Free A Trade For Good by Bria Daly Page A

his bed, but it would definitely win her over. She loved
talking about her children. She told him their names, their ages, a
little about their personalities, and what they enjoyed doing most.
She paused after a long winded recitation of their virtues and
laughed.
    "I'm sorry, but it's all your fault.
You should never ask a mom about her kids unless you really want to
know about them."
    Jeff looked at her seriously and said,
"I'll remember for next time, but in your case I really wanted to
know. I'm also curious about your husband, but I don't want you to
tell me unless you are okay with it. I mean, I can't understand why
a man would ever leave his family, and if it was someone else," he
shook his head, "I can't see how he could find anyone better than
you as a woman, and from what I've heard, you’re an incredible
mother too."
    Sera looked away and her eyes suddenly
filled with tears. Jeff was so kind to her and seemed really
interested. It was embar5assing to have been left by her husband,
but more than anything she worried about her kids and trying to
keep things balanced at all times, it was beginning to cause a
strain and she was afraid she might not be as strong as she'd like
to be. Life had to go on, but she was the only person to lead the
way.
    Jeff must have misinterpreted her
teary eyes and immediately apologized for upsetting her, but Sera
was quick to set him straight.
    "Please, don't apologize. You've been
the best thing that could happen to me and to my family since Peter
left us. I don't know why Peter left and it doesn't really matter.
At first I blamed myself, but then I looked at my kids and became
so, so angry at him for leaving them. I don't care what his
differences were with me, but for a man to abandon his family, drop
off the face of this earth, and disappear on his children, he has
to be scum. I may be covering up my own faults, but I know that if
I had ever been the one to leave, I would never have left my
children."
    Sera caught her breath before
continuing. "It was partly my fault, I'm sure, that he left. I saw
the signs, some 'friends' even pointed them out to me. He was
impatient with me and with the kids, and the more impatient he
became the more I withdrew the children and myself from his life. I
had no problem with that. It was the kids and me. He provided
financially for us, we had a home, and when I wanted another child,
he was always willing to help me with that. Not that he was
interested in the end result, but the process was
enjoyable."
    Jeff put his hand on Sera's and held
it in his. He rubbed her fingers with his thumb in a steady and
soothing motion. Sera's eyes went down to her hand and kept them
there. It felt good to be held. It felt good to be soothed, but she
wasn't done.
    “I don't know where he is. One day he
didn't come home. I've wondered if I'm a bad person because I
didn't worry about him. I waited three days before letting his
family know, and a week before filing a missing person report. Five
days after he left his mother received a note dated two days
earlier and letting her know that he had forwarded a check to her
before he left to pay for the pre-arranged transport of some of his
things to a pre-arranged address. The letter gave very few details
and was mailed from his office, where he no longer worked. His
mother didn't pay the transportation company, instead she gave the
check to me, apologizing as if she had anything to do with her
son's horrible behavior. I haven't heard anything since. The police
call occasionally, but they have nothing and only want me to give
them leads. At one point they questioned me regarding his
disappearance and wondered if it was foul play." Sera laughed at
that. "I should have thought about it, but I never thought to get
rid of the guy until the police suggested I might have."
    Jeff sat there, listening and shaking
his head. Sera looked at him and appreciated the outlet and the
fact that he didn’t get up and leave. It was a great