CHAPTER 3
It took Melanie a while to persuade the sheriff that everything was under control and to go home; there was nothing he could do. Both Jake and Emma spent the time hunched on the couch, sulking. When Melanie came back through and saw them sitting side by side, arms folded and scowling, she allowed a smile to escape her lips before composing herself again. They were very similar, both in looks and personality. Neither of them looked up when she entered but she knew they had heard her come in.
"So. Is one of you going to explain what that was all about?" Melanie asked.
Emma groaned.
"Are you blind momma? You know as well as anyone what's going on. Jake's a moron and he can't handle this himself so he roped in the sheriff to do it for him. He….."
Melanie interrupted, a little hurt by her daughter's bluntness. "Emma, please."
"Mom? Shut up."
It was Jake's turn to interrupt. "You don't go speaking to your momma like that, you here me?"
"Stop trying to do the whole daddy thing with me. You can't just abandon me for seven years then come back and expect to start where we left off."
"I didn't abandon you! It was you who refused to respond to anything. I wrote to you every month. You never wrote back. I called at weekends. You were hardly ever around and if you were you didn't want to talk to me. I send you birthday and Christmas presents. Did I ever get even one word of thanks? No. Don't tell me I never tried."
"So why did you never come and visit me?" Emma snapped. There was a tense pause, then Melanie spoke for him, her voice quivering slightly.
"That was my fault, Emma. I……I thought it would be best."
"Best for who momma? Me or you?"
"Please don't do this honey" Melanie whispered, her eyes filling with tears.
Emma took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down. "Why?"
"It was too much. I didn't want to see him."
"You stopped me from seeing my daddy because you couldn't cope with it?" Emma stood up furiously. A tear escaped and ran down Melanie's face and she bit her lip to stop more falling.
"I'm sorry."
"Like that makes it all right? Momma, you took my father away from me and you think sorry is gonna change anything? You……you bitch!"
Emma turned on her heel and stormed up the metal stairs to her old bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Melanie did nothing to stop the tears from flowing. Jake sat still, as though frozen, as a wave of negative emotions swept over him.
It took Melanie a while to persuade the sheriff that everything was under control and to go home; there was nothing he could do. Both Jake and Emma spent the time hunched on the couch, sulking. When Melanie came back through and saw them sitting side by side, arms folded and scowling, she allowed a smile to escape her lips before composing herself again. They were very similar, both in looks and personality. Neither of them looked up when she entered but she knew they had heard her come in.
"So. Is one of you going to explain what that was all about?" Melanie asked.
Emma groaned.
"Are you blind momma? You know as well as anyone what's going on. Jake's a moron and he can't handle this himself so he roped in the sheriff to do it for him. He….."
Melanie interrupted, a little hurt by her daughter's bluntness. "Emma, please."
"Mom? Shut up."
It was Jake's turn to interrupt. "You don't go speaking to your momma like that, you here me?"
"Stop trying to do the whole daddy thing with me. You can't just abandon me for seven years then come back and expect to start where we left off."
"I didn't abandon you! It was you who refused to respond to anything. I wrote to you every month. You never wrote back. I called at weekends. You were hardly ever around and if you were you didn't want to talk to me. I send you birthday and Christmas presents. Did I ever get even one word of thanks? No. Don't tell me I never tried."
"So why did you never come and visit me?" Emma snapped. There was a tense pause, then Melanie spoke for him, her voice quivering slightly.
"That was my fault, Emma. I……I thought it would be best."
"Best for who momma? Me or you?"
"Please don't do this honey" Melanie whispered, her eyes filling with tears.
Emma took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down. "Why?"
"It was too much. I didn't want to see him."
"You stopped me from seeing my daddy because you couldn't cope with it?" Emma stood up furiously. A tear escaped and ran down Melanie's face and she bit her lip to stop more falling.
"I'm sorry."
"Like that makes it all right? Momma, you took my father away from me and you think sorry is gonna change anything? You……you bitch!"
Emma turned on her heel and stormed up the metal stairs to her old bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Melanie did nothing to stop the tears from flowing. Jake sat still, as though frozen, as a wave of negative emotions swept over him.