the blow.” John"s impatience could be heard blaring from the phone receiver.
“Mary?!Mary! Are you there?”
“Yes!” replied Mary before realizing that she was no longer speaking into the receiver. Flustered, she repeated herself into the phone. “Yes, John.”
Michelle hastily interrupted.“Mom, you heard right. They are planning to move Evan to another hospital. It"s… it"s getting worse.” Michelle broke down. “I don"t think he"s going to live.”
Mary put her free hand on Michelle"s shoulder and continued her conversation with John. “I don"t know if you heard that, John. Michelle just told me that it looks very bad for Evan. He may be finally dying.”
“Really,” replied John. “Maybe when I get there, I should do the honors of making sure his death is successful.”
Mary hoped that Michelle didn"t hear John"s comment and concealed her reaction. “John, would you like to talk to Michelle?” Then she whispered into the phone, “And please don"t say anything to make her feel worse.”
“Does she really want to talk to her old man? She never tried to contact me since running off with her new old man.”
Mary tried to give Michelle the illusion thatJohn"s conversation waslight. “Oh, John. You know the reason why Michelle couldn"t feel like she could contact us. Of course I"m sure she would love to talk to you. She could really use her father"s love right now.”
“Mary, don"t try to soften it. I"m mad as hell.”
“Sure, honey. I think you"ll know just the words to say to her.” Mary held her breath as she smiled and handed the receiver to Michelle.
Michelle dreaded the moment. “Hello… Daddy.”
John paused. “Hello, sweetheart. I miss you terribly. I wish you could have confided in us and kept us in your life.”
“I know, Daddy. Maybe if I had to do it all over again…”
“If you had to it all over again, I"m sure you would have never gotten involved with Evan, darling.”
Michelle choked up. “That"s not what I meant. I meant that I might have told you and Mom about us. ” She fought to hold back her tears. “Goodbye, Daddy. It was nice hearing your voice again. I"m giving the phone back to Mom now. Bye.” She handed the receiver back to Mary, put her hand over her mouth and ran awaysobbing, “I wish he understood that I love Evan!”
“John, you could be more sensitive,” said Mary.
“Mary, he ruined all our lives. He can"t leave this Earth fast enough for me.”
“Well… I was going to head back home to you. Now I have a wounded child to attend to. Thank you, John.”
“I"ll come to you , Mary. I"ll call the airlines now and purchase a ticket on the next flight.”
“You"d only make it worse, John. You"re better off staying home.”
“ I’m better off staying away? Or do you mean that Evan is better off if I stay away? Who are you protecting, Mary?”
“I"m protecting our daughter, John.”
“I only want to make sure Evan never hurts her again, Mary. Then Michelle, you and I will be a happyfamily again.”
November, 1888
Vicar Michael Westbrook sat behind his desk as he waited for his young associate-in-training to arrive. As was his habit, Eustace Tewksbury was punctual.
“Eustace, come in. Take a chair, please.”
“Hello, Vicar. It"s good to finally gain an audience with you. We"ve both been so busy, and I have enjoyed teaching the youth immensely.”
“I have also heard that the boys are fascinated by your lessons, Eustace.” Michael cleared his throat. “As a matter of fact, that"s the main reason I asked you here.”
E ustace detected a reservation in the Vicar"s demeanor. “Is everything all right?”
Michael sat back and smiled to help put Eustace at ease. “From what I hear, you shine the Holy Scriptures through your own personal light for the benefit of the boys… which is the reason why they are so captivated with your teaching.”
“My own personal light? I don"t know if I would go that far. I just believe in teaching anything from its
“Mary?!Mary! Are you there?”
“Yes!” replied Mary before realizing that she was no longer speaking into the receiver. Flustered, she repeated herself into the phone. “Yes, John.”
Michelle hastily interrupted.“Mom, you heard right. They are planning to move Evan to another hospital. It"s… it"s getting worse.” Michelle broke down. “I don"t think he"s going to live.”
Mary put her free hand on Michelle"s shoulder and continued her conversation with John. “I don"t know if you heard that, John. Michelle just told me that it looks very bad for Evan. He may be finally dying.”
“Really,” replied John. “Maybe when I get there, I should do the honors of making sure his death is successful.”
Mary hoped that Michelle didn"t hear John"s comment and concealed her reaction. “John, would you like to talk to Michelle?” Then she whispered into the phone, “And please don"t say anything to make her feel worse.”
“Does she really want to talk to her old man? She never tried to contact me since running off with her new old man.”
Mary tried to give Michelle the illusion thatJohn"s conversation waslight. “Oh, John. You know the reason why Michelle couldn"t feel like she could contact us. Of course I"m sure she would love to talk to you. She could really use her father"s love right now.”
“Mary, don"t try to soften it. I"m mad as hell.”
“Sure, honey. I think you"ll know just the words to say to her.” Mary held her breath as she smiled and handed the receiver to Michelle.
Michelle dreaded the moment. “Hello… Daddy.”
John paused. “Hello, sweetheart. I miss you terribly. I wish you could have confided in us and kept us in your life.”
“I know, Daddy. Maybe if I had to do it all over again…”
“If you had to it all over again, I"m sure you would have never gotten involved with Evan, darling.”
Michelle choked up. “That"s not what I meant. I meant that I might have told you and Mom about us. ” She fought to hold back her tears. “Goodbye, Daddy. It was nice hearing your voice again. I"m giving the phone back to Mom now. Bye.” She handed the receiver back to Mary, put her hand over her mouth and ran awaysobbing, “I wish he understood that I love Evan!”
“John, you could be more sensitive,” said Mary.
“Mary, he ruined all our lives. He can"t leave this Earth fast enough for me.”
“Well… I was going to head back home to you. Now I have a wounded child to attend to. Thank you, John.”
“I"ll come to you , Mary. I"ll call the airlines now and purchase a ticket on the next flight.”
“You"d only make it worse, John. You"re better off staying home.”
“ I’m better off staying away? Or do you mean that Evan is better off if I stay away? Who are you protecting, Mary?”
“I"m protecting our daughter, John.”
“I only want to make sure Evan never hurts her again, Mary. Then Michelle, you and I will be a happyfamily again.”
November, 1888
Vicar Michael Westbrook sat behind his desk as he waited for his young associate-in-training to arrive. As was his habit, Eustace Tewksbury was punctual.
“Eustace, come in. Take a chair, please.”
“Hello, Vicar. It"s good to finally gain an audience with you. We"ve both been so busy, and I have enjoyed teaching the youth immensely.”
“I have also heard that the boys are fascinated by your lessons, Eustace.” Michael cleared his throat. “As a matter of fact, that"s the main reason I asked you here.”
E ustace detected a reservation in the Vicar"s demeanor. “Is everything all right?”
Michael sat back and smiled to help put Eustace at ease. “From what I hear, you shine the Holy Scriptures through your own personal light for the benefit of the boys… which is the reason why they are so captivated with your teaching.”
“My own personal light? I don"t know if I would go that far. I just believe in teaching anything from its
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