Free Losing to Win (Clearwater) by Marissa Dobson

tears
streaming down her face.
    The little girl pulled
Rebecca’s heartstrings. She walked closer to the sofa, hoping to offer what
little comfort she could. When she bent, almost eye level with Kelly, the
little girl climbed over the back of the sofa. “Aww sweetie, JC will be here
soon. He’s just downstairs talking to Lee.”
    “You swear?”
    “I promise.” Rebecca made a
cross over her heart. “You should go get dressed so you’ll be ready when he
arrives.”
    Kelly swung her arms around
Rebecca’s neck. Rebecca lifted her.
    “Kelly, I’m sure Rebecca
doesn’t want to carry you around. Now get down.” Laya scolded her younger
sister.
    “She’s fine.” Rebecca moved
Kelly to rest on her hip, her arm tight around the girl’s back. “You’re just
excited to see JC, aren’t you?”
    “I’ve missed him.” Kelly
whined, snuggling her head against Rebecca’s shoulder.
    “I know, sweetie.” She wanted
to do something to ease the little girl’s pain. If Jackie declined the move it
would be hard on Kelly when JC left again.
    “Laya, why don’t you take
Kelly to get dressed and make sure everyone else is ready too. I want to talk
to Rebecca alone.” Jackie nodded.
    Laya had to pull Kelly off
Rebecca before she was able to do as her mother asked. She left Rebecca and
Jackie alone in a heavy silence that seemed to fill the small apartment.
Rebecca wondered how nine people lived in such cramped quarters. The living
room was barely big enough to allow six people to sit. It had to have been
worse when JC lived at home.
    “Don’t judge me.” Jackie sat
down on the recliner.
    “I wasn’t. I was actually
admiring how spotless the apartment is. Parents with fewer children have a hard
time keeping up with all the toys and clothes lying around. Your home is so
tidy.” Rebecca sat on the sofa across from Jackie.
    “I can’t take credit for that.
Laya does most of the cleaning.” Jackie smiled, glancing around her home before
her attention fell back to Rebecca. “I’ve thought about JC’s offer.”
    Rebecca fought the urge to ask
what she had decided. Pushing Jackie might put her further from a positive decision.
She wouldn’t do anything to hurt JC’s chance at having his family closer.
    “Aren’t you going to ask what
I’ve decided?”
    Rebecca shook her head,
pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I figured you’d prefer to wait for
JC. I’m only here to support JC, not to force you into anything you don’t want
to do.”
    “So if I said we were staying
here, you wouldn’t pull that guilt shit you did last night?” Jackie’s tone made
Rebecca cringe.
    “I apologize if I came across
harsh. I only told you the truth and hoped you would consider moving a good
opportunity—for you and the kids.”
    “I can see in my son’s eyes
that you mean a lot to him. He seems to like living in Clearwater.” Jackie
turned to study the picture of her son in his dress blues. His face so young
and innocent, it had to be shortly after he enlisted.
    “JC might stay in Clearwater,
but not because of me. He’s gained peace there. I’ve seen a change in him after
being home one day. This visit has brought back his anxiety and stress. I don’t
think he could live here again. He’d lose all the progress he’s gained. You
have to realize that.”
    “Are his nightmares back?”
When Rebecca remained silent Jackie added. “He tried to hide them, but the
walls are thin here.”
    “Yes, last night.”
    “But not in Clearwater?”
    Rebecca didn’t have any
first-hand knowledge, only that he had told her he hadn’t had any since he
moved to Clearwater. “None that I know of.”
    “I saw the tension in him last
night when he was here. I don’t want to be the one to cause him any further
grief in his life. He’s a good boy and deserves to be happy, that’s why I’ve
decided to go to Clearwater, as long as the kids agree.”
    The door creaked. JC and Lee
entered the apartment. Both were smiling and