Chapter 45

“Like Mrs. Schwartz said, she told me they came from the secondhand store. My God, I was so blind. While I was away I saved the money I got from working in the bookstore to buy Kitty pretty dresses instead of going out with my friends, but she never had any of the dresses I thought I bought. They always had a reason, the hot water heater broke, the air conditioner had to be replaced, but they never did any of that did they? They allowed this house to fall apart because it was mine. Did my father hate my mother so much that it spilled over onto me?” Jason moved off of Zach’s lap and got up from the sofa to pace.

“Bobby told me in the kitchen that his mother said my mama was going to leave my father before she got sick. Then after she did she couldn’t go because she needed him to take care of me.” Jason pounded his fist in his hand.