Chapter One: The Beginning
Page Four3, July 1999 Saturday Now, with a grin at how easily it had actually finalized, Janet reached and poured some body wash on the poof, gently soaping
up as she remembered her conversation with Sam about her former marriage after Hathor had gone through the Gate.
They hadn't really had a chance to talk while they were locked up, and Sam had
been curious about how the relationship had ended; though she hadn't come right out and asked that, of course.
Amused with how her thoughts kept wandering, Janet slowly turned again so the
caressing water loosened her lower back a bit more.
Anticipation settled in her stomach and she paused, sighing with frustration when she realized that, once again, she was waiting for her
daughter to bang on the bathroom door and let her know it was time for her to get out so Cassie could get in.
Same as every other morning for the last month.
But Cassie wasn't due back yet…
Janet toweled off, gently rubbing in moisturizer before taking off the shower cap and releasing her hair from the curlers.
Cassie wasn't going anywhere, ever again…much less back to Hawaii.
She was gonna glue that girl's tail down somewhere safe.
Smiling at the absurd, yet satisfying thought, Janet ran her fingers through her hair to loosen the curls before hanging the robe
up in her bedroom and putting on her day uniform. 7:15 AM Ready for breakfast, Janet flipped on the TV to the weather channel.
Turning toward the kitchen, the previous day's mail caught
her eye where it had fallen to the floor between the end table and the couch.
She'd been too tired to read when she'd gotten home and then, with Jack's visit, hadn't wanted to do anything but
go to bed when he had gone.
Flipping through the envelopes, she saw yet another notice from her husband's…ex-husband's lawyer, annoyingly addressed to Janet Heights.
Since her name was
hyphenated, it was still legal, but a reminder of someone she never again wanted to be.
Which was, of course, Bill's entire reasoning for using it…to remind her.
He still refused to accept that the marriage was over.
Dropping the bills on the coffee table, she carried the letter from Cassie and the invitation from her grandmother into the kitchen with
her.
Popping a couple waffles into the toaster, she set out a plate, butter, and syrup on the counter, ignoring how disappointing it was to sit at the little table without Cassie there to talk
to.
Unlatching the petdoor, she smiled a bit as the little dog popped outside into the enclosed backyard.
Good.
He could work off all that excess energy he always seemed to have.
Janet still had no clue what breed he was.
Sitting down in the solid chair, she opened the invitation first, sure it was just another of the old woman's excuses to get her and Bill in the same
house together, again.
It was hard enough explaining to Cassandra when Bill dropped by unexpectedly that although they had been married, they weren't anymore and that he wasn't her new dad.
Bill was livid about Janet having time to adopt a daughter, but not having time to be with him.
Thank goodness, he lived an hour and a half away now, honorably discharged when he'd lost an eye
in a training accident.
It was beyond her how he could be so independent, thinking she was nothing and such a baby at the same time, needing her every moment to wait on him.
A stray memory
of when Sara and Bill had been sipping tea and he'd casually ordered Janet to get him one of Jack's beers passed through her mind, making her grin.
Oh, the dressing down Sara had given him…he
hadn't been willing to go back over to their place for months.
Not that he'd ever enjoyed it that much…not with Janet's attention to Charlie.
An opponent was all he'd ever considered the engaging boy.
Reading, she found the invitation straightforward enough. "Come see me. I want to meet your daughter
. Now." ...continue to page five... |
