A/N: Sorry for the slowness in updating! My computer had a few problems.
Something had become painfully clear. My mother had a way of making me realize things that I'm too blind to see.
Hawkeye and I were not meant to be together. Even if we were in love, being married would prove to be too complicated and messy. I was better off to leave him to his own way of life in Maine, and me to mine in South Dakota.
I rolled over in bed and looked at the clock. Four-thirty in the morning--too late to try to get any sleep.
Flipping on the light, I pulled on my robe and went downstairs.
As it turned out, going downstairs seemed like a very popular idea. Dad was sitting in his chair, Elliot was reading a magazine, and Mom was staring into space.
"Good morning," I said.
"Morning," Dad said. "Did you sleep well?"
"I didn't sleep," I replied.
"Guilt over my plate?" Mother asked.
Irolled my eyesand sat down on the couch. "Why are you all up?"
There were some weak grunts in response.
"Well, since you're all up and we probably won't go back to sleep, I probably should make something for breakfast." Mother stood up and went into the kitchen. She turned back around. "Jaclyn, why are you crying?"
I put my hand up to my cheek and realized that I was.
"What's wrong?" Dad asked.
"Nothing," I said. "Nothing at all."
I could tell they didn't believe me.