The Divided Family Read Online Free

He coughed a couple of times and let out a heavy sigh.
    Elsie heard the frustration in her brother’s voice. “I’m sorry, Joel. I assumed Doris had told you when she found out she was pregnant.” She paused for a breath. “It’s no excuse, but things have been hectic since her accident. Arlene and I have been going over to help Doris every day, so I kept forgetting to call you.”
    Once more, the phone became silent on the other end.
    “Joel, are you still there?”
    “Yeah. Just trying to process all this. I’ll try to stop by and see Doris as soon as I have some free time. Thanks to my back going out, I lost a week’s worth of work, so there’s some catching up to do. I need money coming in more than anything right now.”
    She gripped the phone so tightly her fingers throbbed. Hearing him reminded her of the funeral—the way Joel had disregarded their father’s passing for the sake of getting his share of the inheritance. Even when he made an effort to be sympathetic, his own needs always came first.
If your family was important to you, you’d make the time to see Doris right away,
she thought with regret.
    Joel cleared his throat. “About the missing will … Since you and Arlene are busy helping Doris right now, maybe I should go over to Dad’s place and search for it again.”
    Elsie’s jaw clenched. “So you don’t have time to see Doris right now, but you could make time to search for the will?”
    “Well, I—”
    “How can you even be thinking about Dad’s will when our sister is in pain and grieving the loss of her baby?” Elsie was ready to slam the receiver and end this conversation. She’d had enough of Joel being so self-centered, especially toward their family. But she drew in a slow, steady breath and allowed her brother to respond.
    “Okay, you’re right, but before we hang up, I was wondering what you would think about selling Dad’s horses.”
    “What?” Her voice grew sharper. “Why are you bringing that up?”
What is he thinking?
    “Because we could all use the money—especially Doris. I’m sure she’s gonna have some hospital and doctor bills to pay.” Joel’s tone grew louder, too.
    Elsie sighed in frustration. “Until Dad’s will is found and we know how he wanted things divided up, we should not sell anything. I’m sure our sisters would agree with me on that.”
    He grunted. “Of course they would. You three have always sided against me.”
    She couldn’t argue the point, but it was because Joel had made so many unwise decisions and given unreasonable demands. It would be easier for Elsie to side with him if he put others’ needs ahead of his own.
    “Listen, I need to bid on a job right now. I’ll forget about Dad’s will for the moment. Let me know when you’re ready to start looking for it again.” Joel hung up without saying goodbye.
    Elsie pressed down on the receiver and got up from her chair. Her muscles were tight, and her toes felt numb when she stepped out of the phone shack. The conversation with Joel had been unnerving, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. Elsie wished she could count on her brother to go and see Doris. If she told her sister Joel might drop by for a visit, Doris would be disappointed if he didn’t follow through. Elsie was hesitant to say anything, so she decided to remain silent on the subject. Right now, she needed to go to Doris’s house and see how she was doing.

    Berlin
    “Here’s a cozy coverlet you can rest under while we’re waiting for your husband to get here. Is there anything else I can do for you before I head home?” Arlene asked as she gathered up her things.
    “No, you and Elsie did enough today with all the baking you got done.” Doris placed the small covering next to her on the recliner. “Brian will be here soon, so you should both go home and tend to your families.” Doris had spent part of the day in the kitchen, with her broken leg propped on a stool, so she could visit with her