After Liz got settled into the guest room at the beach house, she lay down
and went to sleep almost immediately. Mark smiled as he checked up on her
and heard her breathing heavily.
"Hey, Dad. What are you thinking about?" asked Steve a few minutes later when Mark was still standing in the doorway of the guest room.
"I'm praying. Thanking God," Mark said. Steve looked perplexed. Mark explained. "Jesse was telling me a few days ago how lonely he got sometimes. He sort of adopted a friend when he was 17. She was 7, and he would always talk to her on the bus he rode. People would tease him because he was talking to a little girl, and called him sissy, but he felt the least lonely in his life with this girl than with anyone else in his life. He calls you and Amanda his siblings, but there is this hole in him."
"Who knew?" Steve asked. He certainly didn't. He looked at his dad. Steve's eyebrows furrowed at the look on Mark's face. "What's wrong?"
Mark was thoughtful. "I don't know. Just-something I can't quite put my finger on."
"About what?"
"Liz. I know she's valid. She's Jesse's sister. She was acting a bit strange tonight."
"Well, she's related to Jess. What do you expect?"
"Not like that. She was always pulling down her sleeves. Like she was afraid for someone to see her arms."
"I think you're just paranoid."
"In this case, I certainly hope so." Mark yawned. "I'm going to bed."
"Ok, dad. Goodnight," said Steve, walking to his downstairs apartment. Mark went to his upstairs bedroom.
The one thing they didn't count on was Liz being a light sleeper. 'Crap,' she thought to herself. 'Dammit! They're going to find out,' she thought emotionally. She sobbed herself quietly to sleep.
"Hey, Dad. What are you thinking about?" asked Steve a few minutes later when Mark was still standing in the doorway of the guest room.
"I'm praying. Thanking God," Mark said. Steve looked perplexed. Mark explained. "Jesse was telling me a few days ago how lonely he got sometimes. He sort of adopted a friend when he was 17. She was 7, and he would always talk to her on the bus he rode. People would tease him because he was talking to a little girl, and called him sissy, but he felt the least lonely in his life with this girl than with anyone else in his life. He calls you and Amanda his siblings, but there is this hole in him."
"Who knew?" Steve asked. He certainly didn't. He looked at his dad. Steve's eyebrows furrowed at the look on Mark's face. "What's wrong?"
Mark was thoughtful. "I don't know. Just-something I can't quite put my finger on."
"About what?"
"Liz. I know she's valid. She's Jesse's sister. She was acting a bit strange tonight."
"Well, she's related to Jess. What do you expect?"
"Not like that. She was always pulling down her sleeves. Like she was afraid for someone to see her arms."
"I think you're just paranoid."
"In this case, I certainly hope so." Mark yawned. "I'm going to bed."
"Ok, dad. Goodnight," said Steve, walking to his downstairs apartment. Mark went to his upstairs bedroom.
The one thing they didn't count on was Liz being a light sleeper. 'Crap,' she thought to herself. 'Dammit! They're going to find out,' she thought emotionally. She sobbed herself quietly to sleep.