That same evening

Alma Jr. sat at her desk watching her father drive away. She'd seen the look of sadness in his eyes that night. She knew he hadn't really gone fishing, but to a special place where he could be alone with the true love of his life. Sometimes she hated him. Alma Jr. knew her mother had somehow put the past behind her, but she would watch the way her mother interacted with her father and she saw how hurt and confused Alma had been, still was even. She had a great deal of respect for her mother who had let Ennis go. It was the kindest thing she could have done, and perhaps an expression of her love that she would try and bless him as he moved on.

Alma Jr. now wrestled with the knowledge that her father had once again come into their lives, but it wasn't out of love. She was certain he loved his daughters, she had always felt loved. But she knew that he was seeking comfort and understanding from her mother and she often wondered how her mother could continually give. Ennis wasn't someone who reached out easily, why now and why Alma?

Just then a knock sounded on her door, "come in."
"Honey," her mother stood there.

"Hi," she smiled at her small figure.

"Are you alright?" Her mom sat down next to her and reached over turning on the light so Alma had more light to read by. It was a classic mother gesture.

"Yeah, just Dad's expression when he talked about Brokeback," Alma searched her mother's eyes, "he always looks so lost."

"I know," Alma hesitated, "would you like to go with him sometime?"

"No," Alma Jr. shook her head violently.
"Sweetie, think about it, I think you'd understand something more about your father."
"How can you be supportive?" Alma felt like she was accusing her mother, but she couldn't help it.

"What else am I supposed to do?" Alma studied her daughter.

"I don't know, it's a sin," Alma Jr. felt a flicker of confusion.

"No it's not Alma," her mother's harsh tone made tears well up in her daughter's eyes. Alma Jr. may have had convictions, but she hated being at the receiving end of her mother's sharp tone.

"Baby, love is not a sin," Alma tucked her daughter's long red hair behind her ear.
"What?" Alma Jr. hadn't considered this.

"Your father loved Jack, so much; he loved him with every fiber in his body. I don't believe your father was gay so much as that he was in love with another man."

"Then he was queer," Alma Jr. argued.
"If you want to see it that way, yes, but the way I've come to terms with it is by seeing it as true love honey. I can't fault your father for that. I may still be hurt, I may never get over him, I may never stop wishing things had been different. Part of what I've learned through living life with your father in it Alma is that I can't change people. I can't change the things that I want so I have to live with them. I want him in your life, in Jenny's life, I'll forgive him for cheating, I'll forgive him for leaving, and I'll forgive him for moving on because it was what needed to happen."
"But now?" Alma Jr. studied her mother.

"Now we move on together but apart. Sweetie, I want you to give your dad a chance to explain, I want you to give him a chance to show you what his life has been like."

"Okay," Alma Jr. took a deep breath, "I still don't know how you moved on."
"When life gives you no other choice, you take whatever road is in front of you," Alma stood, "finish your work and get to bed, I'll see you in the morning."

"Mom," Alma Jr. hesitated.
"Yes?"
"Jenny needs to know," she waited.
"That'll come with time," her mother left Alma Jr. to her thoughts.

The next morning:

"Mom Samuel just spit on my nice shirt," Jenny's voice echoed upstairs and Alma groaned. Somehow she'd managed to sleep through her alarm, she loved her daughters and was grateful Alma Jr. was managing but she was clearly needed. It was nice to be needed.

"Samuel," she scolded appearing in the kitchen in her robe.

The baby gurgled and she sighed, "I'll wash the shirt, go change, you're going to be late. Thank you for getting ready and trying to feed your brother."
Once they left Alma fed Samuel and began the housework. She did her usual routine, shopping, window washing, library, the town committee, yard work and at 3:30 the girls arrived home.

"How was your day," she hugged both of them.
"Fine," Jenny bounced inside to start her work.

"When's Dad coming by?" Alma Jr. asked.
"I don't know honey, he might be by in the evening, maybe not."
"You're okay with that?" Alma Jr. sighed.

"Go inside honey, don't worry about it."

The evening passed uneventfully and the girls took Samuel out for a walk before dinner. Alma was doing the dinner preparation dishes when the phone rang.

"What do you mean you don't want to come?"

Alma flinched at her husband's angry tone, "Monroe, I really don't want to uproot the girls with their father."

"He loves them Alma, almost as much as he loved…" his voice trailed off softly.

"I think we're finished here," she felt like her heart had been trampled on.

"Alma sweetheart, please wait. Please don't hang up," he was pleading.

"Monroe, you know I let go of that. He's the father of my children," she wiped the tears from her face. Suddenly she heard a gentle knock followed by an opening of her door. She turned and saw Ennis whose face, normally so placid, tinged with concern seeing her face.

"Sweetie, we'll continue this another time, the rice is burning and the girls need to eat soon so they can get to their play." She was surprised how easy it was to lie to him.

"Okay, I really am sorry sweetheart," Monroe sounded miserable, "I just miss you is all."

"I understand, goodbye," Alma hung up and turned off the rice.

"Alma, are you alright?" Her ex-husband was studying her carefully.

"I'm fine, it's nothing, and do you want dinner?" She avoided his gaze.

"Alma who was that," Ennis knew deep down it must have been Monroe, but the Monroe he knew wouldn't have made Alma cry.

"Dinner?" She hoped Ennis would stop asking.

"Alma if something is wrong, I can help," he was surprised at how easily this offer fell from his lips.

"Please leave it Ennis," she began setting the table and Ennis slowly pitched in.

"Mom," the girls and Samuel were back.

"In here," she called back.

"Dad?" Jenny embraced her father.

"Hi Dad," Alma Jr. wasn't quite sure how to take this constant presence in her life.

"Hi honey," Ennis knew Jenny was fairly ignorant to his past, but Alma Jr. was a great deal older and she knew a great deal more.

"Mom, are you okay?"

Alma glanced at her oldest daughter, "I'm fine sweetheart, and will you put Samuel in his high chair with a bib?"

"I'll do it, she needs to get cleaned up," Ennis spoke remembering after all these years that his girls were expected to be neat and tidy.

Alma struggled against her tears watching Ennis carefully put Samuel in his chair and then sat down playing with his fingers.

"Mom?" Alma Jr. was genuinely worried about her mother; she continually looked like she was fighting tears.

"Your step-father called," she said quietly to Alma Jr.

"What did he want?" Alma studied her mother.

"He wants us to move, he was disrespectful to your father," she turned towards her mixed family, "dinner is ready."
"The blessing Jenny?" She raised her eyebrows ignoring her daughter's face.

"Lord, thank you for the gift of family, for Mom and Dad, Samuel, Monroe and Alma Jr. Thank you for this food, for this house, and please give to all who are in need," she hesitated, "please help us find true happiness in whatever way you see fit."

Alma hesitated, "Ennis would you like some wine?"

Ennis watched her eyes, she was guarding something, and she had been hurt.

"Sure, wine would be great," he answered.

The liquid poured blood red into the glass and the bottle trembled as it fell.