Free Last Night by Meryl Sawyer Page A

eyes and saw the anguish of innocence destroyed. The charming world of Charlotte ' s Web, where pigs talked to spiders, had been cruelly wiped away in a bloody pig sticking.
    She knew only too well how one traumatic incident could emotionally cripple someone for life. She never dwelled on the past, but she was intelligent enough to know her psychological scars came from that horrible night. She didn ' t want Jason to suffer for years because he ' d been forced to watch this.
    " Den they cut Wilbur. " Jason pointed an accusing finger at his father and grandfather. " He cry and cry, but they don ' t stop cutting him. "
    She longed to scream at the Coltranes, but she didn ' t. There would be time for that later. It wouldn ' t do Jason any good to see adults fighting. "Honey, it wasn't Wilbur. It was a bad pig. "
    "Hell. I tried to tell him that, " Big Daddy interrupted, "but he wouldn't listen. Started crying like some pantywaist. "
    "You ' re barbaric, " Dana said, certain Jason didn ' t know what the word meant.
    Vanessa burst into the room, her wet hair dripping on her shoulders. Obviously she ' d just gotten out of the shower and heard the crying. Her beautiful face was contorted with an emotion too intense to be mere anger. The only other time Dana had seen her this upset had been that night so long ago.
    "You bastard! " she yelled at Big Daddy. " You won ' t be satisfied until you ruin my son! "
    "You coddle him too much, " Big Daddy said, his tone placating. He reached out to put his hand on her arm, but she jerked away.
    Vanessa wheeled around to face her husband, Eric was standin g behind his father, his hands crammed into the pockets of his blood-splattered jeans.
    " I want a divorce, " Vanessa said, her voice now deadly calm.
    Eric glared at his wife with black eyes that were exactly like his father's; he shrugged, clearly conveying his indifference to his wife. Dana battled the urge to slap him.
    Travis, standing nearby, spoke up. " Hey, Vanessa, babe, you ' re overreacting. So the kid freaked. He'll get over it. " Travis pointed at Dana, who was rocking from side to side, comforting Jason. " See? He ' s already belter. "
    Vanessa ignored Travis. " I mean it. " She glared at Eric. " I want a divorce. "
    " Okay by me, " Eric responded, then looked at his father.
    " You ' ll change your mind, " Big Daddy said with such characteristic confidence that Dana gritted her teeth instead of responding in anger.
    Dana grabbed Vanessa ' s arm with her free hand. "Let ' s put Jason down for a nap. " At the door she paused and looked over her shoulder, " I wouldn ' t bet on Vanessa changing her mind, Big Daddy. "
    Side by side they walked out of the house and across a lawn that would put most golf courses to shame. On the far side of the swimming pool that looked like a mountain lake and a row of cabanas was the house Vanessa and Eric shared. Already Jason was half-asleep, exhausted from crying for so long.
    Vanessa opened t he door to her home, which was a smaller version of the main house, with floor-to- ceiling windows that accentuated the panoramic view and vaulted ceilings. They went into Jason ' s bedroom and put him to bed.
    "Mommie, " he said, his voice groggy with sleep, " don ' t leave me. "
    Dana watched as Vanessa kissed her son ' s forehead and said, "I won ' t. Aunt Dana and I will be sitting right outside your door. " She pointed to the French doors that opened onto a redwood deck outside Jason ' s bedroom.
    Vanessa and Dana s lipped outside and sat in bent- willow chairs surrounded by an armada of toys. Dana could still feel Jason ' s little arms around her neck. She never thought that she wanted children. Oh, she liked them, but she never considered having her own. Now she had a glimpse of what she ' d been missing. She wanted a home and a family; her life wasn ' t going to be complete without a child.
    " I ' ve been thinking, " Vanessa said, her voice so low that Dana had to lean toward her to hear. " I ' m going