kidding.â
âBut heâs gotta come home,â murmured Natalie.
âWho cares?â Nicole said again, shrugging. âMom doesnât want him anymore. He did something mean to her.â
Laura stood silent, listening.
âOh, just forget it,â Kevin slammed shut the book on his lap. âCâmon Mike, letâs go outside and have a catch.â Jumping up, he grabbed his catcherâs mitt, and slammed the door on the way out to the backyard.
Laura slipped back into the kitchen as the kids filed out the door behind Kevin.
âWhat can I tell them that will make them understand?â Lauraâs shoulders slumped against the refrigerator.
âIâd start with Mike,â Marcy said, nudging Laura aside so she could open the refrigerator. She pulled out a gallon of milk. âHe needs to know whatâs going on. Adolescence is tricky. You have to face up to the facts.â
âI know, but how do I explain about Steve, you know, what he did â what this is all about?â
Marcy shook her head sadly. âNow that youâre sure you want a permanent separation, itâs better to tell the kids.â
âWhat if Iâm not doing the right thing?â
Marcy left Laura alone as she left to pour the kidsâs milk in the dining room.
âKevin seems fine, doesnât he?â Laura asked when Marcy returned.
âThatâs Kevin.â
Laura always marveled at this childâs ability to avoid anything unpleasant or controversial. âBut Nicole sounded so â I donât know â tough â that worries me.â
âIâd be lying if I didnât say me too, Laura. I donât know if thatâs better or worse than Natalie, who cries at the drop of a hat and refuses to even go out to play with her friends.â
âDamn Steve anyway.â Laura wrung her hands. âHow am I going to deal with this?â
âIâve cooked a great roast with mashed potatoes, fresh string beans, and peach cobbler for dessert. After that, at least tell them that you and Steve are separating, but that theyâll still have a father.â
âYouâre right, Marcy. What would I do without you?â Laura gave the older woman a hug.
âOh, now. You all sit down to dinner and straighten things out.â
âCome on, kids, letâs eat while we talk about this,â Laura began. âAbout me and Dad. First of all, youâre always going to have a mom and a dad. You know that, donât you?â
Each child reacted differently as she struggled to find the rightwords to tell them that nothing would be exactly the same, but that everything would still be okay. Mike was studied and solemn and seemed especially protective of her. If he did not reject her outright, the others would follow. After the others went to bed, sheâd need to spend time alone with him and try to make him understand.
Kevin said practically nothing, trying to blink away his tears. The twins reacted according to their distinctly polarized personalities, Nicole seeming actually pleased, and Natalie distraught and weepy. But it was Patrick that most worried Laura. So different from the others with his chestnut brown hair and hazel-flecked eyes. The baby of the family, born with a heart murmur, Patrick was used to getting his own way. Everybody said that he was Steveâs favorite. And now he stubbornly refused to accept her explanation that Daddy would live somewhere else and see them on weekends.
âThatâs not true, Mom,â he yelled, pushing his untouched food aside. âMy dad is going to live right here with all of us! I mean it.â There were no tears, but the animosity in the little boyâs flushed face was blatant. He shoved his chair back and bolted for the door.
âCome on, honey,â Laura rose to go after him, âDad will be here tomorrow for you ââ
Mike jumped up. âIâll go make