A Family Reunited Read Online Free Page A

walked into the bedroom, brushing her long, wet hair. “Will you braid it wet so it will be scrunchy in the morning?” she asked.
    “Sure.” Pamela patted the side of the bed, and Emma plopped down in front of her.
    She wondered what the girls would think about their dad. Only on rare occasions had either of them brought him up. She figured it was largely because their grandpa and uncles were such strong male influences in their lives. Still, she wondered if they would want to meet Jack.
    “Ow! Mom, you’re pulling too tight!” Emma complained.
    Pamela loosened her grip. “Sorry.”
    Emmy shoved the math paper back in her face. “Fixed now?”
    Pamela looked cross-eyed, then leaned away from the paper. Spying the two corrections, she nodded her head. “Looks good. Now go get your bath.”
    “Aw, but I want a snack.”
    “After your bath. Go.”
    Emmy pouted, but she didn’t complain further as she made her way into the bathroom.
    Pamela wrapped a ponytail holder around the bottom of Emma’s hair. “Your homework’s finished, right?”
    “Yep. But I need you to sign the fall festival form.”
    Emma hopped up and pulled the sheet out of her backpack. Pamela read through the various needs for her class. Someone to work the booth. People to bring snacks and small trinkets. Someone to put together the basket to be raffled. Grabbing the pencil off Emmy’s bed, she said, “Guess I’ll sign up for cupcakes again.”
    Emma’s shoulders slumped. “I was hoping we could work the booth. I got to help paint it during lunch today.”
    Pamela looked at the date of the festival again. She didn’t have any night classes, so she should be able to make it. She grinned and pulled Emma into a hug. “Okay. We’ll do the booth.” She pointed to Emmy’s backpack. “Get her bag, too. I’m sure I need to sign up for something for her.”
    After signing Emmy’s paper and brushing through her hair once she’d gotten out of the shower, Pamela took the girls to the kitchen for a snack. Bedtime took over an hour every night, and she was always exhausted by the time the girls were nestled into their beds.
    Tonight, she still had a couple loads of laundry, which was a challenge because she had to lug the clothes to the B and B since she didn’t have a washer and dryer in the cabin. Sure, it was only twenty or so yards to the main house, but it was still a pain. Plus, she had her own homework to do.
    Jack drifted through her mind. If he had never left, she’d have someone to lean on, to help her with all the daily chores that went with having children. Now he pleaded to be allowed back into her life, into the lives of her children. She couldn’t deny the check he’d tried to give her would help out in many ways.
    But she couldn’t do it. Money usually came with strings attached, and she didn’t trust him. What if she let him back in their lives and then he started drinking again? What would that do to the girls? She shook her head. No. She couldn’t risk it.
    Once the girls finished their snack, she guided them to their bedroom and listened while they said their prayers. Their innocent faith was sweet, and she wished she could protect them from the cruelty they would one day encounter in the world. Part of her wished she could go back to a time of such childlike innocence. But adult life wasn’t like that. Responsibilities weighed far heavier, and God had failed her more times than she’d have ever imagined He would.
    With the girls tucked in, Pamela made the short trek to the main house. She threw a load of clothes in the washing machine and started it. She opened the door to head back to the cabin.
    “Pamela, will you come here a minute?” her mom called from the living area. Pamela walked in there to find her mom and dad sitting on the couch. Dread filled her when she noticed they held hands. She braced herself for bad news. “What is it?”
    “We got a phone call today.” Her mom placed her hand against her