much better Ruthie is now without Bob. She’s working and driving and dating and has a life. I’m not excusing what Bob and Amy did, and I’m not saying they were right. But it all worked out.”
She lowered her voice even more. “And Chesley is so adorable. She’s a beautiful baby. They’re happy together. So that’s okay, right?”
“No comment,” Gwen said.
Her mom looked sad. “If Ruthie can forgive them, sweetie, why can’t you?”
“Not my job to forgive them, Mom.” She tipped her chin toward the doorway their father had stormed through. “At least I’m not going off on them like he is.”
“Your father is a man of his time and upbringing. I doubt he’s going to ever change.”
“You’ve changed.”
She sadly smiled. “Unfortunately, I changed when I met your father. I didn’t stand my ground when I should have. This is more like who I used to be. I love your father most of the time, but I refuse to isolate myself from my children any longer. I’ve wasted too many years trying to placate the man. He is who he is, but I’m done letting him define my relationship with you kids.”
After dessert and their father not making another appearance, they returned to Gwen’s house. Ruthie was saying good night to her date in the front yard when they pulled in.
Ruthie’s face lit up with a huge smile as she introduced everyone. “This is Charlie.”
Gwen couldn’t help but notice Ruthie was not only smiling in a way Gwen hadn’t seen her smile in years, but she looked several years younger. “Nice to meet you,” Gwen said.
After he left and Ruthie joined them inside, she laughed. “Sorry, he called last minute after you all had left and we grabbed a quick dinner.”
“He seems very nice,” Gwen said.
“Want me to check him out for you?” Jack protectively offered. Gwen had noticed that after learning about Ruthie’s past, Jack seemed very…well, big brotherish toward her. Not unlike Liam toward Gwen.
Tim laughed and smacked him on the shoulder. “Down, boy. Not every man is a serial killer.”
“Yeah, and how does she know who he is?” Jack shot back. “Never hurts to check.”
Everyone stared at him before they burst out laughing.
Ruthie hugged him. “That’s very sweet, but he’s the brother of a friend of mine. He’s not a serial killer that I’m aware of.”
“Well,” mumbled Jack, “if you change your mind, I’ll do it.”
Gwen smiled. How very different he was from that horrible afternoon in their kitchen when they fought and she left. Now knowing what she knew about him, she understood why he’d pushed her away. And perhaps it was for the better, because in the intervening months while she and Liam were on the road and away from their parents, she was able to learn more about herself, do a lot of thinking.
Able to work on trying to control her temper.
Ruthie pulled her aside later before they all went to bed. “I want to talk to you about something.” She led Gwen to the kitchen, where they had a little privacy. “I’ve invited Bob and Amy over for dinner tomorrow night.”
Gwen nearly choked. “What?”
Ruthie clung to Gwen’s hands and wouldn’t let her pull away. “Please, listen to me. Yes, I’m mad at Bob, but believe me, I’ve gotten my pound of flesh out of him. He hurt me, very badly. But you and Amy and Liam used to be close. You’ve never even seen the baby. She deserves to have a relationship with her Aunt Gwen and Uncle Liam. Don’t punish her for who her parents are.”
Gwen could barely speak through her shock. “How can you forgive them for what they did? Forgive Bob after he saw what you went through?”
Ruthie shrugged. “I don’t absolve him of what he did. I do have a lot of resentment. The truth is, I know he feels guilty. He’s gone above and beyond what he had to, legally, to take care of me. He’s helping me buy this house. He’s still paying me alimony. He’s paying my health insurance.” She took a deep breath. “Does it hurt? Yes. But when I look back even before he started cheating on me with Amy, I see things that were really wrong. He was there for me when it counted the most.”
“He cheated on you!”
“I had a choice to make. You saw me. I could have stayed hostage to what happened to me, which was letting those assholes win, or I could take my life back. Am I where I wish I was? No. I wish Bob hadn’t cheated on me and that I was still married. However, I am happier now, overall, than I have been in several years. I see a bright future instead of my depression. I’m taking my life back.” She grinned evilly. “And believe me, I’m not going to hesitate to lay a guilt trip on Bob any chance I can and make him keep paying for quite a while. He can afford it.”
Gwen finally laughed and they hugged. “Okay,” she softly said. “I’ll play nice. But only because it’s you asking me to.”
“Thank you, Gee,” she said. “It’s time you quit letting what Dickweed did to you color the rest of your world, too. You don’t have to like your sister or Bob, or what they did. That baby should know her family. Bob’s parents are dead and he was an only child. Your dad refuses to speak to them. So it’s just you and Liam and your mom. Give her a family. Let her know she’s loved.”
Gwen spent that night and most of the next morning packing up loose odds and ends, helping Ruthie clean the house and unpack her things, and catching up with e-mail. Their mother came over late in the afternoon.